Build a landing net

jeremymcon

jeremymcon

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Joined
Dec 9, 2012
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Seems to be a lot of talk about landing nets on the forum today, so I figure I'll add to it with a topic I've been thinking about recently.

I've taken up woodworking as a hobby (because I have *so* much free time between working and fly fishing...), and have been thinking about building a landing net. I picked up a couple pieces of birdseye maple for the handle, and I have some walnut on hand for contrast, as well as some ash, which I plan to laminate with the walnut for the hoop of the net.

Does anyone have any experience making landing nets? Any tips on adhesives or finishing? Those are the parts I'm most uncertain of. I'm thinking tite bond 3, and maybe using tung oil over that? Or I've heard of people soaking the whole net in tung oil for a few days, and then coating it in spar urethane? Not sure what the advantage is there, since a tung oil only finish would be easier to maintain than urethane or polyurethane, I'd think. Just wipe on another coat periodically.

Also, I only own a bandsaw, so will be ripping the thin strips on it, and then sanding/planing them to get rid of the saw marks before laminating. If anybody has any better ideas on that part of the project, I'd take them as well!
 
For glue I use Tite Bond wood glue. For walnut get the dark stuff. For ripping the strips I use a table saw then run them through the planer. For a finish I use polyurethane.

You didn't mention a jig, or if you did I missed it.
 
For the finish I would suggest a product called Waterlox. It's tung oil with phelonic? resins, I used it on a wooden counter with an under mount sink with great results.

Good luck
 
I like Tru-Oil for the finish. Such a nice finish. At the end of each season, I rub down the nets with a little steel wool and add a lite coat of the Tru-Oil. The nets look like new again. Only takes a few minutes of maintenance on the finish each year.
 
Brookiechaser,

By jig you mean a form to clamp the hoop to? I'm planning to cut one from some MDF I have laying around, I think. Then cut mating pieces of MDF and clamp it all with whatever clamps I have laying around. Thought about maybe attaching just a sort of hollowed out interior form to the top of another piece of MDF/plywood so it's easier to clamp?
 
I too am going to make an attempt at building my own net. Any tips would be appreciated
 
Jeremy, yes I meant a form to shape the hoop. I have a piece of 1/2" plywood with plywood blocks screwed to them to form the hoop around in the desired size.
Lay the cutout handle in, then run your strips from the back of the handle, out to the hoop end and bend them back to the other side of the handle.
Once the glue has set, pull the frame out of the jig and shape it, sand it, drill the holes for the bag, finish it, then put the bag on.
 
I made a big, WB Del, a small for Valley. Used ash. I see this as an off season project. First find your net bag. Then cut out a form of plywood. Forstner bit drill holes around the form so you can spring clamp strips to form. Fasten mold to a plywood work surface. Go on CL. And get a ten dollar wallpaper steamer. Steam your strips in a PVC tube for an hour. Put on gloves, remove and spring clamp around form. Let set for a day. Titebond III STRIPS replace in mold with spring clamps. Use Saran Wrap to make sure you don't glue net to form. Sand and I finish in trueoil. I think a gun place has it. Band saw is what I used. Theoretically you can cut strips that don't need steaming but it's a shot in the dark. The steaming isn't that much trouble.
 
BrookieChaser wrote:
For glue I use Tite Bond wood glue. For walnut get the dark stuff. For ripping the strips I use a table saw then run them through the planer. For a finish I use polyurethane.

You didn't mention a jig, or if you did I missed it.
Click to expand...

I would not use Titebond, it is a water based PVA and will not hold up to moisture should the finish crack. Use a liquid PUR glue. PUR glues cure with moisture and are therefore a much better choice.
 
Is Gorilla Glue a PUR glue? I use that when gluing up my cork rings and it expands a good bit, which is nice for cork. It fills the voids.

Tite Bond is fairly commonly used to glue up and bind bamboo strips when rodmaking. However one does not aim to submerge their cane rod in water the way you would a net.

Very interesting about the Tite Bond Coty.
 
i made one using titebondIII i also made a chamber out of PVC, poured boiling water in it along with my strips, and closed the cap.. this softened the wood to the point where i could bend it without it cracking or breaking... and the titebond goes on perfectly with damp wood...

i didnt mind if the lamination came out a little squirley.. i made it thicker than i needed to and ran it through a table planer

loved that net, until it ended up getting stolen.

i have another one in the works at the moment

good luck

i used bubinga and ash
 
Interesting about the polyurethane glue. I had considered something along those lines, but I wasn't really sure if it was completely necessary, and I've never worked with it before, so was a little hesitant to attempt it. Does it hold as well as titebond? Titebond 3 is supposed to be very water resistant. never really tested it though.

Never heard of tru-oil either. I'll have to look into it.
 
jeremymcon wrote:
Never heard of tru-oil either. I'll have to look into it.
Click to expand...

It is gun stock oil. Easy to work with. A little goes a long way. Any place that sells rifles or shotguns should have it.
 
jeremymcon wrote:
Interesting about the polyurethane glue. I had considered something along those lines, but I wasn't really sure if it was completely necessary, and I've never worked with it before, so was a little hesitant to attempt it. Does it hold as well as titebond? Titebond 3 is supposed to be very water resistant. never really tested it though.

Never heard of tru-oil either. I'll have to look into it.
Click to expand...

Most of our testing has shown PUR's to hold better than PVA's in most cases. The only reason I say that PUR's are better in this situation is because a PVA is a water based glue. If the finish ever cracks and water gets to the glue, the glue will break down causing your layers to delaminate. If the finish never cracks you will not have an issue.

*PUR glues can sometimes show a darker glue line due to the nature of the glue. Think about looking in to the end of a piece of glass. Keep your glue spread to a minimum, and there should be no issue.
 
Not to divert the thread too much but where are you getting "fish friendly" netting?
 
I'm planning to purchase a clear catch and release net replacement form ebay. There are lots available in various sizes. Actually, for my first net I may just remove the clear net (also aftermarket) from my current fishing net and use that.
 
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