Ah, the tropics. Is that where you're from?
Yeah, I was born there when it was an Australian annex. Then lived in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Excellent info on sling shots, wish someone would've taught me this sixty years ago: "The shanghai is not held in a power grip on the handle. You place your thumb on the right fork and grip the left fork with middle joint of your pointer finger. Basically you shoot over your thumb webbing."
I’ve always considered a sling shot something you held by the handle with the Power grip and the Shanghai something you shoot between your thumb and index finger.
The Shanghai is more compact and we could shoot fast and hide it in our pockets in seconds. There’s not much to them.
I was a criminal gang leader of hundreds of raskols and a feral savage white kid back then.
The Shanghai is what fed and protected us. I dare anything to try run the gauntlet of 200 Shanghais, not even police cars came into our area without permission.
How you make the Shanghai for your size hand, the wire length is determined by the span between your thumbs when you touch little fingers palms open facing you.
There should be a gentle curve in the wire as you cut that length off the roll.
Hold the wire the same way so the low point in the middle is where your little fingers are touching, ends resting on the thumb pads. Then push your thumbs together bending the wire up, and crossing them over.
Then judge by eye where you up turn the forks.
Use standard flat nose pliers to turn the band keeper loops back toward you. Turn the pliers tight keeping Shanghai flat on the concrete.
Some cut a short piece garden hose to shove over the handle loop, but it’s not necessary, it’s good as is.
I always thought it was more natural using the V of your hand as aiming reference, seen and done many amazing shots with our merry band back then.
