My Net-making Process

The process for making my nets begins either in the woods where I find just the right tree, downfall, burl or slab, or in my log yard. Now when I say log-yard please do not confuse me with a log mill. My log yard usually has between 10 and 30 logs in it. From these logs I choose the best lumber for your net.

The chosen logs are milled and the best slabs are separated out for net-making and are stickered and stacked and stored for drying, a process that takes from 1 – 3 years, depending on the wood, the humidity, the time the temperatures are below freezing and a few other factors. The slabs which not net worthy are sold to others.

Once the wood is ‘dry’ enough to make nets, between 6% and 8% moisture content, it comes into my woodworking shop. The wood for the bows is then run thru the table saw and cut to specific ‘rough cut’ dimensions for length, width and thickness. It is then finish sanded to thickness on a double drum sander to an exact dimension.

Now that I have them down to exact thickness and the moisture down below 8% I then place the slats, a few at a time, into the steamer box and steam them which introduces heat and moisture to soften wood fibers to allow them to be shaped more easily with less damage to the wood. The steamed strips are then placed in our custom Steam jigs and are clamped under pressure until cooled and dry.

While this process is going on the Handle wood is being processed. I have a fancy wood ‘visual’ which I place on the handle lumber and move around and rotate and twist to find what I feel is the best 1) strength, 2) grain pattern, and last but not least 3) character. When found I mark the wood, rough cut it on the band saw and then precision trim it on my router.

Now back to the bow wood. Once the bow wood is cooled and the moisture has again gone from the wood I laminate the pieces together and hold them under high pressure in the gluing jig. They then get the net string slot cut into them and the brass eyelet inserted into the handle

Once the bows are completed they are ‘married’ to a handle and the two come together in yet another jig and are again held under high pressure until they become one.

Now what you have is a rough cut handle in a not so rough bow. And then the fun begins, presuming you like sanding. The assembly then goes to the oscillating spindle sander and the sharp edges are removed and the assemble starts looking like something someone could actually show off some day.

The rest of the process is completely done by hand. Sanding, sanding, and more sanding. Once it looks and feels the way I want it to it is then sanded with finer and finer sand paper until it is ready for the finish.

At this point each net that passes my careful scrutiny will get branded with my logo on the end of the handle. This logo burned into a handle is an indication that this particular net meets my standard and I am proud to put my mark on it. Not all nets that get this far get branded. Of the ones that don’t, some of them go into the firebox which heats our shop, some go to kids learning to fish, some go to friends, some just go away but they will not have my mark on them.

Only the best get branded.

 

The finish is 100% tung oil. 4 – 8 coats of 100% tung oil. The last 2 – 3 coats are hand sanded into the wood.

Once the oil is worked completely in and this process is completed I hand sew the fish friendly nets onto the bows and this completes the process.