I have recently been asked to make some wooden fishing nets. This will entail doing lamination bending. I would like to use contracting woods that will work well in a wet environment. I especially like cocobolo and teak. My questions are:
1. Are these good woods to do lamination bending?
2. What would be a good light colored wood for lamination bending that will work well in the net frames?
Thank You,
Mike
Replies
Well, I hate to tell you this, but you hit the jackpot as far as Least Likely To Bend and Laminate Successfully. ;-)
The big problem with both is gluing. Both are oily, and while teak can be glued if you're careful, cocobolo is all but impossible. They're also both very hard, which makes them difficult to bend.
For the light wood, ash is the traditional choice. Walnut and mahogany are two darker woods that should work well. Whatever woods you use, be sure that the pieces are straight-grained.
-Steve
I have seen nets made with Cocobola & Teak handles (no bending required)and ash and another dark wood in the hoop area. Is there a problem with a glue up with these differnt woods and what type of glue would you recommend?Thanks,
Mike
For gluing teak, I would use a good two-component epoxy, such as West System. For cocobolo, I wouldn't even try, as I've heard about too many failures to be comfortable trying to glue it. If someone were holding a gun to my head, I'd use epoxy, then reinforce the joint with brass rivets (like a knife handle).
When gluing oily woods, be sure to thoroughly clean the mating surfaces with acetone or other solvent to remove any oils that have accumulated on the surface. (Some people say it's not worth the effort, but I don't think it can hurt.)
You can get West System epoxies from the major woodworking supply companies (Lee Valley, Rockler, etc.) as well as from marine supply dealers. As well as the standard resin/hardener combinations used for gluing, they also make a hardener that's specially formulated for coating. I haven't tried it, but it seems that it would be well suited to use as the overall finish on your nets, making them completely waterproof. Epoxy finishes can be tricky to apply, however, so you'll want to try it on some throwaway test pieces first.
-Steve
I pretty much agree with all of the folks who have responded. The woods you have picked don't bend well, are difficult to glue and are heavy. Weight is very important to a fisherman. I have made a number of nets. While today I have a 13' steam box, in my early days I bent a number in a hot shower. At the less than 1/4" thickness you mill the strips to they bend fairly easy, although you can expect more failures with a shower than a steam box.
The important thing is the form and it is easiest to use the same form for gluing as you use for bending. I used toggles that cammed away from the top pulling tension to the handle. I use a long open time (60 to 90 minute) epoxy for several reasons. It holds if the wood is still damp from bending and it will hold up in the river even semerged for the odd day or two.
Lastly, I use maple and cherry. Both woods are in the trout's habitat and probably speak to him better than wood from rain forests.
With best regards,
Ernie Conover
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