I got an e-mail report this weekend.... the kid got a fish! So excited it all worked out. His coach was thrilled with the speargun, and the adults used it a bunch and had a blast.
Posts by dustyyoungblood
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Good looking gun!
Why are the wishbones so long?You know, the photo does indicate wishbones a tiny bit long. I thought we had them at 3 1/2"... perhaps they are a bit longer. For ref, the gun is 2" wide.
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There were already a few in process photos of this gun a few months ago.... Me and Pugz finally got it done and shipped to Key West.
55" long 3 lam teak. 2"x2" at butt.
Open Track
Shoots a 5/16" shaft with 14" over hang.
Neptonics Reef Mech
Sturgill Handle frame fitted with AR-15 Hogue Grip
Mid-handle, with trigger at about 16" from butt
Oil finish
2+1 muzzle shape with 3 5/8" bandsTwo wraps of line total 23', rigged it breakaway, test shots were pulling float line.
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Welcome Alison, you have found a bunch of nice folks willing to share knowledge and experience without the BS of some other forums. Enjoy.
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I suppose it is not possible to eliminate the screws and use another way to sandwich your laminate?
Wax should do the trick. I use wax paper to keep west system from bonding to my clamps and tables. I use Vaseline to keep polyester resin from sticking to stuff. Maybe even wrap the screws in plumbers tape.....I am just guessing......
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Looks awesome. Why two wraps with 1/2״ bands? Seems like a lot of mono for a little kid. But then again, I don't like a lot of line
We have 4 shark fins with the mono hole in the front sharkfin. That and the short gun length made it neccessary. The 1/2" bands packed more power then I expected.
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Against everyones sound advise......here is what we came up with...... BTW, the kid is nearly 8, and will be with a professional coach, he is expected to grow into this gun after proper training.
With only 12 days to conceive and build and test, it was a rush to say the least. It took all 4 in our group to get it done.Stock is 32" long x 1 7/8" wide, 1 1/2" tall. Slimmer at nose.
2 x 1/2" dia power bands.Custom Vector Marine 1/4" dia shafts, with Euro Notch, and 4 euro shark fins spaced at 2". The extra shark fins are for "low power" or loading tabs as needed. We built one threaded, for a small trident. and 2 others with floppers at 41" and 38" long.
Neptonics euro mech,
Neptonics Line anchorCustom 1 off handle. Designed in SOLIDWORKS on a sunday. Made to insure grip/control, trigger reach, and an extra wide trigger guard. Made from laser cut 1/8" SS, welded together, then fitted with Jatoba side stocks and walnut dowels, all hand shaped to fit a small hand.
Rigged with 2 wraps of 300lb mono, and fitted with a muzzle bungie.
It did not require any ballast, and a test showed we could only at 2 ounces max.It was tested Sunday and shipped Monday.
I have to say, it was extremely fun to navigate the tight reef and kelp with, swims and swings around with ease. The small dia shaft brings near zero recoil. I didn't kill any fish with it, but after several test fires on kelp blades it looked dead accurate, and I would suspect the effective kill range on small fish like perch and bass to be 6' or better.
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I'll be trying Mahogany once I run out of teak. I have seen some very old guns of Mahogany with a clear coat that held up very well. Mahogany is often misidentified. Mahogany - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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How far offshore do you plan to run Thumper?
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My son had a Riffe custom made by Jay and Julie as a Christening gift when he was born. The point is sharp as hell, so I kept it locked up in my knife case till he was 5. He is yet to get a Calico with it because he is limited to pole spear only till he turns 13 in a few weeks.
Cheers, Don
Don, that is so neat. Don't let him get it wet, keep that treasure in the case.
My Grandfather gave me a black and decker drill when i was 3, he had to promise my mom I would not get hurt. I used to sit in the garage with him and drill holes in scrap wood for hours.
Wow, turning 13. What a fun age to be a kid. -
I think we are all in agreement that it is an accident waiting to happen. 10 would be better IMHO. Regardless of how me or others feel about it...... the kid is gonna get a gun...... so I want to help. I have to imagine that this child is not gonna be turned loose with a speargun and dropped off with his buddies at the beach all day. The idea is to get him appropriate equipment, and proper supervision/instruction. Then have a learning experience on the water. All the "what if's" paint a horrible picture........ But I just don't see it that way. I see it as a good teaching opportunity. They need to create a fairly controlled environment, with only "dad" in water to mange the risk. Baby steps for sure.
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At 7 years old that is too young for a speargun. Kids don't understand the consequences of their actions, they think only of the immediate "now" rather than a chain of events in terms "if I do this then what will happen next"? Build him a toy gun that looks the part, not the real thing. If he had an accident then the responsible adult takes the fall, it is not worth the risk for either him or yourself!
These are good points. And I would not hand my kids a hunting weapon at 7. But I don't feel strongly I should decide it for someone else. I would feel even worse if the father handed him an adult size gun and he had an accident. I think it could be valuable to expose the child this early IF properly trained, and with size specific speargun.
How young do people start with bow and arrow? 22 riffles? B'B guns?
I was considering a rubber tip until he grows into it.
-DB -
I have a request to build a gun for a 7 year old. The spec will be from my input, but to be honest I have no idea what to build for him.
First guess:
Rear handle for reach
A tiny custom wood handle for small hands
9/32 shaft, single flopper
2 7/16" bands for easier loading. Or 1 9/16" band tied on the weak.Any input guys?
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That looks fun. I cannot imagine that wolf swimming at me!!!!
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I am also anti Tuna Clip. A small shackle does a fine job. Or better yet. No metal, just a spliced loop of spectra on your float line, pulled through the loop on your gun (or on your breakaway setup).
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sweet. Stopped at west marine on my way home, and they gave me a few ft of dyneema free.
My goodness. How did you sweet talk them into giving Dyneema away? -
Fabulous! Thanks for shareing
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Welcome! enjoy this forum. Lots of good contributors here.
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I've always chiseled pockets for mechs and handles. I'm comfortable doing it this way. Squaring the corners would be a cinch.
Nice fit Dan!
A chisel in the hands of a master is a deadly accurate and useful tool. I always advise people with no Chisel experience to practice on scrap wood first. I have been making my band slots with a Forster bit drilled through for each band position, then a quick clean up of the remnant wood with a sharp chisel. Seems faster and less risky then a router.
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I just saw this thread. This looks like fun, thanks for sharing the progress.
