let me see your koi net

[mulberryjen]

Quote: Originally Posted by luke frisbee well while this thread took a humorous direction, I did promise to post a pic of my net....the bits cost me less than fifty bucks. the diameter of the hoop is 40 inches, the pole is 1.5 inches by 20ft, the hoop is hardened 5/8ths solid Aluminum, and the netting is the open 1.5 inch weave stuff that AES sells; to close the weave I put toluene and silicone caulk together in a bucket and mixed it till it is the consitency of heavy cream. Then I mashed the netting into the mixture. The weave is now closed, and koi fins don't become trapped in it.

OK, how does this homemade treatment compare to a commercial product such as the TuffBoy Net Coating Aquatic Ecosystems sells? Have problem you mention with large weave catching in the ray of anal fin of fish which gets me very stressed out, along with the fish. Is that Tuffboy stuff just the dip you use for the handles of channel locks, pliers, etc? Been ruminating about ordering it lately, b/c I spend lots of time flipping through that catalog mentally ordering things (yeah I'm a geek, deal with it.)

[bekko]

Toluene and silicon - good one.

-steve hopkins

[luke frisbee]

well Steve I don't know if you're complementing or not.....
but Mulberry this works great for me.
I was even going to do a little workshop at an SKA meeting(but they kicked my ass out)....I learned to mix toluene and silicone caulk to make moulds in pottery....Talk about a bunch of half-crazed whacked out college kids....(note to self- ALWAYS make sure we do this on a windy day OUTSIDE.)

Anyway it worked great, and has held up well....I'll try and take a pic or two and post them to show it up close....(SKA Members feel free to do it on your own nets...no hard feelings)

MmmMmm another point that I neeed to clear up is that I took a piece of netting and put it in the Silicone/toluene mix BEFORE I attached it to the frame.

[luke frisbee]

and the pond isn't deep (6 ft 7 inches or so) but one area is about 16 ft across...
I didn't think I looked like a midget in that pic?...maybe 7 months pregnant, but I'm 6'2'' and thought I even hid that well.

[luke frisbee]

Ok this is the hoop of the net....note the fuzziness created when i attached netting to hoop...it works real good though..on koi over 6 inches

[luke frisbee]

before and afters of the netting before being "scrunched" into the toulene/silicone cream...perhaps a little thinner might work better for netting made of softer material....but this combination is perfect for the health of the koi....."rubbery and giving"

[bekko]

It was a complement Luke - never heard of that trick and other applications will probably come along. Can you change the consistency (thickness) of the stuff by adding more or less toluene?

-stevehopkins

[luke frisbee]

Quote: Originally Posted by bekko It was a complement Luke - never heard of that trick and other applications will probably come along. Can you change the consistency (thickness) of the stuff by adding more or less toluene? -stevehopkins

Steve,
yes you can. I didn't have a set ratio in mind when I started mixing it for this net. and when we use it in mold construction with the college kids..well you can imagine the range of (in)consistencies we get...

i would thin it even more if I was going to coat the netting made with a cloth base.

the stuff on this net was photographed yesterday but was "made" three months ago and it has shown no wear yet.

[luke frisbee]

and if ya don't feel comfortable with playing with toluene I was thinking of trying a good elastomeric siliconized house paint.......

[woodyaht]

Here's one of the best I have seen, who ever made this net / handle did a awesome job It looks like a Asian wood used for the handle called Teak I think, with a highly polished stainless collar. The varnish on the handle was un-real.