Atlatl anyone?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:32 pm

Found this stone bird, looks good.

Mike D. · Post by **Mike D.** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:12 pm

Mike D thems some awesome rocks ya got there, Ive got a hint
ya may have a few more?
ollogger

Ye, I have many more. Wandering the high country of Eastern CA, NV, and occasionally OR, is another passion of mine. The pluvial lake shores are excellent sources of paleo artifacts. Much of Nevada under water during the late Pleistocene, 25000 to 9000 yrs ago and the shoreline contours are very visible in many places.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:54 pm

Pitchy love that bird and the new stick

.
I need to get busy on some darts so I can start practicing. Good thing it is a long weekend I should be able to get some put together. Hopefully I get some time to maybe even get another atlatl done. I did make up some raw hide finger loops today they are drying now once they are set and hard I will lash them in place with some artificial sinew and this one will be all done.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:06 pm

looking forward to seeing them.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:14 pm

Here is where I have been doing most of my research. http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/forums/24#.Tw9MslZZqLU The folks there are much like you all here very helpful and full of useful info.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:38 pm

Pitchy, the weight isn't as important as its distribution, which is one big problem with dowels: they're the same weight from one end to the other (and they don't flex much). Brushy shoots work OK; they'll typically have a lot of taper in a seven foot section, and that means more weight at the nose and less at the tail, which you want. The down side of shoots is that depending on species they may or may not take well to straightening. You can straighten a willow shoot and two days later it has gone snakey again. That why the ancients had serious preferences, and what makes red osier dogwood superior.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:58 pm

Thanks Bill.

Check out this awesome video of a 7 year old shooting a deer with one.

http://www.thunderbirdatlatl.com/?cat=4

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:06 pm

VERY good Jeremy! I first saw this when I was driving and couldn't make out the word... had to get stopped so I could read! OKie roads are ROUGH! Man, t-shirt & workin' in the garage with the door open... we ain't in IN winter amymore Toto!

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:48 pm

Thanks Griff! No we must definitely not in IN. any more

Here is a new one I made up this evening it is book matched to the other one. It is my attempt at an Aztec atlatl.

Here is one for Ysable

Pitchy that is a cool video. pretty impressive what that dart did to that deer. Just shows the mechanical advantage that is achieved that a stick thrown by a 7 year old could do that level of damage.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:23 am

Very nice Jeremy, looks like there will be some whip with that one.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:16 pm

Thinned it some more and narrowed it, and shortened the handle.
Thanks to you Jeremy another fun project.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:14 pm

Nicely done Sir.

I have found that since I started making these that I carry one in my hand all day at home and at work. Not with any darts but just the atlatl. It just seems a natural thing to have in the hand much like a walking cane of the 1800's. Doing some research on the use of the atlatl by the Aztec it was considered to be more civilized then a bow and was widly regarded as a symbol of power and authority.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:10 am

Jeremy, yes, and some of Cortez' soldiers found to their very great sorrow that a well-thrown Aztec dart penetrated their armor like a knife through butter.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:43 am

I think i`m going to call the last one i thinned a praying Mantis, a walking stick.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:48 am

Bill
I imagine that was quit a surprise to the arrogant Spaniards .

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:06 am

Pitchy: Very apt. I see the resemblance!

20cows · Post by **20cows** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:08 pm

Chuck I will be making a few glass points out of bottle bottoms first. They make new beer bottles ever day. They stopped making flint a few million years ago so I would rather mess up the recyclable stuff.

My place has a lot of flint on it and I have found quite a few scrapers and other worked pieces near my barn, but most is just stream gravel. Using it for points is not like squandering a nonrenewable resource.

Need some?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:14 pm

Check this one out fellers, made from antler and cow jaw bone.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 5:44 pm

20cows wrote:
Chuck I will be making a few glass points out of bottle bottoms first. They make new beer bottles ever day. They stopped making flint a few million years ago so I would rather mess up the recyclable stuff.
My place has a lot of flint on it and I have found quite a few scrapers and other worked pieces near my barn, but most is just stream gravel. Using it for points is not like squandering a nonrenewable resource.

Need some?

I would love some. Here on the coast there is nothing in the way of knappable material.

2571 · Post by **2571** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:07 pm

JReed wrote:2571
funny thing about those is millions of folks buy those ball throwers and don't even know that that is what they really are.

Sumthin kinda wrong about making an atlatl out of plastic, too! :>)

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 6:04 pm

Well boys and girls i got out and tried throwing a couple darts today, not to impressive

Lots to learn that`s for sure about the whole thing, then to top it off the hay bales tipped over with my best dart in it and broke it in half

Made another dart and another thrower that did a little better.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 6:38 pm

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 6:52 pm

Thanks bro, made a new dart and target point today.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:45 pm

That needle looks like it would hurt.

I bet it will be a heck of a target point.

Ji in Hawaii · Post by **Ji in Hawaii** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:38 pm

One of my favorite words atlatl. Say it fast 10 times to sound crazy.

