Hi, my name is Joshua Waters, otherwise known as SharpshooterJD. I have been using and making primitive weapons (recreationally), for about 8 years now, out of materials like wood, steel, aluminum, PVC, HDPE, and anything else I can get my hands on. I have also been blacksmithing/metalworking off and on for about 4 years, and have been dabbling in woodworking for about the same. I love innovating and creating things that I need with the materials, tools, and limitations that I have. I like making functional things that work very well and are simple in construction. I believe strongly in the importance of hobbies and learning skills to grow one’s knowledge and to increase the joy of living. I hope to teach you the processes I use to make my projects with the least investment and headache possible so that anyone with any amount of resources can follow along and share in the fun.
My Story
Growing up in a military family, I lived in about 8 different places my first 16 years of life. I was naturally introverted, homeschooled and was a competitive gymnast for most of my childhood. Because of all of this, it was pretty difficult for me to make friends, so I turned to hobbies to keep me busy. I had always been interested in weapons and used to watch the military channel and history channel when I was younger. Somehow when I was about 10 or 11, I discovered slingshots and quickly fell in love with them. I was a very responsible kid, and my parents gave me a pretty free rein, so I learned all I could about them, and got pretty good with one. I was a natural marksman, and I loved being precise and accurate, and seeing a can fall that I was aiming at from a long distance away is an amazing feeling that I still love to this day.
A few years passed as I pursued gymnastics, and then when I was about 14 or 15, I got interested in them again and stumbled across the slingshot forums, which inspired me to try my hand at making my own slingshots, even though I had absolutely no experience at building things. Around that time I was finally able to acquire some basic tools and started making slingshots out of wood, and anything else I could find. I was quickly mesmerized by the act of taking an idea from my mind and making it into a physical object that worked how I wanted it to. It was, and is, truly one of the most amazing feelings out there.
Since then I discovered metal working, which I instantly fell in love with and which allowed me to make other kinds of weapons, like throwing spikes, throwing spears, metal slingshots, and more. Eventually, I had gained so much knowledge and started creating new ways of doing things, that I could no longer keep it all to myself. So after lots of help and encouragement from my family and close friends, I started a YouTube channel and named it SharpshooterJD, after the name I had picked for myself on the slingshot forums. This website is an extension of that channel, and a furtherance of my initial dream, to share the knowledge I’ve gained, and to inspire others to find the joy-filled experience of making things with one’s own hands.
What You Will Find Here
Here you will find information-rich articles and videos on primitive weapons and metalworking. Formats include tutorials, builds, informational posts, DIY projects, tips, tricks and more.
My Mission For SharpshooterJD.com
The goal of this site is the same as my YouTube channel, for us to LEARN all that we can together, to CREATE awesome and useful things, and to INSPIRE others to do the same. That is my goal, but I hope you will embrace it as your own, and I hope we can create a community of individuals all helping, teaching and inspiring others.
If you ever need a hand or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. I’m very responsive and I’d love to help in any way I can.
Thanks for reading, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, and God bless!
Joshua Waters
SharpshooterJD.com