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How to Make a Sling to Shoot Rocks

A slingshot is a small projectile weapon with a simple design. It is made of a Y shaped piece of wood with a large rubber band, or even surgical tubing, attached to it. They can be fun for kids and adults alike and are often used to shoot at targets. Slingshots have been used for hundreds of years and can still easily be made today.

Things You'll Need

Sturdy Y shaped piece of wood, 6 to 9 inches long and 1 to 2 inches thick
12 inches of latex surgical tubing
Thick, rectangular piece of leather or cloth, 3 inches long by 2 inches wide
2 small rubber bands
Knife

Instructions

- 1
  Peel off the bark of the wood piece. Make sure there's no green bark underneath.
- 2
  Use the knife to cut a slit on each end of the piece of leather or cloth. The slits should be made up and down, not across, and just long enough for the tubing or rubber band to fit through. They should also be made 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the edges.
- 3
  Run one end of the tubing through the slit on one end of the cloth and through the slit on the other end. Make sure the piece of cloth or leather sits in the middle of the tubing strip.
- 4
  Place one of the tubing ends on the top of one Y end of the wood. Tightly wrap a small rubber band around the tubing and the wood, toward the top, until it can't be wrapped anymore. Repeat on the other side of the Y.
- 5
  Test your slingshot. Make sure the tubing snaps quickly. If not, unwrap the rubber bands and cut a small amount of the tubing at one end. Rewrap the rubber bands and test it again.

Backyard Toys