Australian Aborigines still them for hunting. They call the atlatl a woomera.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:05 pm

Watched the Quigley down under movie again today to see what the Aborigines used. Made these two throwers that look similar to what they were using.
Also the spears or darts were real long like ten feet so will have to find something for those.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:03 pm

Cool. Power tools make those troughs easy.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:57 pm

See what ya started bro

Made this Aborigine flat paddle thrower today, and found this little steel man a blacksmith buddy made a long time ago and put him on a thrower.
Keep it clean now.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:06 pm

That is cool man. Did some more work myself this evening.

This is what is known as a Basketmaker style (with some artistic license)http://archaeology.about.com/od/bterms/ ... tmaker.htm.
The loops are leather and the lashings and wraps are artificial sinew.

The only contact with this style is the finger loops and holding the dart in place with ring finger and thumb.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:44 am

Nice job on the finger loops, very cool.

Now lets see ya stick a paper plate at 100 yards.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:24 am

Pitchy, my man, you've gone wild! Next thing I half expect to see is you and J in loin cloths hunting iguanas! You guys are turning out some awesome atlatls.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:26 pm

Dont know about 100 yards yet

bill I think it best that i keep long pants on no one wants to see my chicken legs.

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:32 pm

Almost every guy on this board is nuttier than a pack of squirrels in one way or another ---

I have enough trouble finding time to shoot firearms, much less ancient Indian and aboriginine dart throwing devices

But if society were ever to crumble, we should all have a secret location mapped out to get together and rebuild our own city --- this is a resourceful bunch of folks -- (sadly i probably am not as resourceful, but i'm a great negotiator

-- the new world will need a few of those guys too )

Ji in Hawaii · Post by **Ji in Hawaii** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:33 pm

Here's a couple vids of Aborinines throwing with their woomeras:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vleudAj43tk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwNbwPVFkSc

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:28 am

Jeremy: With a good, straight, well-fletched dart of proper spine and not a lot of weight, you'll be able to get 100 yards. Tis a thing of beauty to see. I have achieved this with red osier dogwood darts and a hazel atlatl -- basketmaker style.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:40 am

Bill I have no doubts. I am just not there yet I just finally got a pair of darts tuned to the point the fly straight 15 yard un fletched long way to go to 100. Hopefully soon though.

Streetstar yep I think this bunch will do alright when the lights go out.

Cool Ji

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:07 pm

Made this oak one to try out the C-hold.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:28 pm

Should work Pitchy. Let us know if it needs to be springier. Man, you're turning out several a day.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:39 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote:Should work Pitchy. Let us know if it needs to be springier. Man, you're turning out several a day.

The C hold ya hold the thrower on edge with the thumb and index finger holding the dart. I don`t think that type was springy.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:55 pm

I am curious to see how that throws for you.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:57 pm

JReed wrote:I am curious to see how that throws for you.

It feels real comfy but it`s to cold to try it, maybe tomorrow it`s only supossed to be 10 below

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:03 pm

Sorry to hear that it is supposed to be 59 here tomorrow. If I get out of work early enough I may get to do some throwing.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:04 pm

Tried out the new thrower today, it feels real good in the hand and was the most accurate of all i`ve made using the C hold. I actually hit the target every time at 15 yards.
I did change the spur, put it directly on the thrower instead of the block, i think the block was hitting the dart but have to go try it again.

Click pic for vid.

And pics of the spur redo.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:00 pm

Pitchy, glad to hear you are getting accuracy from your new thrower. I think really accuracy is more important than speed or power. After all, we aren't hunting mastodons.

By the way, that photo looks more like Minnesoty in winter!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:23 pm

Made one that`s a little more interesting but you`ll have to use your imagination because this is a family board.
But if it`s still to crazy please remove it.

The first picture is another Atlatl that shows how they are made and the second picture is of the Chief.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:27 pm

I'm thinking that that would actually be a fairly common theme in true neolithic atlatls. Their "sensibilities" toward such personalized displays of "power" (or magic/medicine) were not so ... squeamish.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:57 pm

Pitchy wrote: the second picture is of the Chief.

Now that is too funny. You go from protecting the homestead from hostile injuns to making a weapon carrying an effigy of a chief. I guess you're showing your respect for the enemy.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:01 pm

Thanks guys, i may have gone to far with my humor and if so i`m sorry.
You my friend would reply regardless just because your a friend and a good one.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:16 pm

You know, Pitchy. I actually thought I was going to see a picture of you in a loin cloth throwing that arrow.

I wouldn't put it past you. Even in the snow of Minessooooottaaa.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:45 pm

kimwcook wrote:You know, Pitchy. I actually thought I was going to see a picture of you in a loin cloth throwing that arrow. I wouldn't put it past you. Even in the snow of Minessooooottaaa.

I could so see that

Here is a video of me throwing yesterday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V34vccvZ ... XBz8_Krs7b