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All About Guns What's your weapon of choice, and why? Discuss the beloved speargun here! |
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10-04-2010, 07:11 PM | #16 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Clemente
Posts: 239
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
sad to hear if it is in fact true. the way i look at it - CHECK YOUR GEAR OUT BEFORE YOU DIVE. its that easy - i always check everything out before i dive (from bands to FIN screws) - simply put, your life is on the line every time you dive - you wouldn't sky-dive with out checking your gear first. why should diving be any different? i hope the word gets out about the handles though. this could be a wake-up call for all divers to start looking over their gear NOT JUST THEIR GUNS. shit can happen with a weight-belt, gun, fins, mask........everything, so check your stuff! i had a dive partner loose a fin blade at 80ft because he didn't check his gear before our dive. not cool! as for Dr. Wong - A+ guy with A+ gear. i have bought 2 guns from him and had amazing service. Best guns i have ever used! (sea sniper very close second)
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10-04-2010, 07:48 PM | #17 |
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Hey Beefcake, you need to realize its IMPOSSIBLE for Darryl to contact EVERY customer whom he has sold guns to. I am one of those guys (among hundreds of others) who got my gun 2nd-hand, from a guy who no longer lives in the country. Funny thing, I called Darryl to get new bands and he didnt remember selling me a gun, and asked where I'd gotten it! The guy STILL took almost 1/2 hour on the phone with me, making sure he knew exactly which model I had, got the right bands, AND asked me to send the check ONLY AFTER Id put them on the gun to make sure they were good. This guy is top-notch, his customer service is top-notch, and Im sure he'll do any- and everything he can to help Sheri out.
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See that? Steady as a rock... but THIS is my shootin' hand!! |
10-04-2010, 08:14 PM | #18 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: San Clemente, CA
Age: 85
Posts: 39,140
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
I've had Wong guns for just over 12 years and never had a problem with the old style handles provided to Daryl by Aimrite, even though I've used up to four 5/8" bands on my Ono gun. I guess I never over-tightened the handles. But when Daryl reported that some were cracking, I had him send me the new versions with the flat head screws, and I replaced the old ones.
Anyway, as Daryl said in the previous thread that he referenced here, anyone who has the old handle can get a free replacement. |
10-04-2010, 08:21 PM | #19 |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pine Ridge NC
Posts: 891
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Sheri's fine. I am sure she is greatful for all the interest.
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10-04-2010, 09:28 PM | #20 |
So Little Time
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Boca Raton
Posts: 949
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Thanks for all the good wishes. I am alive and kicking (or should I say "shooting"?). I did have an accident while filming for Speargun Hunter in La Paz recently. I was shooting at a wahoo and the handle broke off the gun when I pulled the trigger. I ended up with a black eye and a cut on my cheek. It's barely noticeable now, so I guess I'm lucky, because it could have been much worse. No one is keeping it a secret. I've talked to quite a few people about it, as I'm all about safety. In fact, we are televising it on Speargun Hunter (new season starts January 2011).
I've heard several stories since then....some who almost tore their nose off from handles breaking on their home-made guns, etc. Regardless of whether it's home-made, custom, or production, keep in mind that plastic handles can break, aluminum handles can corrode (from dissimilar metal from the screws), etc. Bottom line, learn from my experience -- always check your equipment, especially the handles. For those that want it, Daryl is offering replacements with his second-generation handle. It's made of the same material but uses pan-head instead of flat-head screws (so the countersink takes out less material). For obvious reasons, I am erring on the side of caution and using Tin Man's handles -- they are made of black anodized aluminum, have several choices of grips, and have the same screw pattern. Alexander also makes a cast aluminum handle that fits the same screw pattern. So...the good news is you have a variety choices out there. Do what makes you comfortable, and be safe out there! Here's pics of my progress (healed pretty fast) and the handle that broke. |
10-04-2010, 10:03 PM | #21 |
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Location: San Juan,Puerto Rico
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
OUCH!
Am glad you are ok.
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10-04-2010, 10:07 PM | #22 |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Central valley Ca
Posts: 772
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
I see you traumatized the eye, lucky girl, glad it went good for you
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10-04-2010, 11:36 PM | #23 |
My spawn kills on....
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Huntington Beach, Ca
Age: 53
Posts: 8,572
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
That sucks.
