Impetus Brevis V2 75cm Demo

[lawstraljan16]

My new project.
I've redone my gun to make it 20% thinner, given it a shallow track rather than the deep track it had, redone the loafing butt to make it easier on my chest to load, and given it a camo job to try match it to my Omer Mimetic 3D wetsuit.
It's my first try at camoflauging and had help with a friend of mine.

This is pre-epoxy & varnish.

Thoughts?

 

[artiz]

If I'm brutally honest the epoxy/varnish finish on natural hard wood was much, much better from my own personal aesthetic point of view... it looked beautiful mate. Is there any point in camo on a gun? Its just a long 'thing' which is closer and more threatening to a fish after all... Personally I reckon guns which are reflective or shiny are marginally less threatening and even possibly alluring... just thoughts tho!

 

[lawstraljan16]

I couldnt leave natural wood look b3cause there were lots of deffects due to me having to add some wood pieces here and there, so giving it a camo look was just to cover those up. I personally prefer the wood look over camo job.
I also just gave 2 coats of epoxy this evening and have 2-3 more coats to go, after that a bit of varnish to give it a shiny smooth look.

Do you think a shiny finish attracts fish more? I thought it would actually scare them off.

I dont believe in camo, i only believe that your eyes are the biggest give away to fish.

 

[lawstraljan16]

You can see from this pic are the loading butt, where I had to add more wood for more comfortable loading, and im quite a perfectionist so having something like that showing really does my head in

 

[artiz]

I couldnt leave natural wood look b3cause there were lots of deffects due to me having to add some wood pieces here and there, so giving it a camo look was just to cover those up. I personally prefer the wood look over camo job.
I also just gave 2 coats of epoxy this evening and have 2-3 more coats to go, after that a bit of varnish to give it a shiny smooth look.

Do you think a shiny finish attracts fish more? I thought it would actually scare them off.

I dont believe in camo, i only believe that your eyes are the biggest give away to fish.

That's a shame about added bits... but needs must... camo it is!

Fish are curious about anything... some might say stupid... but most are still smart enough to keep their distance... and particularly regarding something as big as us... camo definitely works regarding ambush of course but they keep their distance from the end of our guns rather than between themselves and us... so anything that might reduce that distance would presumably be an advantage... particularly as their vision is so superior to ours. From experience predators like Bass are always weighing up the pros and cons of shiny things like spinners and fishing lures so anything metallic/shiny is presumably alluring... they themselves as well as what they eat are mostly shiny and metallic looking so my guess would be that reflective or shiny may be slightly more acceptable and marginally less of a threat as well as more interesting for the fast moving predators anyway... and they're the ones I'm after!
A friend was throwing coins from the shore to attract my attention once and I caught a nice 3lb Bass just before realising she was trying to call me out... when I gutted it there was a small silver coin stuck at the top of its gullet... probably just really hungry but also just a bit stupid too!
I'm currently attempting to build an all aluminium gun so perhaps in the future I may be able to support my unlikely theories.

 

[lawstraljan16]

Haha thats cool.

You make a good point, and ill keep that in mind. Everybody has different theories, ive had people telling me not to make my gun shiny, others saying make it shiny. Ive caught fish with both shiny and matte guns so really its all about how curious a fish is. I still do believe that our eyes are the biggest giveaway.
Ive noticed tmany times that fish approach me, and as i stare directly at them they flee like crazy. I sometimes use this to my advantage as i dont look at them directly, only when im about to shoot. Works well most of the times especially with skittish fish

 

[artiz]

Haha thats cool.

You make a good point, and ill keep that in mind. Everybody has different theories, ive had people telling me not to make my gun shiny, others saying make it shiny. Ive caught fish with both shiny and matte guns so really its all about how curious a fish is. I still do believe that our eyes are the biggest giveaway.
Ive noticed tmany times that fish approach me, and as i stare directly at them they flee like crazy. I sometimes use this to my advantage as i dont look at them directly, only when im about to shoot. Works well most of the times especially with skittish fish

I can't say I've noticed that personally... particularly regarding the viz I usually find myself in. However it wouldn't suprise me at all that in fish body language watching all and any eyes was a good survival tactic... especially when you consider that just about all sea life is more or less cannabalistic... there's always someone bigger than you after all!... you looking at me pal?

 

[artiz]

Anyways back to guns... what trigger mechs do you use/like/recommend Lawstraljan? My grand plan is to 3D print my own component gun handle to make casting moulds but need to find the right/good mechanism so that I can use the correct measurements before having the parts printed out. I have provisionally chosen the Ermes sub Ocean... but any thoughts/recommendations much appreciated? P.S. it needs to be slim/thin!

