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Airbalete 110

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Don Paul

Well-Known Member
Oct 14, 2009
1,189
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My used Airbalete 110

Received the Airbalete, even with my big paw, the handle feels very nice. Here are some images I'll post some
initial thoughts later. I really like most of the engineering
Cheers,Don Paul
Attached Images
 
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It has anti backlash and crank that stows out of the way.One would not want to accidentally rest the top of your foot on the reel instead of the handle when loading. The mount would shear as expected.

I saw what looks like a metal base plate in the new One catalog # SPRR01001.If not I will be machining one
soon.
Here is a camo test sample.
Cheers Don paul

Attached Images


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''
 
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I'm going to try some easy back yard camo ideas. I would like the gun to blend in with my Omer suit.
I scanned the pattern to a test strip with toned down colors. Here it is embed in one coat of west systems G-flex epoxy.
I borrowed this tech from the surf board guys, except they use rice paper. I researched and found my scanner's color to have pigment that has held up to 30 days of direct Cali sun with out noticeable color loss with out any UV protection. I will use a uv filterd
top coat over the epoxy. I know Omer has a camo Airbalete but I want a close match to my suit.
Don
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__________________
 
If you look at the composite reel on double trouble, you can see epoxy embedded mil spec nylon camo
over dvinycell. This has held up over twenty years with out maintenance in the sun and sea. I used to camo my paint guns this way as, I played in brackish mud a long time ago.

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West systems came out with a hi bond epoxy in 2007 that sticks to prepped metal, called G-flex.I scanned the area
of my Omer mimic wet suit where my Airbaete is tucked to my body, onto thin copy paper.
I plan on laying down a wet base of G-flex 650 and applying the pre-cut paper, to be sponge rolled into the
contours of the gun. Next I going to procure some natural sponge, and sponge paint gold/green patterns
similar to my local kelp fronds.Last step is to top coat with G-flex to seal and protect.

Bottom line is, I don't know if it will work as I envision, but failure leads to newly gained knowledge.By the end of summer I'll know if it can take a hard duty cycle.
Cheers, Don Paul
 
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Great work don! not sure if I like the air gun? I would have gone for more of a work horse! but it seems you already have plenty!
 
Love it. Take one brand new and very expensive gun then . . . dismantle it completely and change everything. We don't have a comprehensive review of this gun as yet, so looking forward to yours Don.

Regards,
Dave.
 
Reactions: Don Paul
Great just what I like to see
As Dave says we are waiting (apart from Joe of course) with baited breath for your in the water opinions of the guns performance.
 
devondave said:
Love it. Take one brand new and very expensive gun then . . . dismantle it completely and change everything. We don't have a comprehensive review of this gun as yet, so looking forward to yours Don.

Regards,
Dave.
Click to expand...

Hi Dave, I retitled my post to '' My used Airbalete 110 ''. My gun did not come new from the dealer, but was reported to have been '' lightly used''.

I go by the moto: '' expect what you inspect '', in every piece of gear I depend on. I have no control or empirical knowledge of what the PO (previous owner) may have done to this gun before it came to me.

If we go back and look at the line brake assembly,(third image) one can see the lever brake
and it's spring came to me reversed against the rotation of the spooled line direction. If I had assumed, and shot a 40 # white sea bass things may have not gone well when the lever brake edge dug into the reduced
spool size spinning into it.

I am very meticulous with every aspect of my dive kit, and when this fine gun goes to sea to hunt big bass, it will be tuned and rigged to the task.

A deserted rocky shoreline with big waves and bigger fish is not where I want to learn what the gun is all about.

I have a dive with it planed in the next two weeks, I'll keep you guy's posted.
All the best, Don
 
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Spear0Joe said:
Great work don! not sure if I like the air gun? I would have gone for more of a work horse! but it seems you already have plenty!
Click to expand...

I have a lot of old horses, pony's, quarter horses, and Clydesdale's that live on feedings of oil and air.

This gun put a big smile on my face when I unwrapped it...it's cute and sexy.:inlove

Cheers mate, Don:friday
 
foxfish said:
Great just what I like to see
As Dave says we are waiting (apart from Joe of course) with baited breath for your in the water opinions of the guns performance.
Click to expand...


Here's the first in water leak test at 30 bar, floating in fresh water @ 66 degrees. The gun looks so fierce, it scared my duck completely out of the tub.:head.....:t

This AM I added hi vis line to the reel. I will not be passing the reel line through the forward muzzle line guide in my setup for WSB (White Sea Bass) for two reasons: 1. The fish I plan to shoot weigh over 30 lbs and can strip off line at a hi rate of speed. The line guide hole has no SS or ceramic guide to help prevent the line sawing through the thin wall in time.
2.The roller guide is not being used until the spool diameter is reduced considerably after line take by the retreating fish or divers return to the surface. Recovery of line and indexing on the spool should also be improved.
Cheers Don
 

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i cant wait to see how your camo comes out . im with you on dissembling something new as soon as you get it how else are you supposed to know how it works ,how to fix it , and most important how to improve it.
phil
 
The 110 is the size that received the best feedback around. While they say the 80 and 90are wrist heavy, the 110 is said to be pretty well balanced. My nicest wishes go to you and your new toy to have fun and fish together

Agreed on dismantling and inspecting guns, especially used ones. I myself am a huge collector of used guns, which rarely come as good as new.

My latest purchase last week has been an old Omer dating back from the 80's and guess what? It came with the barrell flooded, full of water: slosh, slosh, splash, splish.
I immediately phoned to the seller, and he said he wasn't aware the barrel to be flooded. That guys must be deaf...
Due to oxydation and salt it was a bitch to take of the muzzle. But I found out the water didn't leak from the muzzle. It must be from the handle, that is even more stuck from oxydation. I'll have to hammer it hard, but still can't find the courage to do that.
Meanwhile, that splash splosh sound is making me crazy! :blackeye
 
The 110 is the size that received the best feedback around. While they say the 80 and 90are wrist heavy, the 110 is said to be pretty well balanced. My nicest wishes go to you and your new toy to have fun and fish together Quote: spagetti.

Thanks spagetti, I like this gun. I inspected many of the components with a Stereoscopic magnifier. The guns engineering and development, including fit and finish are impressive. I believe the One reel may have been married to it later on. I like the basic One reel. The mounting has compliance engineered into it with it's two fastener attachment location. All of my guns have a few Ti bits, and this gun will as well, at a later date.

On your wet-gun I would mix up a bucket of Salt-away and soak over night before the hammer comes out.

Ciao, Don
 
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Hi Don

nope the One reel was factory fitment on the original Black airballettes! i agree i dont think it was designed specifically for this gun but my 110 came with it new from factory.

DD
 
Laying out some patterns.
Cheers Don
 

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DivingDane said:
Hi Don

nope the One reel was factory fitment on the original Black airballettes! i agree i dont think it was designed specifically for this gun but my 110 came with it new from factory.

DD
Click to expand...

I agree, I just meant that it wasn't designed spec to the Airbalete .
Cheers, Don
 
jimy286 said:
That is bloody awesome on the camo
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, but this is just my personal R+D I'm sharing. At the end of summer we'll see if doesn't fade too much. I would just get a factory Camo
Omer Airbalete as it has a warranty that is quite good.
Cheers, Don Paul
 
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Don Paul said:
Thanks mate, but this is just my personal R+D I'm sharing. At the end of summer we'll see if doesn't fad too much. I would just get a factory Camo
Omer Airbalete as it has a warranty that is quite good.
Cheers, Don Paul
Click to expand...

it should be fine . thats how ive been doing the logos on my boards for years and i havent noticed them fading .
phil
 
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