Atlatl questions

[Kegan]

My first atalat was a bit of a slug (I didn't really know what I was doing) so I hope someone can help me.
First, is a thinner dart, about 3/8" be acceptable (the amterial will most likely be sourwood, a rather rigid material).

Second, is it better to have the atlatl itself lighter, or slightly heavy?

Third, would a two foot long atlatl work well with a 60"-66" dart?

Thanks in advance .

[wolfsire]

Dart thinkness depends and the material you use.  1/2" is good for a nice heavy dart, but 3/8" might very well be perfect.  Many material taper too, and many of the principles applicable to arrows apply.  Diameter for me is just a guild.  Spine is more important.  You probably will not know your ideal spine with until you toss a few, because it is a function of the power of your toss, arm, stance, leverage, etc., but 5-7 lbs is recommended.  Grab one end of the dart and push the other end into a bathroom scale.  It will bow out and then at some point, stop increasing in weight, even if you push more.

Atlatl and dart length will vary with the user.  Most say that the lenght from your elbow to finger tips is ideal for an atlatl.  I can only say that that works for me, but a short one I made, 16" is difficult for me to use.  Some like 7' darts others 5', even less or more.  Of course length affects spine, which to me is more important.

On weight, I have heard that if they are about the same that is good, but I don't know.  I do know that I like the feel of an atlatl with a stone weight added.  My darts are mostly 4-6 oz, which I have heard is heavy.  I have heard of those that are heavier, but I have also heard, been recommended, and seen more of those that are 1-2 oz.

Experiment and have fun.

[Kegan]

Thanks for the quick reply!

The last one I made was too stiff (and was 1/2" thick). We have plenty of useable shoots though, so I'll jsut have to wait and see.

Ahhh, that makes sense. That would be about two feet for me. Again, I'll just experiment with the dart length.

Excellent. If it turns out too light, I could just add a weight! I have made arrows that weighed almost as much as 3 ounces, and they weren't that heavy. But, again, my last dart was too heavy. I'll look for a happy medium .

I'll have to keep in mind not to overhtingk it. That usually kills me .

[radius]

2 feet from your fingertips to elbow!!! You must be 7 feet tall!

[leapingbare]

i had a dream last night that i was slinging fishing rods at targets with an atlatle... hmmm strange.

[Hillbilly]

About 18-20"" is a good atlatl length, if I make them much longer, they're pretty awkward for me. To tune darts, I usually leave them considerably longer than I need, and start throwing them. If they nosedive, cut a bit of length off. Repeat until it flies right. If the butt kicks down, it's too short or stiff. Not much you can do to add length, but you can tune them a bit by taking the diameter down.

[Otoe Bow]

I tried using a tennis racket as an Atlatl once.     OK I was just goofing off.  I knocked an arrow into the strings of the racket and then proceeded to throw it like an Atlatl.  The results were pretty lame but I think a longer dart instead of the short arrows would have worked pretty good. 

Mike

[wolfsire]

About 18-20"" is a good atlatl length, if I make them much longer, they're pretty awkward for me. To tune darts, I usually leave them considerably longer than I need, and start throwing them. If they nosedive, cut a bit of length off. Repeat until it flies right. If the butt kicks down, it's too short or stiff. Not much you can do to add length, but you can tune them a bit by taking the diameter down.

Stiffness can be adjusted by adding weight to the front.  You can add lenght by splicing in wood or making your foreshaft longer.  You can even add a rear shaft.  If you are using wood, then you might be able to shave down the center to make it thinner to reduce spine.  Of course, what ever you do, it will affect balance and weight, but that might be ok or desirable.

Consider also your throwing consistency.  If you are all over the place in the amount of umph you put into it, then the amount of spine you need will vary.  Harder throws need more spine.

[snedeker]

I'm getting into atlatling myself and am working on a set of darts.  The Paleoplanet site has a whole message board devoted to it.  Most guys are using throwiing sticks over 22" long and darts are generally over 72"

Dave

[wolfsire]

I think its Fiddler's at PP, but there is a two handed set something like 3' and 9' respectively.

[Bowbound]

I like my darts to be man tall, so generally about 6 foot and with a 7lb spine(i like mine nearer 10lbs, but thats personal preference) . You're best just to play around with darts and atlatls till you get what you want, thats how i did it.

[fireman_3311]

I've got some rivercane that I've been wanting to splice together, and try to kill some fish with...Anyone ever try it???

[GlassKnapper]

I have never tried it myself, but i have seen many people fishing setups on Paleoplanet.net in the atlatl section. Lots of past cultures used the atlat for just such a purpose. Hope you find osme good info!
--Glass

[nugget]

fireman_3311 I have 3 darts that I have made from splicing rivercane. They fly very good. I have never tried fishing with them. I made them each a little different.I spliced some at the small end and some at the fatter end. 1 is not even spliced, I put the small end of 1 piece down inside of the larger end of the other. I wrapped all of them with wet rawhide and lashed them together with sinew or cordage.
TJ

[Idaho Longbow]

I am going to start off a bit high tech.  I have an arrow shaft maker that is willing to humor me, and run me some 11/32" X six foot or a bit longer shafting to experiment with.  Does hickory look like a suitable wood?  Is there a better scale than the height of the user to start with?  I got long arms, 22" atlatl.
Thanks for the advice,

Rich