Build your own wooden speargun series Ep1- Intro
Hi everyone, and welcome to the first edition of the "Build your own (wooden) Speargun" series.
My name is Matthew Debono, and I am the owner and craftsman behind Debono Spearguns NZ.
Here, we will break down the speargun build process into bite-sized and easily digestible chunks, so that you all end up with a speargun build that you can be proud of, while avoiding some pitfalls that can lead to failure in the build.
Let this be an introductory blog. If you are reading this and there are no images, they will be uploaded soon.
So, you want to build your own wooden speargun? Great! I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and good advice can be hard to find, as many people will inject their experiences into blogs and forums, which can result in a lot of misleading, and contradictory information along with “ideas” presented as facts. There are many blogs that make the process sound more challenging than it really is, and while it can certainly be overwhelming, I have learned over the years that even the most intricate woodworking jobs can seem less intimidating and absolutely achievable when broken down into smaller bite size chunks.
A bit of background about me: I am a self-taught craftsman in New Zealand. I don't claim to be among the best, or the most broad, but good at my niche. I learned my craft after purchasing a 35-foot wooden sailboat that turned out to be catastrophically rotten. Unfortunately, I had convinced my amazing wife that buying a yacht would be an acceptable and fulfilling replacement for a honeymoon. But I'm sure I'm not the only bloke out there who has experienced a boat intruding on a relationship!
True to my promise of a romantic honeymoon, and with a low budget, I decided to learn the craft of wooden boatbuilding and rebuild the boat from the ground up (literally). I am not particularly gifted, but what I learned through this process is that generally speaking, we are all capable of informally learning skills that we would assume require some formal education. I am proud to say that all structural parts of the yacht have now been rebuilt to a higher standard than when it was built, although it took me four times longer than a professional boatbuilder. I share this background in hopes of inspiring confidence that anyone reading this will be able to pick up wooden speargun building.
Moving forward, I started Debono Spearguns in New Zealand to try and fill the locally made wooden speargun niche. It has been an amazing journey so far, and all of my many customers will attest to the fact that I offer an excellent product. Making an excellent product requires a deep understanding of the manufacturing process, what works, and what doesn't. There are many pitfalls along the way, and I have a number of early spearguns in my attic that I wouldn't dare show anyone, but I keep them as a reminder of my humble beginnings. Through this blog, I hope that my own lessons learned and experience can be passed on to you.
The topics we will cover in the different blogs in this series will include:
Conceptual design (don't worry, you don't have to draw if you don't want to, there are ways around that)
Tools/gear required
Timber selection
Machining and lamination (including instructions for joiners if you don't have access to machinery)
Centreline machining
Shaping
Ballast (balancing)
Finishing
Rigging
So stay tuned, and keep an eye out for new blogs!
Comment section open!