homemade bigshot - Hey! Sizzle

[pantheraba]

Sizzle, I thought of you yesterday when I put this together.

I had a water balloon launcher laying around (they are about $20)...got a 10 foot piece of conduit (wife planned to use it for garden) and cross piece of bamboo. Nestled the boo in an S hook from a black rubber bungee strap...cobbled it all together and tried 'er out.

Tried it first with tennis balls...went probably 80 feet straight up. Then tried my throw weight from New Tribe...14 oz??..."normal" size.

First shot was....well, a first shot...pretty TARFU'D. I shot it from the underside, the pouch hit the cross piece and "charlie foxtrotted" everything...lesson learned.

Second shot I got the left crotch at about 45 feet...what a great feeling.

Went to the front yard, started to shoot a crotch in a big gum and then noticed the powerlines downrange and only 25 feet away. Adjusted field fire and on second shot got another good 45 footer crotch. My neighbor walking the dog didn't know whether to make eye contact or not.

I'll experiment some more and lash it all up better. I'm just a part-timer so this is probably the closest to a personal "Big Shot" I will have.

 

[Ekka]

Oh mate, what do you think you are doing?

You saw what Sizzle did with a simple old cambium saver ... what do you reckon he'll do with this ... end up sharing a cell for the night with some drug lord.

Incoming .... run for cover it's Sizzle shot.

 

[pantheraba]

Oh mate, what do you think you are doing?

You saw what Sizzle did with a simple old cambium saver ... what do you reckon he'll do with this ... end up sharing a cell for the night with some drug lord.

Incoming .... run for cover it's Sizzle shot.

 

[pantheraba]

Ekka, I just PM'd you..please check it.

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

Way to go Panthro! Yesterday and today (well, ever since that other day) i have been spending my mental time trying to figure out how to make my own big shot. I knew it could be done but wasnt sure exactly how, where did you get that water balloon launcher? Its pretty much winter here so I cant figure a good place. And how thick was that rod? as soon as I can find that tubing I'll be in business. cant wait to post my prototype!!!!!

ps, EKKA, my big shot'll be so good, dont be suprised if you find my throw weight in your yard in Australia!

 

[pantheraba]

Way to go Panthro! Yesterday and today (well, ever since that other day) i have been spending my mental time trying to figure out how to make my own big shot. I knew it could be done but wasnt sure exactly how, where did you get that water balloon launcher? Its pretty much winter here so I cant figure a good place. And how thick was that rod? as soon as I can find that tubing I'll be in business. cant wait to post my prototype!!!!!

ps, EKKA, my big shot'll be so good, dont be suprised if you find my throw weight in your yard in Australia!

Launcher came from
Riva Sport
800-333-9222

http://www.aquasling.com/

or Google "water balloon launcher"...I got mine with a lot of camping gear I bought at a local bait shop...that's another long story

Rod is electrical conduit, 1/2 inch from Home Depot or Lowe's...I used a 10 footer.

My sling has 36 inch rubbers and shot pouch is 8" wide by 7.5" long..didn't measure depth but I'm sure it will hold a softball or small pumpkin...OK, very small pumpkin.

I'll try to get some picts of it in action.

 

[TreeJunkie]

LMFAO,

Guys the big shot isn't really that expensive...Just buy one. I might understand if you were trying to weld your own lowering device but come on this thing looks ridiculous not to mention down right dangerous.

 

[pbtree]

:Eye:

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

LMFAO,

Guys the big shot isn't really that expensive...Just buy one. I might understand if you were trying to weld your own lowering device but come on this thing looks ridiculous not to mention down right dangerous.

make anything you can!!! you think the pioneers could just call up sherrill and order a big shot? Spit no. They had to lasso a deer, harvest its sinew, stretch it, chop down a tree, carve a pole, then lasch it all together. If they could do it then, I can do it now, and if that big shot cost 20$ to make, and a real big shot costs over 100$ to buy, i dont care if it looks like a 10 foot POS I'm using it!

 

[pantheraba]

Guys the big shot isn't really that expensive...Just buy one. I might understand if you were trying to weld your own lowering device but come on this thing looks ridiculous not to mention down right dangerous.

Function is what matters most...but it does look kinda rigged...which it is...prototype, see. But dangerous...I don't think so.

The lashing is good, no danger from the cross piece coming off. Just wear safety glasses in case a rubber breaks (or a tomato smooshes out on launch...too many G's).

The other part of it is just the challenge...seeing if it CAN work.

We made a trebuchet out of bamboo once, part of a competition...could've used commercial 2x4's or 4x4 like everybody else did...we had a great time improvising...at the risk of derailing my own thread....

 

[pantheraba]

It didn't look commercial, but you can see the pumpkin top/center of picture, disappearing over the rainbow, looking for Dorothy and Toto.

Do it, Sizzle...chase down that deer, hoss it down, skin it, eat some of it, just render it down into YOUR Big Shot (just don't get too creative with the rubbers).

Keep us posted...and if it DOES look like a 10 foot POS, I'll just smile, laugh and enjoy it with you.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

How far can your homemade thing fire a throw bag? 45'? That sounds easily in hand thrown range, which I would consider up to about 60'. A Big Shot can put you 70-90' in a tree in one shot.

Not to poo poo on innovation, fellas. You need more power!

 

[rbtree]

I'll see if I can find my photos of a slingshot designed by Portland arborist Blake Thomas back in the early 90's. It would launch a 20 ounce pouch attached to fat slick line or bigger easily 150 feet.

As well, Graeme McMahon and possibly Jerry Beranek have mounted 2 big shots to a pole so as to achieve similar heights or more.

 

[notahacker]

That rubber-band like stuff is called surgical tubing. Google "surgical tubing" and it might help you create a more smooth set up.

 

[pantheraba]

How far can your homemade thing fire a throw bag? 45'? That sounds easily in hand thrown range, which I would consider up to about 60'. A Big Shot can put you 70-90' in a tree in one shot.

Not to poo poo on innovation, fellas. You need more power!

OK, I cleaned it up a little, redid the lashings (most of them).

I used it this weekend working on some pecan trees in S. GA. The big plus for this medium powered homemade Big Shot is accuracy. I can throw my t-bag just as high by hand but not as accurately.

 

[darkstar]

you guys ever notice how happy pantha is? maybe you noticed hes from lithia springs ehh? you know people used to go there to drink the water for depression turns out it has lithium in it . hehe true a major componet on some anti depressant drugs check it Dark ps. way to go i like the trebuchet

 

[pantheraba]

Ha-ha...hiccup...excuse me. You figured it out, Dark...the old hotel site where rich folks stayed while partaking of the lithium water is across the street from my office.

The treb was lots of fun...we will build another I am sure.

 

[Redbull]

Speaking of slingshots, did anyone see the human slingshot on Mythbusters a few weeks ago? Very entertaining!

 

[Graeme]

G'day Y'All
Read the discussion on bigshot, found it quite interesting. I've got a link of part of the dvd shown in earlier presentations of my double-bigshot.
http://sherbrooketrees.tripod.com/sherbrooketreeservice/id11.html

There've been furthur improvements, but the current model is easily achieving heights between 200-300' .
Regards
Graeme McMahon

 

[pantheraba]

That's a bodacious big-shot...looks very well put together and powerful.

I went through the videos, too...just awesome...some great techniques...topping, bailing out, cutting with explosives...great stuff. Thanks.