The purpose of the exercise was to make a speargun with the essential features of a characteristic rail gun, but to make it out of wood. This particular gun was also to be made from cheap and easy to obtain materials.

Stock
The stock is 1.2 metres.

I made it from three 40 X 12 mm KD (kiln dried) DAR (dressed all round) strips of radiata pine that I purchased at Bunnings. I used West epoxy to glue it. To stiffen the stock, I laid plasterer’s tape stringers between the wood.

I routed the glued-up stock to form a rail on the top (with indents to allow the rubbers to lie beside the spear) and to round the bottom.

Spear
The spear is a mono head 1.5 metre carbon steel Torelli spear from Legendary.

Spear release mechanism
I used a Picasso shot engine, also from Legendary.

Muzzle
The muzzle is closed with coplanar mounts to take the forward ends of the rubbers. Its laminated from exterior grade plywood (which I got in Bunnings). The muzzle/stock joint is reinforced with a strip of plasterers tape.

Handle
I made the handle by laminating up strips of 6 mm plywood. To my eye at least, the striations from the layering look good.

I installed a stainless eye bolt into the middle lamination. This should provide some ballast at the bottom and rear end of the gun, but is really there to provide a link for the float line/rig.

Rubbers
The rubbers are 19 mm diameter, with about 3 to 1 stretch. I used soft bridles with small lead sinkers for stopper balls. (I got the dyneema from Marek Toman at the SFD meeting – thanks.). In the sea trials, I found some difficulty in loading these rubbers. A stronger person may not have. For personal use, I think I will change to 16 mm rubbers.

Buoyancy
I adjusted the buoyancy of the gun to make it just heavier than neutral, and to give a slight nose heavy balance. It needed a “four ounce” sinker, which I hammered into an oblong shape so that it was easy to inset into the stock.

Surface finish
I applied a base coat of West epoxy (with the surface finish activator) and covered it with Estapol two pot floor varnish. To provide an anti-slip finish on the handle, I laid on some more plasterer’s tape.



The gun will be a little big for Port Phillip (especially this season when the viz has been so bad that you couldn’t even see the end of it), but it should be OK for the ocean, and not too small to take to NSW.

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped

The muzzle and handle are made from stacked ply.

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped

that is one mean looking wooden rail gun ric. well done mate, these wooden guns are growing on me and i quite like them now, and wouldnt mind having one either. agian great work ric keep them coming

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I Didnt Stone It..- ..I Owned It

Ric
On the topic of Euro style guns with parallel bands, have you seen the Omer Cobra open muzzle?
I realise your intent is to build with easily available and affordable materials ... ... but just a different idea

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Il mio mare e i miei fondali sono quelli del golfo de La Spezia

How do you rate the pine over other timbers?
Any setbacks?
Pros and cons?

Cheers in advance!

Pine is cheap and there are big stacks you can search through to find the piece(s) you want.

Its more than strong enough, and has a good bouyancy to offset heavy spears.

I like it.

But it doesn't have the "wow" factor.

It might be a little weak for a pipe gun.

Just don't tell people its pine.

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped