My new bigshot, Hey Pantho!!!!!!!!

[Sizzle-Chest]

So, I finally got what i always dreamed of, my very own big shot for total of 50$! I have to thank fpyontek for sending the head, without it i would still be hucking my throw weight into the trees!

But i ran into a couple problems. First, getting a new rubber sling on can be difficult. But, in case your wondering, hairspray (with alcohol) works like a charm. It will lube for a few seconds then dry sticky, best of both worlds. I got it on in only a few minutes.

Then I bought an extra beefy fiberglass pole from local rigging store and jammed the head into it without checking if it fit right and i got it stuck something fierce! I tried WD-40, ramming it from the back end with a dowel, twisting it until i got blisters on both hands and nothing worked. I figured I would have a permanent big shot pole with the head about 1/3 of the way in. I ended up dousing it with penetrating oil and leaving it for an hour. Once i got it out, i found the inside scored to spit and metal shavings everywhere from trying to twist the head out. i ground the head down so it fit right. Here's some pictures of the final product. Thanks again for help and suggestions everyone!

PS: It took one shot to prove its worth. My line went rediculously high!

 

[pantheraba]

Now I want one!!!!

Man, have you ever got my attention. That looks awesome!! I may eventually have to get the real thing.

So, let us know about using it..maybe in that kinda cedar looking tree in your other post.

Try the releasable throw weight setup sometime, it's been good for me. You may need it if you try the BS in the prickly oak you climbed.

Great job, Sizzle; worth the wait. (Be careful the Siberian tigers don't see those cute little Pandas.)

 

[skwerl]

I'm on my third replacement pouch/ tubing on my BigShot. Two tricks mentioned in the directions that I found to be quite helpful. The first is to make sure that the pouch is straight and centered and there is no twist in the tubing. I can't really tell but it looks like the tubing on one side of your BigShot is twisted. I hope it isn't.
The second is to use a small bowl of water with a drop or two of dish soap as your lubricant. The hairspray may end up being a nightmare one day when you replace the rubber again, although I hope it isn't. The main reason for me posting this is for the benefit of others who might otherwise try the hairspray thing instead of reading the directions.

I've found that the rounder throwbags work much better than the long skinny ones. The long stiff throwbags don't sit in the pouch very well and I kept getting misfires until I went with the other style throwbag.

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

just to clarify, i did read the directions, but its assinine to use soap if you ask me because soap is slippery even when dry and it gets all over your hands. You can direct the spray of hairspray where you want it, its just as slippery as soap and dries better/faster. Also, either way you will have to cut the tubing off to replace it and it wouldnt be any harder having used hairspray.

And the tubing isnt twisted. It looks that way because it was folded in the package for who knows how long. It will take on the correct shape eventually, but it hasnt effected the performance.

Panthro, you probly couldnt tell from the picture, but my big-shot poll it taller than that cedar I posted. But there is a gargantuan cedar I have my eye on about a half-hour drive from here. Its about 6 feet thick and a couple hundred high.

 

[pantheraba]

Panthro, you probly couldnt tell from the picture, but my big-shot poll it taller than that cedar I posted. But there is a gargantuan cedar I have my eye on about a half-hour drive from here. Its about 6 feet thick and a couple hundred high.

First, I am glad you did read the directions..I'd a been disappointed, otherwise. Not that I expect you to follow them.:bang: :bang:

Now, let me get this straight...the pole for your big-shot is BIGGER that that cedar tree. I thought my 10 foot conduit was humongous, but you have bested me AGAIN....drat!!!

Your 6 foot cedar sounds amazing...they don't get like that down here.

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

this cedar's for you panthro. BTW, thats me on that sucker

 

[Tree Frog]

Good job in creating a big shot for $50. By the way how much time and materials was invested in creating it?

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

well, i ordered the replacement rubber tubing before i even knew someone had a head because I thought I could make one myself. The tube was 18$, but when I got it I realized that it was so strong that i would need a real head to use it.

Then fpyontek sent me an old head he had for free, paid shipping out his own pocket so I owe him one big time!

And the 8ft poll i got from the local supply for 30$. It was extra thick tubing but was cheap because they had too many and switched over to a new supplier and wanted to get rid of the old stock. So i lucked out. Fifty bucks!

 

[pantheraba]

this cedar's for you panthro. BTW, thats me on that sucker

Thank you!!! I'll take it. What a great tree. Those big ones are almost mystical.

 

[Tree Frog]

Sizzle, I guess what I was really trying to get at was your Research and Development costs of the building of your big shot. How much time (how much per hour is your time worth), mileage (to and from stores and test sites), materials (wd-40, hairspray, soap) etc...

I'm trying to justify my purchase.

 

[Sizzle-Chest]

oh, i understand now, i spent a lot of time thinking about it, and I had a lot of trouble justifying it as well. here are a few things to consider if you want to make one.

A. materials do exist, but they will never fit the way you want them to. I found all the right materials at the local harware store, and I totaled a price around 50$ to make one, but it was going to be inferior in many ways. But it would work.

B. The time it takes to make one, after repeated trips to store and having to try different parts, return this, buy that, repeat, will end up costing you even more. So, lets put an arbitrary cost of about 25$ for unforseen costs, gas, man-hours, and incidentals.

C. when i got all the pieces for the big shot, i realized that I could never make something as good as it. The thing is built just perfect for launching throw weights into trees. If the home-made one costs between 60-80$, isnt a reliable, better built, more effective tool worth the extra bit of cost? I'm all about cutting corners, but this is one where I think you would really come out really behind. If you do end up spending even 50$ and find out that it wont work, thats half the money you could have spent on something garanteed to work. As panthraba said, even with his homeade bigshot, he was only able to reach hieghts he could throw to.

BTW, the surgical tubing is really expensive. I checked many sources and the price for something comprible to what comes on the bigshot is more than two bucks a foot. Then you have to figure out a way to safely attach it.

So, unless it falls in your lap like it did for me, I would recommend shelling out the 100$. As others have mentioned, its worth its weight in gold!

 

[Tree Frog]

Sizzle, thanks for the great lessons learned. Much appreciated.