Hobbies And Interests
History
The first commercial slingshot went on the market in 1948; it was called Wham-O. Other manufacturers soon followed suit, and in 1954 the popular "Wrist Rocket" came into existence. The craze caught on fast and almost every child owned one. Russia claims to have had the first homemade slingshot, called a rogatka.
Types
There are a number of ways one may construct a slingshot, including taking a strong, forked branch of a tree, breaking the excess branches off and sanding them down to remove all the rough edges, and tying a thick rubber band to each fork. Even the crudest slingshot can work extremely well.
Function
Homemade slingshots, also known as shanghais or catapults, have been used for hunting for thousands of years---remember David and Goliath from biblical days? Birds and squirrels, rabbits and hares are good to eat and good target practice.
Effects
Stephen King's "It," "The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass," and "Thinner" all featured homemade slingshots as effective weapons for killing, maiming and other such macabre mayhem. Perhaps it was one of Stephen's favorite toys as a child. A large steel ball was used by the gypsy girl in her homemade slingshot to hit "the white man from town," on his palm, with horrific results, in "Thinner."
Size
Homemade slingshots differ in size according to age groups and may be constructed to be as large or as small as one can handle. Larger slingshots require heavier ammunition, thicker, sturdier forked branches and strong rubber bands. Homemade slingshots may be constructed from the handlebars of old bicycles or any strong item that won't break easily. Larger homemade slingshots may require two people to operate the gadget.
Warning
Disclaimer: Author will not be held responsible for misuse of homemade slingshots resulting from irresponsible misuse of gadgets.