FWIW, these handles have been known for a while to be a potential punch in the face. When we make a gun with an all wood handle, we reinforce the handle with steel dowel rods. I have seen my own gun handle break, and the 2 dowels stop the gun from clocking me with 5 bands. At the very least, the handles should have steel wire reinforce around the screw holes and througth the handle to make it impossible for the handle to shear off like this. I think Sheri is making a good choice to switch handles. The plastic used is not the right material for this application. Screw holes are not where the problem lies in this case. The one screw was ripped out, but the fracturing is not a direct run from the holes. I have seen a Wong handle that broke in that fashion, where it split on the screw holes. Not this time. I'd be more forgiving in my thoughts on the handle material, except for the thought of all the thousands of JBL handles that are 15-25 yrs old and have had no problems. Glad to see you are OK Sheri. Maybe having his 'Star' fall right out of the sky will make Darrel change his handles, once and for all. Maybe it will take someone actually losing an eye. That would be a real shame.
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Safety is but an illusion; Every grain of sand was once a mountain. Every speck of dust..... was once a man. Nothing can stop this, in time. So use the time you have well..... you won't get it back. |
10-04-2010, 11:43 PM | #24 |
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Location: Central valley Ca
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Agreed,
steel/aluminum or reinforced in this stress point |
10-04-2010, 11:56 PM | #25 |
judge of my domain
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,049
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Sheri, I am very glad you did not suffer injuries deeper than superficial bruising.
I look at the plastic handles on other guns made with a very durable, black type of plastic. There is clearly a difference in quality between these and the plastic I've seen on Wong guns. Example manufacturers include Mares, Omer, Picasso, Riffe, usw.. the plastic on these guns can have the ever living crap beaten on it and it still resists shattering. The plastic is not as hard on these handles; its more forgiving. Thus, able to survive being slammed around on a boat, shore dive, or by TSA. These other plastic handled-guns seem to have a polyacrylic or a FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) - (this is my best guess as the material). I am no plastic materials expert, but these are my observations. There is a reason that these other manufacturers have been using these types of plastics for many years. They have their failure points too. I will agree, that the screws may have contributed to the microfracturing of the plastic, but I dont think that is exclusively what did the handle in, in this case. I agree that switching handle types will serve well to prevent this from happening again. Sheri, I applaud you for making a show about this - gun safety is a much needed topic in this sport.
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10-05-2010, 12:09 AM | #26 |
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Nasty shiner - glad you are OK!!
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10-05-2010, 12:18 AM | #27 | |
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Quote:
Typically, 20%-35% Fiber Reinforced Nylon 6/6. Plastic injection moulds can use a lot of different types of plastics, and Nylon 6 and 6/6 are the most common in the spearfishing industury, and for good reason.
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10-05-2010, 12:24 AM | #28 |
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
Thanks Aaron - I agree
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10-05-2010, 12:27 AM | #29 |
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
From the picture, it seems that the plastic is clear non UV protected plastic, I think this is dangerous even if you do not tighten the screws. As this happened to Sheri, I am pretty sure that such an experienced spearfisherwoman's accident was not due to neglect of her gear. Untreated plastic is notorious for absorbing UV light and UV light breaks down the plastic molecules and make the plastic brittle. It is just a poor material to use and should be changed since most spearfishing trips have tremendous UV exposure ... especially if you only have one gun and are always using that same gun. Having said that, aluminium is also prone to metal fatigue and I would guess that shooting many shots can possibly cause a hairline crack due to metal fatigue which might cause failure. Of course aluminium would be dramatically more robust than untreated plastic. Maybe stainless steel is the way to go, but even then you are only as strong as your weakest link ... which in the SS case are the screws holding the handle ... maybe a doweled SS female - male screw setup is better.
Anyway the good news is that Sheri is doing well, and we need to look back at this and see if we can make an improvement or add another level of safety with regards to handles (especially with more than 3 bands). I remember the first time I shot a Riffe 3 x 5/8" band gun after moving from the lighter euro 1 band and 2 band guns, it was on a King Mackerel and I stoned it ... but I also got smacked in the face by the recoil, which was way more than I had anticipated. In my case this was due to wrong technique and I was probably saved by the silicone loading pad and my mask and snorkle, but I can imagine how much worse things could have been if the entire gun had gone back due to a handle breaking. |
10-05-2010, 02:27 AM | #30 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Ocean Springs MS
Age: 47
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Re: Sheri Daye Injured by Wong
So the handles made by your former partner that you could run over with a truck and couldn't crush in a vice are brittle,and crack if you over tighten the screws? So did you make these " old style" handles ? Does the handle speration have anything to do with the two screws being to short in the front of the handle. I bet the six stichtes I had in my upper lip that had something to do with it.
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