Timber/Wood

    Hi.


    Just wondering what peoples favourite timber/wood is for spearguns or just in General.


    Personally I really like Lace (Sheoak), rock and curly maple, fiddleback Queensland maple and Australian Blackwood aka fiddleback blackwood.


    African Blackwood and Ziricote are also great looking but wayyyy to expensive to make spearguns out of

    Ziricote is available but mainly in sizes for guitar backs same with African blackwood.


    Indian and Honduran rosewood could also be used instead of ziricote but i am unsure of the availability in big enough lengths. they would also be very expensive but available for guitar necks so could be good for laminated guns of say rosewood and maple.



    Gidgee (an Australian wood often used for knife scales, walking sticks etc) is similar but not as dark but very heavy.


    Have you used Australian Blackwood?

    Phil got me hooked on Tigerwood (Goncalo alves) from tropical South America a couple years ago for gun building, and I like it a lot for it's straight grain and overall density (s.g. 0.90) relative to seawater. It machines like butter for how hard it is, and it takes on a beautiful dark reddish-brown color as it ages/oxidizes.


    I built a 58" gun that weighs about 13lb. fully rigged, and with the shaft fired, the gun just floats (break-away & floatline) without needing to add any lead ballast during the build. It's not very resistant to water absorption, so it needs to be coated with an epoxy finish, but the end result is very pleasing to the eye.


    I've tried a few different species, but for some reason, I keep coming back to this one.
    Maybe because it's 60% cheaper than teak :D


    Wow Phil and Rich, those guns look delicious.


    With a wood that's not water resistant how quick do you have to refinish nicks and scratches? How does the repair look? Does the whole stock need to be refinished?


    I wanted to see a gun made from Ipe for a long time. I guess it would have to be hollowed out and foam filled. Hard to do with a thin stock like I prefer?


    Quote from Dan

    Wow Phil and Rich, those guns look delicious.


    With a wood that's not water resistant how quick do you have to refinish nicks and scratches? How does the repair look? Does the whole stock need to be refinished?


    I wanted to see a gun made from Ipe for a long time. I guess it would have to be hollowed out and foam filled. Hard to do with a thin stock like I prefer?


    tiger wood is not oily like teak and it normally comes kiln dried so it will look like is taking on water when its really just on the surface and end grain ( all woods even teak will soak up water in the end grain ) (if you do a thin sample 1/2" to 1" water will soak threw almost any wood in a couple days) but there is no real penetration and it is very durable in water . with test blanks i have left them in dyed water for several months after which i cross cut them and there was minimal intrusion .


    i have done a couple guns with ipe they were all mixed wood guns large guns. with a epoxy finish it looks kind of green
    phil

    Phil, Is that gun finished with your epoxy?
    I have not used but I will try it one day. It would be expensive to get it over here but hopefully neptonics australia carries it soon.


    Rich, thats a nice looking wood. The trigger looks good. With the line release im guessing you use a brake away? Is there any chance that a pull on the float or mono could release the tirgger?

    Quote from luxemburg

    Phil, Is that gun finished with your epoxy?
    I have not used but I will try it one day. It would be expensive to get it over here but hopefully neptonics australia carries it soon.


    Rich, thats a nice looking wood. The trigger looks good. With the line release im guessing you use a brake away? Is there any chance that a pull on the float or mono could release the tirgger?


    yes rich's and all of my guns use my epoxy , i just gave josh the first batch of resin for his site but i dont know if he plans to sell it in oz
    i will answer that since its my handle , no there is no way the line will fire the trigger a heavy pull would actually make it harder for the trigger to fire
    phil

    I will see if I can get a sample sent over.
    Your epoxy seems to have a nicer and brighter finish than the west systems.


    How does it buff and whats the consistancy compared to wests 105/207

    Quote from luxemburg

    I will see if I can get a sample sent over.
    Your epoxy seems to have a nicer and brighter finish than the west systems.


    How does it buff and whats the consistancy compared to wests 105/207


    i have never tryed to buff it on a gun . do you mean buffing to polish it of to go mat finish? its a little thiner than west . west has some built in fillers because west was designed as a good for everything resin and mine is a slightly tweaked surfboard laminating / hot coating resin
    phil

    Buff it to polish it but not for a speargun, for something else.
    Does it go yellow when left in the sun like surfboards?


    Sounds like a good product, I will see about getting some to sample sent over.
    Do you use it to glue aswell?

    Quote from luxemburg

    Buff it to polish it but not for a speargun, for something else.
    Does it go yellow when left in the sun like surfboards?


    Sounds like a good product, I will see about getting some to sample sent over.
    Do you use it to glue aswell?


    i have sanded to 600 on surfboards (i have shaped and glassed boards for around 20years) but on guns i just put it on and leave it .with a test plug after about 8 months to a year in exposure the sun it my yellow to a lighter shade than west starts out as but i have not noticed any yellowing on my guns . i use it as a glue with fillers on my guns
    phil

    Quote from luxemburg

    I will see if I can get a sample sent over.
    Your epoxy seems to have a nicer and brighter finish than the west systems.


    How does it buff and whats the consistancy compared to wests 105/207


    I have Phil's epoxy on two guns, the finish is more clear then 105/207. I cut one gun with 1000 and buffed
    with some old Liquid Ebony ( fine polish compound) after 60 days to a mirror finish. (This was due to road rash from a bicycle crash). I put some left over resin in a cup on the roof of my carport for 9 months of Cali summer sun, it is as clear as water. I used to be in love with a product called Sterling (LP) twenty years ago, it was very expensive but the gloss was nice. I feel Phil's product has a much better price point, is easier to work with and produces a finer finish.


    Cheers, Don Paul

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


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    banksia cone?


    Do you get similar cones in America or did you import them. thats a very nice touch Phil.


    Those little pods actually have a natural glue on them and when it gets hot enough they open.
    Thats how come they are so abundant after fires as the fire melts the "glue".

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