Help needed to make speargun

[japie]

Hi

I need help as i'm about to start making my first speargun.

I have seen the other treads but still have a few questions:
1. Why do you have to laminate the wood?
2. What is the thickness and dimensions of these laminates if I'm looking at building a 1.1m gun?
3. Can the laminates be different types of wood?

Thank you

 

[Jaca]

Ad 1. You don't have to laminate wood slices but if you made a speargun from one piece of wood it can twist when it will be soaking water and drying many times... also, when You laminate slices, the speargun is going to resist more twisting and flexing forces.

If You decide to laminate make sure that you put slices in the way that the rings of wood are opposite.

Ad. 2. The width of the slices depends on width of speargun that you want to have and the number of slices You want to use... I use 15 mm slices and laminate with polyurethane glue. It foams and the laminates need to be tighten hard but You won't have problems with mixing epoxy with stiffener...

Ad. 3. Yes... You can use different types of wood... When You chose the type of wood You have to focus on different physical properties such as: density, shrincage (the range of volume changes between soaked and dryied state), Stiffness... It is good to chose the types of woods witout hard fibres in it because the wood will crumble during milling...
The best wood types are:
Teak, Iroko, Merbau (it don't like the salt so You need to varnish it properly). If You need more bouncy You can put a slice of low density wood inside the barrel and ballance it using more lead.

 

[japie]

Thank you for the reply.

Regarding the number of laminates:
What is the recommended final dimensions?
Is a T laminate really required?

 

[foxfish]

You dont need a T laminate in fact T laminates are more suitable for big guns.
You dont say what type of gun you want to build, how long, how many bands & what will you use it for?
look here http://forums.deeperblue.com/homemade-spearguns/63452-teak-80-part-one-stock.html

 

[japie]

Looking to build a 1.1m with an enclosed track, 7.5mm spear with fins. bands I'm looking at either 1x20mm or 2x 16mm. Want to use it for all over. Will also fit a reel.

 

[diversam]

how did ur build go?im looking to build one the same?