So, what's going to be on this boomerang site eventually? Mostly scans of boomerangs I have made, plans so you can duplicate them yourself, throwing and catching instructions, a list of records set with DBS boomerangs, a "How do they work?" section, links to other boomerang sites, and maybe some videos of some my boomerangs in flight if I'll ever get a digital camcorder for myself. Recently, I've made some indoor cardboard boomerangs with my young son. We plan to add some plans for those here, too.

For now, enjoy the Galleries, the DBS Record Book, and the web links.

The Digital Boomerang Systems Story

I love boomerangs.

As a gift in 1991, my mother-in-law bought me a boomerang from a catalog. I was hooked immediately. After enjoying this commercial version for awhile, I decided that I could make one of those things. Along with Chris Meek, I started making tons of boomerangs. We started out with a jigsaw and and a belt-sander. Once Chris figured out a way to mount the sander upside-down on a work-bench, our productivity really improved. We used various sanding blocks and files and eventually we bought a band saw. We experimented with different shapes and styles as we honed our boomsmithing skills. 

After we got to where we could make them fly, we then wanted to make them look good. Even my wife Michelle got into the boomerang-painting act. I shudder to think of how much money we have spent on spray-paint, other craft paints, brushes, doo-dads, and various cans of polyurethane wood finish and clear-coat. Discovering spray-on polyurethane was another productivity breakthrough.

Eventually, we had made so many that we decided we needed to sell some. We sold boomerangs to friends and at a few arts-and-crafts fairs around town. I don't make or throw boomerangs nearly as often as I used to, but I still love it every time I do it. A few years ago, I ordered a 5ft by 5ft sheet of excellent 10-ply Finnish Birch plywood. I still have well over half of it left, so I just need to make the time to put that stuff to use. 

This can be a frustrating hobby in Texas because its almost always too windy. Back in our boomerang heyday, we would very often have a new design to try, but we would have to wait a couple of days first, because of the accursed wind.

Here are some ideas Andrew and I have for future boomerangs: