A buddy and I undertook a pretty substantial project a couple weeks ago when we decided to build our own bird launchers, which are used for dog training and hunt tests/trials. A brand new launcher from the factory usually costs almost 400 bucks, and remote electronics add about another 300. When it's all said and done, we'll have less than $175 in each one including the electronics.
Here is a link to the Zinger Winger website. They, along with Gunners Up, make the two best bird launchers IMO.
http://zingerwinger.com/xcart/home.php?cat=265
So I did a TON of research before attempting this build. Homemade wingers are nothing new. Guys have been doing this for years, so I'm certainly not a trend setter by any means. One of the more popular DIY builds is done with PVC pipe. I had a conduit bender so we decided to go with 3/4" EMT conduit instead. I'm very happy with the results but I will say that drilling almost 40 separate holes in each winger (WE MADE 4 OF THEM---160 holes) was a royal pain in the fuggin ass. But it's incredibly stout and should hold up for a long time.
Sorry, I did not really take any pictures during the entire build process so this is a pretty shitty DIY thread but hey, you can't win 'em all. That's what Google is for, right? Besides, you can figure it out by looking at the finished pics anyway.
Right now I'm waiting on our remotes to ship from China so they are currently only manually-operated. In the meantime I am piecing together the actuator assemblies and control boxes. The pouch is clipped to a trigger-style bow release which is bolted through the lower crossbar. Off to the side of that will be a car door lock actuator that will put the trigger with small cable or PowerPro fishing line (no stretch). Running the actuator will be a 12V battery connected to a 2-channel RF receiver... One channel will operate the actuator, the other channel will power a Piezo 102dB siren (for getting the dog's attention when necessary). So, each launcher has 2 channels... The remotes are 6-channel remotes... So each remote will operate up to 3 launchers. Follow me? Each control box will house the battery, 2-channel receiver, a power switch so the battery doesn't go dead, the siren, and two external positive and negative studs for attaching alligator clips for a battery charger.
Let's get right to it. Here's a few pictures of the somewhat-finished product and a brief video showing the launch of a training bumper. It will launch a bumper close to 35 yds and will throw a dead frozen duck about 20 yds with a nice arc.
[video=youtube;oHdx8bAMVgI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHdx8bAMVgI[/video]
Here's a brief parts list for one launcher:
35' - 3/4" EMT conduit
4 - 3/8" zinc coated pulleys
1 - bow release (tru fire patriot)
Gunner's Up replacement parts - bird pouch, welded rings, pulley hangers
Thera band silver fitness bands (gotta experiment with these - ours are about 22" pre-stretch
x - zip ties
x - 1.5 and 2.5" 1/4-20 bolts, flat washers, nylon lock nuts
2 - tarp hooks
1 - eye bolt, washers, and lock nut for the pouch attachment
And the electronics are listed above.
It's going to be a couple weeks before I get the remotes but hopefully I can snap a few more pics to follow up. These are really nice training tools for hunting retrievers because they allow you to set up long throws without the need for a helper. I train a lot by myself in addition to training with friends so these will really come in handy. These launchers really open up a lot of various training opportunities.
Here is a link to the Zinger Winger website. They, along with Gunners Up, make the two best bird launchers IMO.
http://zingerwinger.com/xcart/home.php?cat=265
So I did a TON of research before attempting this build. Homemade wingers are nothing new. Guys have been doing this for years, so I'm certainly not a trend setter by any means. One of the more popular DIY builds is done with PVC pipe. I had a conduit bender so we decided to go with 3/4" EMT conduit instead. I'm very happy with the results but I will say that drilling almost 40 separate holes in each winger (WE MADE 4 OF THEM---160 holes) was a royal pain in the fuggin ass. But it's incredibly stout and should hold up for a long time.
Sorry, I did not really take any pictures during the entire build process so this is a pretty shitty DIY thread but hey, you can't win 'em all. That's what Google is for, right? Besides, you can figure it out by looking at the finished pics anyway.
Right now I'm waiting on our remotes to ship from China so they are currently only manually-operated. In the meantime I am piecing together the actuator assemblies and control boxes. The pouch is clipped to a trigger-style bow release which is bolted through the lower crossbar. Off to the side of that will be a car door lock actuator that will put the trigger with small cable or PowerPro fishing line (no stretch). Running the actuator will be a 12V battery connected to a 2-channel RF receiver... One channel will operate the actuator, the other channel will power a Piezo 102dB siren (for getting the dog's attention when necessary). So, each launcher has 2 channels... The remotes are 6-channel remotes... So each remote will operate up to 3 launchers. Follow me? Each control box will house the battery, 2-channel receiver, a power switch so the battery doesn't go dead, the siren, and two external positive and negative studs for attaching alligator clips for a battery charger.
Let's get right to it. Here's a few pictures of the somewhat-finished product and a brief video showing the launch of a training bumper. It will launch a bumper close to 35 yds and will throw a dead frozen duck about 20 yds with a nice arc.
[video=youtube;oHdx8bAMVgI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHdx8bAMVgI[/video]
Here's a brief parts list for one launcher:
35' - 3/4" EMT conduit
4 - 3/8" zinc coated pulleys
1 - bow release (tru fire patriot)
Gunner's Up replacement parts - bird pouch, welded rings, pulley hangers
Thera band silver fitness bands (gotta experiment with these - ours are about 22" pre-stretch
x - zip ties
x - 1.5 and 2.5" 1/4-20 bolts, flat washers, nylon lock nuts
2 - tarp hooks
1 - eye bolt, washers, and lock nut for the pouch attachment
And the electronics are listed above.
It's going to be a couple weeks before I get the remotes but hopefully I can snap a few more pics to follow up. These are really nice training tools for hunting retrievers because they allow you to set up long throws without the need for a helper. I train a lot by myself in addition to training with friends so these will really come in handy. These launchers really open up a lot of various training opportunities.