 

[lawstraljan16]

I use Meandros. Theyre incredible. Sensitive triggers that can hold high loads and keep sensitive.

Im currently using the Meandros Calibra, but Ill be using a Meandros short which will be arriving this week and I can start building a new gun. Ill let you know how it is.

I wouldnt change them for anything, prefer them over Ermes tbh, I dont like their designs.

 

[lawstraljan16]

Take a look at the Special, Calibra or short. I prefer the Special over the Calibra coz the line release is a bit of a pain to install.

 

[artiz]

I use Meandros. Theyre incredible. Sensitive triggers that can hold high loads and keep sensitive.

Im currently using the Meandros Calibra, but Ill be using a Meandros short which will be arriving this week and I can start building a new gun. Ill let you know how it is.

I wouldnt change them for anything, prefer them over Ermes tbh, I dont like their designs.

Cool... much thanks mate... the S -Short is the only one which is compatible with my design... does look perfect and also like the 2 anchor points rather than just the one on the Ermes but can't find a site to buy one... or the exact dimensions either?

 

[lawstraljan16]

Im sending you the direct email in private

 

[artiz]

Much thanks lawstraljan.... you've been extremely helpful. I suppose I'm doing it slightly differently to you wooden gun builders cos you just chisel out the hole when you get the trigger mech... whereas I need to know what size the hole needs to be before buying my trigger mech. I also need to know my barrels inner diameter too so getting that precise info has been a bit more difficult than I assumed. The little video below outlines the problem a bit better.

​

 

[lawstraljan16]

Cant you buy the trigger mech first then take the measurements and implement them on your 3d model?

 

[artiz]

Cant you buy the trigger mech first then take the measurements and implement them on your 3d model?

I thought you might ask that... if the trigger is even slightly too wide all the really difficult and time consuming work I have done regarding the 3D designs smoothed look on the top of the gun will be wasted and I'll have to start again... its taken me a couple of years to get to this stage... not actually doing the 3D designing but that has taken a few months and some of the techniques I used have been forgotten along the way... so I really don't want go back even 1 step if I can help it thanks... but glad you asked

 

[lawstraljan16]

Oh jesus... lol

How long, deep is your mech? Ill look at the ones i have now and see if theyre any similar and will do the same when my short version arrives

 

[artiz]

Oh jesus... lol

How long, deep is your mech? Ill look at the ones i have now and see if theyre any similar and will do the same when my short version arrives

When I first started my 3D design... a very long time ago I began with the dimensions of the Ermes trigger mech right at the very centre of the design cos these were the only detailed measurements I could find...

I then spent ages finding out how to intersect and extrude (smooth out) the top of the gun so that it matched my pencil drawings and James Bond imagination... eventually got pissed off and left it, came back to it and so on. In the meantime got distracted with other wacky ideas and changes... so now if I change certain measurents too much or too little the 3D model falls apart. I have tried starting from the beginning quite a few times and just can't remember how I did certain little curves that I just can't leave out and it frustrates the hell out of me... I've also digitally sliced the model into separate parts for 3d printing which clearly hasn't helped either. In a model this complex even the slightest mistake prevents a solid shell for 3D printing and finding that little mistake and putting it right will always put something else out of alignment.... anyway I'm going on a bit again now so perhaps you shouldn't have asked that question after all. It's a labour of love and only death or the devil or incorrect dimensions can stop me from completion now. I may have to go back to the Ermes trigger mech anyway but the Meandros S would be much better cos of the 2 anchor points... it's also 74-75mm long... so when yours arrives any dimensions you can give me would be a massive help again... I can't really thank you enough mate. It's stuff like the thickness of the trigger and the anchor point diameter's which can really help me finish off the drawing but I may bite the bullet anyway and just buy both!

 

[lawstraljan16]

Ill give you the measurements by this week or early next week

 

[artiz]

apologies for hijacking your thread... how's the new camo look coming now you have applied the epoxy?

 

[lawstraljan16]

No worries. Im happy to discuss anything regarding spearfishing!

I guess its going ok. Im doing a few layers of epoxy resin (west system) and then a few polyurethane varnish (seajet) and smooth it out. This is the first time Ive done camo so Im abit worried about how itll turn out.
Its also the first time working with these brands so im unfamiliar with how they cure, and how to work with them. I dont want build up too much thickness because i had redone the track from before which was deep into a shallow track so Id be able to tie my line to my spear from the rear eyehole rather than tie to the shark fin like before, i dont want to build thickness and have my line scrap against the body and position my spear incorrectlt at the rear.

Im not too good at explaining what I mean so sorry if ive confused anyone haha.

This pic is after 3 thin coats of epoxy resin. Lots of orange peel!