When it comes to doing serious fishing, there’s no denying that you need serious experience, skills–and most importantly–tools. All it takes is experiencing ‘the big one that got away’ for you to learn your lesson when it comes to using ill-fitting or inferior gear for the job, which in this context is spearfishing.
As we all know, losing that fish or watching someone else do so is just a bad scene all around, and it’s a feeling that lingers in the air for quite some time. Several of those fish that got away might actually even be conversation points for years; and if you are an avid angler–you know exactly what we mean. We humans are already at a great disadvantage when it comes to getting in and going after our prey in their underwater habitat.
And while you may think you are ready to enjoy what seems like a fun and simple combination of diving and fishing, the pros will tell you it’s always crucial to be organized and prepared with tools that fit you as perfectly as possible before diving into the thrill of the hunt, literally, where you will be trying to hold onto your ‘weapon,’ aim, and shoot–all while enduring the challenge of water.
Many options come with the speargun, whether you want to use a band or pneumatic gun, which size, how to avoid noise, as well as choosing spear tips depending on where you are fishing, and for what. While traditionally you can customize your gun in terms of shopping for components and assembling them, what if you could actually digitally design and customize all the parts yourself, saving money and time–and ultimately, catching more fish? This is the concept that Artiz, of the UK, spent some time considering as he embarked on bringing 3D printing technology to the more extreme world of fishing.
Previously, my son (who is an experienced spearfishing enthusiast from the Florida Keys) and I were watching the proof of concept video by Artiz, in regards to his 3D printed spear handle, for which he prepared a proof of concept design that was fabricated on an Ultimaker 3D printer over 34 hours, using ABS. Putting special focus on the most important element really, Artiz produced a fully customizable piece that allows you to ensure your own strong grip. After all, if you can’t keep a strong hold on the gun in the water, all is lost.
As I remarked on the intelligence of his design, my son’s comment was quite simply that the handle was a great idea, but he’d like to see a 3D printed speargun too, because that’s where so many of the complexities arise and where he would enjoy seeing more latitude and flexibility in design.
Apparently, the experienced 3D printing hobbyist and maker’s ears were burning because he has indeed created the main portion in 3D print now, with a proof of concept presented after making a Carbon Cobra 3D printed metal prototype using ColorFabb XT-CF20 (20% carbon filament), boasting a 3D scanned handle, metal trigger mechanism, and roller muzzle. He has also just produced the Carbon Cobra 2 model, which is a solid design, rather than the X-ray composition.
A maker in the UK, Artiz has designed numerous innovative 3D printed pieces besides the spear handle such as the roller component, roller muzzle, and other speargun models, all shared on his YouTube channel. We’ll follow as he keeps building his library–and it’s a sure bet that spearfishing aficionados would love to be able to take on fabricating and customizing every one of the components that go with spearguns and spearfishing, making use of all the benefits that 3D printing offers.
What are your thoughts on this 3D printed gun? Discuss in the 3D Printed Speargun forum thread on 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
Dental 3D Market Grew to $4B in 2022
SmarTech Analysis, the leading 3D printing market research firm and the sibling firm of 3DPrint.com, has released the latest iteration of one of its flagship reports, 3D Printing in Dentistry...
UltiMaker CEO Weighs in on the Release of the Method XL 3D Printer
Today, UltiMaker announced the release of the Method XL 3D printer. The XL features a 100°C heated chamber and heated build plate optimized for ABS and carbon fiber (CF) -ABS....
3D Printing News Briefs, May 17, 2023: Stress-Resistant Alloy, 3D Printed Trophies, & More
In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting off with a little research, as materials scientists developed a 3D printing process that produces an extremely stress-resistant alloy. Moving on to...
3D Printing News Briefs, May 13, 2023: RAPID Roundup Part 2
For the second time this week, 3D Printing News Briefs is focused on news stories about RAPID + TCT! From new hires and 3D printer integrations to new 3D printers,...
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.