A new gun build - A long road

[DafyddRees]

Hi guys, I am going to attempt to build a gun over the next six months or so and I will document it here to share with everyone what's happening with the gun aswell as gather some advice and input during the process.

I love the customisation part of the process by choosing all the different aspects of it, there are so many configurations to choose from that makes it really personal.

I have decided on a few aspects so far: -

Handle - Nile-Tec handle ( I think the stainless steel frame with teak sides look really good
Trigger mechanism - Nile-Tec trigger mechanism with bottom line release
Spear - Preferably 6.6m RA with sharkfins
Wood - Teak
Dimensions - I went in to the shop today in the mindset of ordering 5 strips of 110by10by40mm in order to build a 75cm, single band gun for low viz, shallow water conditions. However, on the way I started thinking that I did not use my short gun all last season as the 90cm suited the conditions so I started to imagine other possibilities...

The other gun I am thinking about is 100cm gun, twin 14mm bands more suited for deeper aspetto which I prefer. I am trying to coin the term for it as a "Welsh Reef Gun"

Even so, I was just wondering what peoples opinions are regarding the two as I am 50/50 either way at the moment! Will it be advisable to start off with the smaller gun as I will be popping my gun-building cherry?

Thanks

Dave

 

[foxfish]

750mm is a pretty small gun to build from a heavy dense wood like teak & might be tricky to get the balance just right & for me that is critical for a custom woody.
Twin 14mm bands - you been looking at to many American sites! LOL
I agree the Nile tec handle looks great but again I would be cautious using it on a 75cm.
A 100cm pollock gun would be a great project - single 20mm band if you are up for it or twin 16mm bands if not?
What ever you decide it will be great if you can post the project as there are lots of us who just love gun builds :friday

PS have you seen EDs teak 80 build thread?

 

[DafyddRees]

Hah, no Yank sites were used! There is too much information here to even bother going anywhere else! I thought there were a few posts that said you preferred Teak when building a gun? I take it that is not for all guns then... ?

The only other option I have is mahogany but the carpenter said that it may be a while until he gets another stock in as he orders it from some far away land.

Yes, I pm'd Portinfer yesterday about it, it is a really good read with loads of information in it!

Thanks again Fox!

 

[acevedo joseph]

Sounds like a nice gun , I'll be sure to check back ..Joe
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Logan aquatics]

Is a great thing to do. I have built three guns and have a fourth close to finished. 100, 130 and a 80cm gun for my wife, myself and oldest son respectively. I used a beuchat marlin mech for all four guns and a local hard wood(Tasmanian oak) for the stocks. the guns look great and shoot very straight. the big gun has a single 19mm rubber, 100 has twin 14mm and a single 14mm on the smallest gun. All have enough power for their intended purpose. Wife gets plenty of fish and I have taken some decent large size fish.
The satisfaction of taking a large trophy fish can't be beat when you have made the gun from scratch.
Stick to it, love to see some pics.

 

[bobdonny]

Looking forward to the updates!

 

[DafyddRees]

Update - Components ordered and received a while back but due to a change of degree was unable to free the $$$ required for the wood! Time is moving on though and I am a couple of months away from moving away from a wordworking guru/friend who was going to over see the project - Time to get the project back on (open) track!

 

[foxfish]

Crikey mate - lets get going.... LOL...

 

[foxfish]

So what have you actually bought so far, did you the get Nile-Tec trigger mechanism?
Do you have any power tools like a planer or router?

 

[Broseidon]

I had a sneak peek at the pine proto-type last week, I was so impressed that I've already put my order in!

 

[thunderbolt]

I saw some posts from some members who had diagrams for trigger mechanisms. do any of you guys have such diagrams that you can E-mail to me so I can make my own trigger mechanisms? Here in Trinidad we also have excellent Teak and I'm anxious to try making my own speargun.

 

[foxfish]

Unfortunately there are very few if any members who would recommend building a DIY trigger!!

 

[thunderbolt]

Dear Foxfish, I have a router and the necessary bits. What I really want to do is build my own trigger mechanism from scratch. There a few sites that have some diagrams but I was hoping that someone on this forum would have further information. Thanks for your interest.

 

[foxfish]

Well you can use the search button to find out what we have on the forum but I would not recommend making your own.
Here is one http://forums.deeperblue.com/diy-homemade/86919-diy-speargun-trigger-mechanism-help.html

 

[spaghetti]

Dear Foxfish, I have a router and the necessary bits. What I really want to do is build my own trigger mechanism from scratch. There a few sites that have some diagrams but I was hoping that someone on this forum would have further information. Thanks for your interest.

What Foxfish meant, and that's 100% correct, is that building a safe, strong, functional trigger mech is not for everyone. It takes a kind of specific skills and experience that are quite uncommon in common people, unless they have a good background in micro metalworks. That's true: me I wouldn't know where to start. And I'm very fond of spearguns.

Anyway Thunderbolt, if you are good at working steel, watch these galleries for inspiration. It's from Arbafan (Giuseppe Albanese), one of my favourite speargun masters.
https://picasaweb.google.com/101245836986863964515/Sac8mm#
https://picasaweb.google.com/101245836986863964515/ScattoArretrato#
As you see from all the bits in the exploded, it doesn't seem an easy job....
A relatively easy one (if you're good at steel work) is this one, a stainless steel copy of the popular Sporasub Viper trigger, also very similar to the Omer excalibur and others of that sort.....https://picasaweb.google.com/101245836986863964515/TradizionaleModViper#

 

[thunderbolt]

Sphghetti, thank you for your concern but I believe that I possess the necessary skills to to this safely. I also know several metallurgists who can assist along the way.