enclosed track question

[sjurba]

Im tinkering with a gun project and was considering making an enclosed track,using a rustfree steelpipe as track. Is there anything that speaks against this material? noise? I figure it would work a bit as a "spine" like in a guitarneck allowing a more streamlined shape of the barrel.
Am having a bit of troubble with the triggermech (Im suffering from an uncurable case of DIY syndrome) Due to trying to save a bit on postage from Jersey to Norway, getting them to send it to my mother inlaw in uk,unfortunately the postage from seaford to norway came to over 30 pounds,whereas I would have gotten away with 23 punds,not to mention the 11 quid from jersey to seaford....:headSo my spear and elastic is stuck untill my wife goes visiting in a month or two...But if anybody has a 6,5mm spear and wouldnt mind taking a pic with meashures of the end that goes in the releasemech I would be forever gratefull.

 

[foxfish]

Is there such a thing as rust free steel?
I made a gun with an aluminum track but i would not do this again.
I am building a carbon gun at the moment & I have bought a length of 10mm carbon tube with an ID of 8mm to use as the track.
Very few folk build their own trigger mechs - I dont think you will get many members recommending that you build your own!
Mechs are cheap to buy & cheap to post.
Can you post an pic of what you have put together so far....
Here is a link to my aluminium track gun. http://forums.deeperblue.com/diy-homemade/72837-105cm-enclosed-track-composite.html

 

[jtkwest]

Im tinkering with a gun project and was considering making an enclosed track,using a rustfree steelpipe as track. Is there anything that speaks against this material?

i will speak against that material. = not good....lol
use WOOD! and dont bother with an enclosed track, for your first gun.
and most importantly= DO NOT make your own mech. if it even worked at all, it would be a serious safety risk to anyone in range of that thing! could be deadly to you (being the one holding it). did you hear what happened to sheri daye at the dema convention this past year? she was holding a loaded dary wong hybrid, when the handle broke upon release and the back of the gun smashed into her face, knocking out teeth and cracking her cheek,(some thing like that,) any way she got f2#ked up, thats the point.
very dangerous thing,(a speargun) use approved methods and designs, especially for your first gun projects. and those are my opinions, take them or leave them.
good luck...either way..

 

[sjurba]

Thanks for the replys,what Ive done with the trigger thing is to basicly copy the bits from another mech,so theoretically it should work and be as safe as the "original",but its one that fits a 6mm spear so I guess it need a bit more room to acommodate a 6,5mm spear.Some of the challenge is making it work,and this is suposed to be a budget build,but due to riddiculus postage prices, its not anymore...What I wanted to make is a powerfull, fairly short,and as streamline as possible gun for river poaching and the bad viz we usually have in the lakes around here.Its pretty much still on the planning stage,designing and scratching my head about line release and material,I was planning on using oak,but I guess there probably is some good reasons to stay away from that one too,since you dont really see that many guns built in oak,but boatkeels is so I figure its durable enugh...

pics will come when I got something to show and have figured out how to upload

 

[sjurba]

and Ive been wondering, why is steelpipe unsuitable as an enclosed track?Is it too noisy?

 

[behslayer]

It's pretty Heavy for one, noisy for two. I've made a few guns in the past with some slivers of stainless 2mm positioned in the track to act as guides and provide a metal on metal slide.. very fast. made a nice Zing!

 

[jtkwest]

and Ive been wondering, why is steelpipe unsuitable as an enclosed track?Is it too noisy?

it may work, but then again, you could just sharpen a broomstick,(that MAY work also, just not well) the thing is: speargun technology is mostly very old, - they did most of the research in the 60's that we still use today. in fact the only truly new technology i have seen that wasnt already tried by the california boys in the 60's is the introduction of carbon fiber. to me its pretty useless. i like wood guns better anyway. so as much as you might like to interject your own ideas, the fact is, someone has probably already tried it, and if it worked , you would see it in use . and since no-one is using steel pipes- you can assume it doesnt work. sorry to burst your bubble. if i was you, i would just buy a gun and tweak it a little if you like, but building one with substandard materials CAN be dangerous, if it works at all.

 

[sjurba]

Well my substandard gun has been compleeted I skipped the enclosed track and selfmade triggermech,mostly due to being time consuming.I havent tryed in the water yet,its still frozen... But come easter ill go to the sea and find out if it works properly... pictures will come when Ive acquired some assistance from a teenager

 

[foxfish]

We will be waiting for he pictures

 

[sjurba]

Well here comes the pictures,I think...

 

[sjurba]

Ive used oak and laminated a spine of rustfree 3mm steel in the center which has given a lot of strenght to the barrel wich is only 2cm "high".I hope it wont be to negative once its in the water,Ill hopefully find out this weekend .I know my wishbones are a bit long,but I ordered the elastic a bit too short...

 

[jtkwest]

it looks nice! good woodworking. its very thin.. no enclosed track? very smart. on a gun that short, it wouldnt make a difference anyway.good stuff.

 

[foxfish]

looks great but I fear it might sink? Good luck.....

 

[sjurba]

Yeah,thats my fear aswell,hopefully it wont be too front heavy.
Think my next gun will have a handle a bit up on the barrell like yours foxfish,looks awsome that one!But I think I stay with wood though...

 

[Jaca]

i You have any problem with buoncy try to add some balsa wood pieces... it will balance the wieght of the speargun... Why did You use so long wishbones with Your slings???

 

[sjurba]

Well its been tested in the water,and as expected it was "a bit heavy" acctually it was f-ing front heavy and close to useless,well back to the drawingboard
My whishbones are that long becouse my elastic is a bit short,but I think I can make them a bit shorter though...

Anyway, it was a good dive though,the fish is still a bit too deep for me,but the scallops are not...