Airbalete 110

[Don Paul]

Beautiful wood Don!
That is going to be a spectacular handle..

Thanks Fox, I have the the mango and lace in safe keeping for a upcoming
DB award project next year.:friday

Here is what the full grain looks like on my kids bedroom end table.

Cheers, Don

 

[Don Paul]

The blank takes shape with slow steps at this point. Removed wood is hard to replace. A piece can turn into a knife handle instead of a speargun handle.
Cheers, Don Paul

 

[tromic]

The blank take shape with slow steps at this point. Removed wood is hard to replace. A piece can turn into a knife handle instead of a speargun handle.
Cheers, Don Paul

Nice, Don!
Cheers, Tomislav

 

[Don Paul]

Thanks, Tomislav , I'll put the stock handle back on for hunting/tests when the woodie is being final sanded and sealed .

Cheers, Don

 

[Don Paul]

Some more progress during the rainy weekend here in Cali.

I filled the stock gun handle post with G-flez to reinforce the area where my 5/16 Ti tube will replace the 1/8''
handle pin. The handle assembly and post drilled for a interference fit of the new tube.
Next the left side handle blank was rough shaped after being G-flex epoxied to the G-10 core and right side.
One important thing I have learned making handles for my handguns and speaguns is to make sure one shapes the thumb and index finger reliefs to exclude any angles that can put a pressure point on the nerves of the fingers.

My thin hunting gloves are are worn to develop the final handle to hand fit. Old and young hands come together to refine the detail using wooden dowels wrapped with 220 sand paper, soon after my 11 year old son announces we will be building his first gun together.... This is the best part of being a dad.

Final pre-prep sanding will begin soon before Phil Herranen resin finish coats are applied.

Cheers Don Attached Images

__________________
''Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home''
Cheers, Don Paul

 

[Don Paul]

More images..

Cheers, Don
Attached Images

__________________
Cheers, Don Paul

 

[tromic]

Good work, Don! You are an artist.:friday
Cheers, Tomislav

 

[Jonny250]

Yes, as Tromic said, good work!
Just one thing tho, is that handle really ergonomic? i know it looks super, but is it really a good fit to your hand?
I would expect more curvature on the back edge, especially where the thumb muscle protrudes. might just be my difficulty seeing it in the pictures tho?

 

[Don Paul]

Just one thing tho, is that handle really ergonomic? i know it looks super, but is it really a good fit to your hand?
I would expect more curvature on the back edge, especially where the thumb muscle protrudes. might just be my difficulty seeing it in the pictures tho? Johnny250.

The fit is there but I will save the the final shape profile images until after the bright work, there are tapering bulges and curves on the rear that are not shown in the pictures I posted.

Cheers, Don

 

[Don Paul]

Here is 1st thin coat of Phil Herranen resin system. I flamed out 3 small bubbles that came out of the open grain. Tomorrow I'll sand with 220 and foam brush on the next coat, 4 to six should really do it. My glue line is wider than I like but I'll have to live with it.me and the kid had fun.
Cheers, Don Attached Images

__________________
''Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home''
Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.
Cheers, Don

 

[Don Paul]

Going to re-sand the rear of the handle to see if I failed to remove the two dark spots that might be burnish marks from the belt sander..... or knots.

Cheers, Don


Update before I leave for work.
After a light sanding with 220 my burnish blemishes are gone.

Attached Images

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Cheers, Don

 

[Don Paul]

I really love this Phil Herrannen resin system, if you use it by the book it produces smooth bubble free and fish eye free glass like finish. I'm happy to say my burnish spots are gone and I'm only 2 coats away from completion. Tonight I'm drilling some abb shell disks to plug my Titanium tube with. ( Wear a charcoal mask when making any abb shell dust, bad for the lungs) Here is a pattern of my fish sight that I will be cutting from thin Ti sheet and bluing with a mini torch, then forming to match the frame.Its bound to make the shaft go faster.

Cheers, Don

PS that's a reflection in the first image not a fish-eye.
Attached Images

__________________
''Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home''
Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.

Cheers, Don

 

[foxfish]

Definitely having fun there Don, I wish I could get hold of that PH stuff but you cant post that sort of product by regular mail :head

 

[Don Paul]

After sanding with 220 the forth coat is a charm....still wet, will check for flaws in the AM, maybe the last coat.The tiger stripe pattern changes as the handle moves. I may use this wood for the handle of a gun I will build next year from a older gun drawing I made in 1985.

Cheers, Don
Attached Images

__________________
''Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home''
Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.

 

[Don Paul]

After Irish beat USC

.. I Sawed off and filed the stock handle loop from the bottom and added a old school green tuna cord loop.I do not trust the stock plastic loop for any fish over 10 lbs if the gun is rigged inline to a drag line. The tuna cord came from a roll I got from the legendary early diver Charlie Sturgill before he passed away. I lashed the line with Dacron the way he taught me .... can still see his machinist's hands, twinkling eyes and big smile from the last day in his garage in Palos Verdes Ca.

I cut the the abb shell disks for inlay from my first Cali abb taken in the mid 70's when I moved here.
The cutting tool is made from a Ti tube the same size as the handle pin. A drill press and water spray keep the dust and heat down. ( Always wear a mask as abb dust is very bad for your lungs).

Cheers, Don
Attached Images

__________________
''Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home''
Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.

 

[Don Paul]

Here is a trial assemble picture, but I going to let the gun handle set for 6 days to cure before it gets wet.
I can't tell you how much I love this resin... I've been using the overage to seal a new knife block and glue broken Xmas bits.

Cheers, Don
Attached Images

__________________
''Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home''
Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.

 

[Slingingsteel]

Looks great Don!! Keep it coming, I finally just ordered my 110 Airbalete :friday Can't wait to see how it performs, especially since ive never really shot pnuematics before and always beena "Band Guy".

 

[spaghetti]

The shiny wood handle looks great, Don.
But are you sure you'll be able to reassemble the whole gun then? :duh

(just kiddin' :t)

 

[Don Paul]

The shiny wood handle looks great, Don.
But are you sure you'll be able to reassemble the whole gun then? :duh

(just kiddin' :t)

I'll have to call the Chinese...:martial....just kidding..:t

What I should have posted was me stuffed under the bathroom sink disconnecting the drain trap and retrieving my newly finished abalone embellished Titanium handle pin after it took a once in a life time bounce, falling into the overflow hole in the sink.:head

Cheers, Don

 

[Don Paul]

Looks great Don!! Keep it coming, I finally just ordered my 110 Airbalete :friday Can't wait to see how it performs, especially since ive never really shot pnuematics before and always beena "Band Guy".

We don't have to ever be limited to bands Vs air spring, blonds Ves brunettes or the harvesting of food with a gun, bow or a rock. What ever a guys use's.... they should kill well. Speaking of ''killer blonds''...:t
Cheers, Don