Thinking of a gun build

[Freediver_Geide]

I was wondering that if I build a gun would I be able to get away with using:
A craftsman router and table (18"x18")
A Evolv 10" table saw
A cheap planner

I'm not gunna build many guns maybe one or two a year, so I don't wanna buy anything too expensive

For my first build I'm gunna use red oak with a herranean epoxy coat to seal it.
A 60-65. Midhandle with all neptonic gun parts

If there is anything else I need and or advice let me know

[phil herranen]

Drill press , and a 1/2" wood chisel , and a 3/16" chain saw file .

The tools you have are fine if you know how to use them

[Freediver_Geide]

Would a drill press be 100% necessary or could I just use a regular drill which I know can be a little I straight at times

[malibujohn]

Originally Posted by Freediver_Geide

Would a drill press be 100% necessary or could I just use a regular drill which I know can be a little I straight at times

After routing the track and cutting out the mech pocket, drop the mech in and slide your shaft in. Just note where the top of the mech meets the top of stock. ( deep track, your mech should be even with top of stock ). Now take the mech and clamp it with a wood clamp, between the pin holes on the outside of stock, EXACTLY where you noted it previously. Now, drill with a hand drill, through the pin holes and that will hold your bit straight!! Drill about 3/4 through and stop. Take the clamp off and finish drilling with the stock against another piece of wood. This will prevent chipping when the bit goes through! You can use that mech if you drill a remote trigger by doing the same thing, almost like a jig. That 1/2 inch separation between holes holds the bit true. Good luck!

[Timinator]

My buddy took a wood shop class at the Jr. College in our area. Built his gun there in the shop class using all their tools.

[Freediver_Geide]

I really wish my school had a wood shop class but we don't

[Wood Guy]

I accidently posted this on another thread. The tools you mentioned are almost all you need. I would suggest adding an inexpensive dial caliper, and lots of patience. Both will come in very handy and the dial caliper is much more accurate than a tape measure.

As Phil mentioned, a drill press would be handy. It doesn't have to be an expensive one, and it will greatly improve the accuracy of your pin holes.

Measure twice, cut once!

[Freediver_Geide]

I'm gunna try and get my wood and epoxy next week and glue up the blank any advice

[spearo #uno]

All of the above and ...not sure how long your wood will be but try to rig up an even extension for your small table saw deck and a pc. of wood to push thru the end of the cut. Don't know about you but I like to have all my finges on my hand If your getting a small table saw without this extra pc. behind it the last 12" cut can be a pita and as it falls it can get snaged in the blade and make a mess out of your pc. of wood. Sorry..Just trying to keep it safe.

[Freediver_Geide]

Since I'm doing oak I can get it at Home Depot in sheets that are 3x1/2x36 and I was thinking that if I lay the wood right and layer it I can make it 72" (if that makes sense) idk if anyone has every tried that but when I get home I'll draw a pic and post how I'm thinking

[Benny]

Originally Posted by Freediver_Geide

Since I'm doing oak I can get it at Home Depot in sheets that are 3x1/2x36 and I was thinking that if I lay the wood right and layer it I can make it 72" (if that makes sense) idk if anyone has every tried that but when I get home I'll draw a pic and post how I'm thinking

Where are you located? If you have a home depot, there's got to be a place to get some decent hardwood. If you go to a hardwood supplier, I'll bet you can get the same amount of paduak or mahogany cheaper than all those pieces of oak at home depot.

Just my two cents worth on the drill press. I got one off craigslist for 50 bucks, works great, faster setup, and drills straight as can be. If you go down the hand drill path you do take the risk the holes not lining up perfectly. If that happens, you can blow out or crack the wood when you go to bang in the mounting pins, or the mech or other parts can sit out of alignment. And if you're doing a midhandle, its just that many more holes to roll the dice on. If you cannot get a press, you could use a hand drill to spot all the holes on one side of the gun, maybe an 1/8 or 3/16 inch deep. Then go to a buddies or someone with a drill press and finish drilling them through.

Good luck buddy

[Freediver_Geide]

It won't let me put pictures so I can't show you how I was thinking of making the blank

[spearo #uno]

Originally Posted by Freediver_Geide

It won't let me put pictures so I can't show you how I was thinking of making the blank

A. If I was you I would stay away from Lowes AND Home Depot as far as the lumber goes for your gun.
B. IF you had the right wood, looking at your drawing..why not dump the little pcs. and replaced them with full length pc. better yet get all full pcs.
Better still...get a pc. of some nice Mahogany (not bad to work on) and start there.

[joeyeppy]

Originally Posted by spearo #uno

A. If I was you I would stay away from Lowes AND Home Depot as far as the lumber goes for your gun.
B. IF you had the right wood, looking at your drawing..why not dump the little pcs. and replaced them with full length pc. better yet get all full pcs.
Better still...get a pc. of some nice Mahogany (not bad to work on) and start there.

this guy is talking some sense brandon

[spearq8]

Originally Posted by Freediver_Geide

It won't let me put pictures so I can't show you how I was thinking of making the blank

Why on earth would you want to setup your laminates like that? A speargun stock needs to be able to take a structural load and thus you should make your laminates straight single pieces. I think rather than laminate the way you have it in your drawing, you are better off just using a well chosen stock without laminates. I have several guns with non laminated stocks that are more than 20 years old and still shoot well. You just have to choose your wood carefully and then protect it well. As a first gun it might be a good idea to use a scrap piece of wood to practice on ... especially practice cutting the mech pockets and drilling the mech holding pins and if needed the slot for line release, and also routing out the track where it is absolutely center. Laminating a stock is the most time consuming and boring part of a gun build ... and I like to keep a laminated stock settling for a couple of months to make sure it has settled (probably not necessary). Also remember that laminating wood adds weight to the gun, so the denser the wood the higher the chance that you will end up with a gun that is negatively buoyant.