Black epoxy graphite coating for spearguns

    It took a huge effort but very much worth it.
    With 10% Graphite + 90 Epoxy…… turned a Nile-Tec Reef wood gun to a marble like feeling gun…grayish black in color and very slick.


    Using graphite is not new….but coating the whole gun is to me….main advantage is protection against UV and dents.

    Scratches don't seem to occur as easily as on Epoxy and if you do manage to make a scratch…you have to stick your nose to the stock to see it….the scratch/lines are also black as opposed to the white color of epoxy when scratched.


    If the coating holds well during the next 6 months or so (I do abuse my guns, dive every weekend , 4 seasons a year) I might think of keeping this as a trade mark for the Nile-Tec guns.


    News:
    In the making…redesign of the "Lazer", 120cm, 3 x 16mm, ET, new handle, new muzzle, 95% CNC.
    I'm always concerned about tracking and accuracy more than anything else…so it should be as accurate as the Reef (watch test here Niletec 100 prototype - YouTube)


    Ihab

    Quote from Dan

    Beautiful. I hope it's cost effective. How much weight does it add to the gun?


    Not much in terms of cost...its the effort and mess created that would cost.


    Dan, you always have those unique unexpected questions I have to answer to :)
    I have no clue how much weight it added...but this gives me something to do in the mornining.
    I've heard that it should add some bouyancy to the gun.


    Ihab

    Ihab, thank you for posting the slick black beauty:thumbsup2: I love the way your craftsmanship has evolved
    to the present work. Very slick top coat, we used to use this process on canoe keels back in the day.



    Cheers, Don

    "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.

    I have been lurking about numerous forums the past few month looking for ideas and developing my own preferences as to what kind of gun I would build would that I had the talent and expertise to do so. The gun building threads were powerful incentives to quest on towards the perfect gun. The privilege of watching master craftsmen reveal image by image various stages of development as they made the guns in their head come to life was awe inspiring.


    Many guns were artistic displays of wood working mastery and ingenious design. Other guns were simplistic functional designs executed with deadly precision. It soon became apparent the equipment, experience, and skill required to make such guns was beyond my ability to execute the ideas I embraced as exemplary in making a gun.


    During the course of my journey though the gun building threads I noticed Ihab’s posts scattered here and there. I stumbled on the test video of one of his prototypes where he put three spears out of four through the same hole on target at four meters. I wondered if George Lucas using CGI had helped in the production. However as I followed his tracks across several forums I was continually impressed with the designs of the muzzle of his guns as he advanced through the development cycle improving on each previous build. He seemed like a man obsessed in pursuit of the perfect instrument. He soaked up all the available information and then synthases it into sleek functional design that embraced the relevant wisdom scattered across our community.


    He makes triggers and various other artifacts that appear to be cutting edge technology. Did he invent the concepts he embraces and refines on his gun? No he does not lay claim to be the originator of any such ideas that have been developed over the years by numerous speros gone before. What I noticed is that his careful blending of the enclosed track, the muzzle with integrated risers bringing the bands to quick alignment with the shaft, and the complementary trigger mechanism combine to make a beautifully balanced instrument that just happen to kill fish.


    I began to think if I did build a gun I could only hope to broach his design. So as my interest peaked I sought out a review’s from people who had purchased one of his guns. Alas the results were limited to his video target proto-type and spearq8. So I wrote Ihab and proclaimed my interest along with my concern about little if any testimony to rely on. Ihab was humble and said that he made no claims that his guns were the best of super special but he did assert all the development and testing he had done during it’s development resulted in the accuracy demonstrated in the video.


    I have only one gun and decided I needed a back up gun so I wrote him and asked him to build me one. He agreed and I also requested he cover it with the graphite fiber coating he had talked about having perfected in some threads. He consented even though it takes some 7-12 coatings and is a pain to do. He says sometimes he just can’t resist and boom the black widow was born.


    So as much as I hate posters who rush to the board and say “I just got my new fins but haven’t got a chance to test them yet” I think to myself so great you are excited but have nothing meaningful to report.


    Well here I am I just got my gun from Ihab. He built in in a little over a month and delivered it to my door in Wisconsin. He then called me and walked me through the assembly. I think the hardware was shipped separately because it goes threw customs with a lower profile unassembled.


    I promise a full review after I get it wet. I am waiting on some fins because I have yet to find pockets that fit. That is a whole other thread.


    I used some of Dan's small ID bands to rig it. I will give a report on them as well.


    Here are some quick pictures of the gun and the muzzle.

    Agree with everyone - beautiful work, craftsmanship, detail. Just beautiful. Kudos :thumbsup2:

    Very nice! Use her well and in good health. I saw Dan secure a really nice dog with one of those guns and was very impressed with the shot and his report on the performance.


    Ihab is a great guy from my experience.

    i like to spear fish

    Quote from Dan

    It's a beautiful gun, enjoy. What model and length is it?


    Here are the Specs and some misc Info Plus a for fun link to a video I made.


    Laser Tec 115 - YouTube


    Model: 75 (115 Laser-Tec)
    Manufactured by: Nile-Tec


    Track Length/Band Stretch: 115 cm (45.30”)


    Stock Length: 140 cm


    Overall Length with Spear: 172 cm
    Spear: 150 cm, 7 mm, (US notch), 2 high profile Shark Fin tabs


    Bands: ( I made following formula prescribed )
    Band #1 Rubber length 26.4 wishbone length 5”
    Band #2 Rubber length 26.5 wishbone length 5”
    Trigger Mechanism: Nile-Tec Side Release
    Handle: Stainless Steel covered with African Teak wood plates with option of internal adjustable ballasting weights, Coated with black colored extra grip enhancer.
    Effective Range: 5 meters (16.5 feet)


    Ihab was very prescriptive in his specificationas as to how to rig the gun. I respected his instructions given his endless hours in the pool testing, balancing, and fine tuning the combination of variables (Gun, Shaft, & Bands) to achieve the maxium accuracy.


    He Said ”First is to select the right shaft, I don’t know what shaft overhang preference you have; personally I like between 14”-16” overhang....otherwise I start shooting too high if less than this.....14” being my ideal overhang.
    Put into consideration that the track length is 115 cm (45.8”)...so you need a shaft between 59.80”-61.80” long (2 high profile sharkfins) 7 mm thickness.

    Band Size & Length:


    Band# 1:
    Measure the distance between the center of the muzzle hole closest to the muzzle end (the muzzle hole that is higher) and the first sharkfin that is behind it (the sharkfin nearest to the muzzle)
    Divide this distance by 3.2 (Then multiply by 2) this will give you the total length of Band# 1


    Band# 2:
    Measure from the center of the lower muzzle hole to the sharkfin furthest from the muzzle. The wishbone length must not exceed 5.6” that is the distance between the tips/end of the band.


    Loading the bands:
    Ihab wrote “The correct sequence is to load Band# 1 then Band# 2
    For this, Band# 1 has to pass underneath Band# 2 and stretch it to the first shark fin (the shark fin closest to the muzzle)...then load Band# 2”
    (see illustration below of band alignment top and side view)

    When I am not sleeping, I'm Spearfishing.
    My Aeris 10 only records 99 dives.
    I use them all every day the China Sea will admit me.

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