Speargun Build: Zen and The Art of Speargun Shaping

The Art of Speargun Shaping

Wow! I love it. Life lessons from the Diablo Spearguns workshop. Gene sent me a few emails today with the latest update on my Diablo 121cm Speargun Build and some great insight into his speargun shaping process and mindset.

This is a very fun build for me. Tomorrow I will get a lot on your speargun gun complete. Yesterday and today I spent numerous hours listening to surf music while shaping a couple spearguns. A total escape from it all.

There is a creative process in building a speargun that brings me a great deal of satisfaction.

For example looking at a piece of wood, seeing the grain pattern and using that pattern or color difference to create subtle differences in something so simple as a pair of grips.

When machining a teak blank the exactness in a square and straight blank is mandatory. Exact measurements in fitting the components is a must. Attention to detail is a given. Here too, in the engineering portion of the build there is a great deal of satisfaction.

Shaping the speargun is a process that is multi faceted. Hand shaping a speargun is a lot like life as things are not always perfect. There is so much character in a hand shaped speargun. At times that character comes from grain pattern or maybe a small mistake you make but then figure out a way to fix, all of a sudden you have something special and better.

Anyway I will send you more photos tomorrow with all the router and drill press work complete. The blank will be ready for shaping the day after tomorrow as I listen to some cool surf music and rough it out with some hand planes, spoke shaves and a rasp or two.

Have a wonderful night…

Mo’ Rubba Mo’ Betta

I’m having fun with this build I’m looking at pushing the trigger mech further back. 50mm from the butt of the gun. This will give you an extra 5″ of band pull. (See photos). This will also mean you will need a longer shaft. 55″ instead of 50″ to give a proper amount of shaft overhang.

Please note as discussed you will basically be pulling the power bands to your chest. There is only 4″ from 1st shark fin to the loading pad. I personally have no issues with it but I’m also a big guy.

I’m going to make all the cuts tomorrow for the trigger pocket and shaft, etc so let me know what you think. I personally think it is a good idea but it is your gun and I don’t want you having any issues with regards to difficult loading.

I’m really curious to see how the 121cm will shoot with an extra 5″ of band pull.

Um.. YES please! By my moving the trigger mech further back I get more rubber so more power! Who can say no to more. 😉