My first gun build!!!

    This is my first attempt at building a spear gun. I decided to give it a try after seeing all the awesome variations on what I thought was a very simple weapon (Boy was I wrong). This build is a Euro style rear handle plus with a poured epoxy enclosed track. I plan on wrapping the gun in CF and it will shoot a 5/16 ( I finally made a decision) spear powered by 2-3 5/8" bands.


    Parts:


    -I started with a blank made of burmese teak. (Thanks WoodGuy) the blank is 55" long 1.8" wide and 1.6" tall and is made from 6 lams ( five vertical and one horizontal across the top). The blank is dead straight and very square.
    - Tinman Ar-15 Grip
    -Neptonis Reef Trigger



    My first step was to start marking off the location of the trigger mech, grip and other components of the gun after doing so I went over to the Nuero-engineering lab where a friend of mine got me access to their mill. It took a while but once I got the clamp aligned right I began plotting my axis points into the computer. When I went to line up the bit with the center of the blank I noticed it was off. So I used a caliper to check and the measurements didn't make sense. My friend and I kept remeasuring but could not figure out what the problem was until my friend asked me if I had grabbed the right bit. I replied "of course" opening the drawer and pointing to where the 1/2" but came from. He decided to measure the bit and sure enough it wasn't the right bit. Someone had placed a different bit in the 1/2" slot.


    After having avoided that dumb mistake we reset our axis and rechecked everything by hand with the calipers. We began cutting adjusting the blank as necessary (the length of the track is longer than the mill could cut in one pass) When the sawdust cleared I had a very straight track with only one minor flaw. During one of the adjustments the blank was slightly off level and the track is now 1/100" deeper at the tip than it is at the mech. Not a big deal I measured at the mech and the track is .5" deep at the tip its .509" deep.


    Pics will come soon I don't have the right cable for the camera. I wont be able to continue until I get back home to miami for Winter break because it is too cold up in Atlanta to pour the epoxy for the track. Ill keep you posted on all the steps for this build. I'd also like to thank Jeff (Tinman) for all the help and information he's given me as well as the parts he makes.

    Yup!! A mill can make it a lot easier to maintain accurracy, as long as you......measure twice, and cut once!:D Good luck on the build. Keep us posted.

    So I got a chance to work on my gun build a bit before christmas. I started by pouring the track.


    IMG]http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8238/img0462z.jpg[/IMG]


    I made sure I over poured but under estimated how much I needed and had to mix a second batch.





    I used a propane torch to remove as many bubbles as I could. (Tip: make the blank a little tall and pour the track extra deep. or build up a damn along the track.) I still have a few pock marks from bubbles that were in the top layer.


    Today I started with the shaping. I decided to go with a lower profile and ended up cutting almost a quarter of an inch off the bottom. Then using a table router I rounded off the edges with a quarter round bit.





    Tonight I started working on cutting out the space for the handle. Since Im back home and dont have access to a mill anymore I had to do this the hard way with a drill press and chisels. Ill post some pics when I finished.


    Is easier to work on the blank if you leave the rounding of the edges as the last step on the building process, but for some reason people seem to do that first ( I have to resist the urge myself:D) because it makes the stock look more like a gun. Other than that you coming along just fine.

    Initially I was going to wrap the gun in carbon fiber so I had to do all of the shaping before I did that. Then yesterday afternoon I changed my mind and decided that I loved the look of the teak. At this point in my gun building it would add too many complications. In hindsight I wouldn't have rounded the corners so soon but too late now :D Its also only a quarter round and doesnt make the measurements too difficult especially since I already have the major measurements already marked on the gun from when it was square.

    Maybe it's just me, but I think you made the right decision not wrapping that beautiful teak in carbon fiber. :clap2: It's not that I have anything against carbon fiber, it's just that the look of a really nice teak speargun is, to me, like looking at a really nice piece of handmade furniture- it just gets better looking with age. Hmmm. I guess you could apply that reasoning to a few other things, as well, but I guess that's a little off topic! :laughing:

    Edited once, last by Wood Guy ().

    Just an update, I sent the stock to Bill (WoodGuy) to have the track routed and the mech pocket cut aswell as the mech pinned.


    I have to give a big thanks to both Bill and Jeff for all the help they have given me on this gun. I cant wait till I get a chance to use this gun.

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