Dave Coster's How To– Make Pole Catapults Perform Better

This entry was posted on 4th February, 2019

A big problem with light action pole catapults is the fine diameter elastics tend to twist up and tangle a lot, particularly when loose feeding regularly. It’s hard enough hanging onto a long pole, without having to untangle a catapult every few minutes! One day I solved the problem accidentally, when one of the elastics on my favourite pole catty broke…



…The broken elastic meant I had to dramatically shorten the hollow latex the other side, causing the pouch to end up a lot closer to the catapult’s frame. I thought this might be a problem, making the catapult too powerful for pole range. But due to how stretchy fine diameter pole catty elastic is, I soon discovered gauging close-range distances was even better and the shorter elastics didn’t tangle at all. They even helped to keep the pouch open, making one-handed filling a lot simpler.



Another problem with fine diameter pole catty elastic can occur when you need to renew it. You might not be able to find identical diameter replacements, which keep slipping off the prongs on the catapult’s pouch. This can be very annoying, so what I do is tighten small electrical ties over the elastic - where it sits on the prongs. This holds everything rock solid.