Posts by dustyyoungblood

The most common ways to create an enclosed track are: a UHMW or Delrin strip installed in a wood stock. Or cast in some Epoxy, or epoxy mixed with graphite, then cut the track with a router. I imagine there are advantages to each solution. and the low friction of UHMW is probably desirable. I only have experience with open tracks, so I have no idea.

Does it make any sense to utilize sheet metal for an enclosed track? I have a drawing here to illustrate the idea. It would be a piece of 20 or 22 gage SS sheet, bent with a brake the entire length(open at muzzle end). The concept is that the track only needs to ever contact the shaft at 3 points to control it. In this way we keep water all around the shaft, and avoid friction with limited contact area.

Any thoughts?

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Yes!

Quote from Dan

Is Bahanas something I don't know or just a typo?

It must be a secret spot! Great images

Quote from LunkerBuster

i will say this, the ti spork i got as a camping tool about 8 years ago is the greatest tool i have ever owned...i have used it for eating, cooking, planing bamboo to make a cane pole, screw and unscrew anything, remove splinters, dig small holes....it is indestructable and easy to clean

That is so funny, I have a Ti spork in my lunch box today!!!! I use it all the time. It is so light, I get less fatigued with eating large meals. I got a bunch one year on backcountry.com for cheap.

Quote from Don Paul

Think more about how quickly they will decelerate pushing thru a medium app 800 times denser that air. <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x">

I have some 6 ft Alpha Grade 3/8 shafts I made 30 years ago. for a guy that had to try it.

It is a poor choice for a spear gun mech unless the parts are Tiodize processed. ( a MilSpec process). $$$$.

Cheers, Don

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That is really good insight Don. I bet even 30 years ago those Ti shafts were very expensive! Did they kill any fish? I don't remember who said it but my favorite quote is.....
"All the good ideas have already been proven not to work" Not that I buy that sort of BS, but in this case, probably true.

Obviously there are tons of variables.... Open track/closed track/shaft size/band stretch%/ target fish/type of point and more..... but for sake of argument. Is there a simple equation/table/ or rule of thumb for estimating "effective range"? I know that Riffe does provide a listed range for each gun they make. I don't have any experience with using them, so I don't know how accurate the listed range is..... Anyone?

If would be useful to have a table to compare these variables to select a configuration that is just what you want. How will a 2x 5/8" band 50" gun compare to a 3x 9/16" band 50" gun? I am sure some

I suppose I can spend the next 30 years collecting all this data and bring it back to the forum

"speargun blue water trigger mechanism"
I was looking at that also. I'd like to see one.

Someone had Ti shafts once I saw online. Now that is interesting. Think of how quickly they would accelerate? But at 3x the cost of SS.

Very few if any drawbacks.
1. Cost is really the only one.
2. The wearing properties and galling that Daniel mentions above are could be real dangers for mechanisms. However, these problems could be completely eliminated by shot peening and coating/treating. I am not an engineer, but I sat behind one for several years who had decades of experience with Ti. We had these conversations about Ti all the time. I might be wrong, but unless you have high loads, and are sliding at a frequent rate/ long duration, then you should not have any galling problems. It's a speargun mechanism, not an automobile transmission.

For Knives, Most Titanium alloys will not be able to hold an edge very well. You would need to use "Beta C" or another alloy(name escapes me). These can be heat treated to Rockwell Hardness 40c and higher

Welcome Dave. I was born and lived in Long Beach till I was 24.
-DB

Quote from hank

So what was the downside of all this?

No real downside. All great experiences.
I got out surfing about dozen times at most this last year, and each and every time was a positive experience, and brought me happiness, adrenaline, and peace of mind. It's the missing everything else, letting people down, and missing work to chase swell every week that started to eat at me. It is just sooo disappointing to sacrifice so much time and energy, to show up most of the time and see no good surf. I'd come home so pissed if it wasn't epic. Kinda made me angry, often. My good friend gave me a nick name "the mad surfer".

Quote from hank

Care to elaborate?

Surfing can be so pure....but there is that adrenaline issue. When I would drive to the beach, thinking it was going to be decent.....and it was flat or totally blown out, well, "might as well go get drunk". The anticipated high of surfing had to be replaced by something.

Surfing ruined my life at times also. It's pretty easy to become completely narrow focused, chasing every swell, suddenly leaving work when the wind changes. Being obsessed with new equipment. Endlessly planning and mind surfing international surf trips to try and find that wave of a lifetime. Burning tanks of gas just to reach a far off beach, only to turn around and surf your home break before the tide comes up. Paddling out in the dark just before sunrise just to be first out at Malibu, only to find 3 dozen guys already shoulder hoping in the dark? Checking surfline 12 times before lunch, even though you won't have time to surf for 2 weeks. Waiting in the parking lot line at San-O for 2 hours, only to find out it's too small for your 9'8", and should have brought your 10'2".

Wait, that sounds just like spearfishing!

The truth is so much worse than I could have ever imagined. My eyes are wide open. I had no idea.

Quote

The French one with the carving

I'd like to have that just to stroll down the beach with
Really interesting.

Old Thread I know,

How about some more Alaska pictures? Me and the boys have been talking about an Alaska trip sometime.

Welcome homeboy!

Don,

Ken Hall and Matt Hall with some great support from Monica Also. My brother-in-law , "Pugz" on here is also a partner, and he has been doing most of the difficult work, like pulling and tying the float-lines.

Here is the last gun we just built: 44" speargun | Facebook

I believe that I saw your Charlie Halibut gun at the San Diego Legends show..... Right?
I remember seeing that, and one that Monica has with the 6 prong on it, and thinking we should make some replicas, because they are just perfect. Nobody makes one like that all rigged up perfect.

I am sure we will discuss more of this.

Very cool. I hope to see that via Kayak one day.

Quote from behslayer

I like Black/Grey for knives. I've lost a bunch, but it wasn't the knives fault. It was the Sheath. We need better Sheaths.

Would you want your knife to float?

That's a question I ask sometimes.

Floating, that's a thought. I could see some merit to that. In deep water, offshore.
For 90% of the diving I do, from shore, it would just get washed into the surf line and some tourist would either step on it and die or take it home. Or some body boarder would loose an eye.

Isn't there some science to this? I thought I remembering reading that RED would be a poor color to view at a distance underwater. Oh, I just found the info i was looking for. Color Underwater

And lighting and visibility play a huge role.

Hi Guys,

This is Dustan Baker, AKA dustyyoungblood.
I was referred here by many of you, who share my frustration with some other forum.

I live in Orange County, making my home hunting grounds the small area still open around the MLPA closure in Laguna. I have been spearfishing since 2007, after "snorkeling" since I was a teenager. I learn something new every time I dive, and it is such a challenging sport that I take great pride in each and every catch.

I am an Industrial Designer by trade, and run my own design consultancy in Huntington Beach. Baker Design Studio

I do some artwork. Some of you might have seen the float I painted for Austin. Dusty Youngblood » Blog Archive » Custom Spearfishing Float

I am also a partner in Sturgill Spearfishing, and some of you guys have some of our gear. It has been an absolute joy to team up with the Sturgill family and hear all the incredible stories about the late Charlie Sturgill.

Nice to be here, happy diving-DB