Making a Richard Walker Net.

Traditional landing nets large and small.
Post Reply
User avatar
Marc
Sea Trout
Posts: 4006
Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:14 am
11
Location: Co Durham, land of the prince bishops

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Marc »

Water rail sounds good to me WM+. Still amazed that inside that block of metal was that beautifully engineered piece; plus making your own screws blows my mind...
Marc. (Prince of Durham)

“A life that partakes even a little of friendship, love, irony, humor, parenthood, literature, and music, and the chance to take part in battles for the liberation of others cannot be called 'meaningless'...”

Grazy

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Grazy »

Incredible engineering and looks tremendous :Hat:

User avatar
Mark
Head Bailiff
Posts: 21141
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:55 pm
12
Location: Leicestershire
Contact:

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Mark »

Wonderful. :Hat:
Mark (Administrator)

The most precious places in the English landscape are those secretive corners,
where you find only elder trees, nettles and dreams. (BB - Denys Watkins-Pitchford).

User avatar
Nobby
Wild Carp
Posts: 10975
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 2:40 pm
12
Location: S.W.Surrey
Contact:

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Nobby »

Oooh Composite with a capital 'C'...now he's added dural to the recipe!


It's a shame you can't sell swarf, isn't it? :laugh:


Very pleasing appearance and doubtlessly tactile too......

User avatar
MGs
Pike
Posts: 6417
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:24 pm
12
Location: Cornwall

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by MGs »

Stunning. I'm working on my simple version but can only dream of achieving results like these. Very elegant.
Old car owners never die....they just rust away

User avatar
Watermole+
Chub
Posts: 1040
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:07 pm
12
Location: Devon & Cornwall border

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Watermole+ »

Part 5. The Spreader Block

Since last time, we have made a Spreader Block, although I am not entirely happy with it and finished off the Hinge Block, so all the major parts have now been made and it will soon be ready for assembly. The net arms have also been whipped at the hinge ends and also at the arm ends where the split-ring fittings are. A question to answer first though..

"Beresford" wrote:

"WM+ Was there are reason why you decided to have both bolt heads on the same face of the hinge piece unlike Walker's design that had them placed on alternate faces? I've always wondered why he did this".

To be quite honest Sir, I can think of no other reason, other than one of ease of home manufacture. There is certainly no engineering or mechanical reason to have the screws on alternate sides; the stresses would be equal, whichever side the screw head-or thread-is on. To work this one out, I have tried to put myself in Dicks' position when he was making this in 1949/50-which I imagine was at home in his workshop. It is possible that he might not have had the means at home to accurately index both hole positions equally about the centre line of the hinge block. To do this, you need either a mill, or an indexable table for one. So, being a practical man, not over-bothered by aesthetics and faced with this problem-bearing in mind that it is a landing net he was making, not aircraft landing gear, the simplest and easiest way would have been to set the block up in a vice or some other way of clamping it, determine where the first hole has to go and drill/tap it, then without moving the drill head, simply release the block and turn it over 180 degrees and you have the same position for the other side! A by-result is that the thread is on opposite sides, but that is unimportant.
I feel that B.James & Co. would have just copied the existing sample net and it went on from there.. ..but that is just my thesis.

Personally, I like things to appear 'balanced' and that is why the screws on my nets will have the threads on the same side. I have also made the screw heads countersunk and flush, rather than proud, round-headed ones, because they have a greater load-bearing area and less liable to wear and elongate the holes. Many thanks for the question Sir.


Dicks' design says the spreader block should be of wood, which again, was an inexpensive and simple way of making one but you have to consider, what practical and material options would have been available to him at that time.
I have seen pictures of ones also from a wood block "sandwich", using metal/Tufnol outside plates, all-aluminium and other materials, so I don't think it vital that it must be of wood, so long as it is practical and -more to the point, durable. It is a waste of effort if a nice, wooden block is made, only to have it split or break within a few outings. For this reason, I am going to make one from Tufnol, which is far tougher than most woods and will certainly be very long lasting.

This offcut of Tufnol was had for a giveaway price, but I do not know, what grade it is so it may be necessary to remake it, should it prove to be unsuitable. Some are better than others but I am going to waterproof it with linseed when finished.

Image

One thing I found out about cutting Tufnol is that the air is filled with pungent yellow dust which gets everywhere, so for this reason, I have limited the number of pictures..
The first step was to hacksaw it to length, then to the approximate width and breadth. Then using the lathe 4-jaw chuck, it was accurately cut to the finished sizes.
Next, I marked out the 30 degree ends and hacksawed them across, finishing with a coarse file and emery strip.
Now the centre position for the hole was marked out and drilled, first 3/8" clearance right through, then counter-bored to be a nice fit on the hinge block spigot.

Image

The next step was to mark out and cut out the grooves for the net arms. This was a bit laborious because Tufnol doesn't like to be filed and rapidly clogs the file, which needed frequent clearing with a 'file card'. In the end, I used a very coarse wood rasp to get the worst out, then finished with a nice,coarse square file and emery strip.
I have boxed myself in to a corner on this because, although the spigot gives wonderful support and rigidity, taking away all the stress from the arm ends, it also means that you have to get the depth of file cut just right on both sides-and also the same angle and width. I did this in small stages, frequently checking the depth, but we got there in the end...how much easier it would have been to make it from wood!!

Image

Next, the positions for the two large holes were marked out and centre drilled..
I had to be extra careful to get this right, or the holes would break in to either the centre hole, or the two slots.

Image

I used the lathe for drilling as it gives a bit more control on things..

Image

..which more-or-less finished this part, apart from a locking washer, which I made from thin stainless and press-fitted into the front face (where the centre screw will tighten down). A treatment of linseed and another one later, when the first has dried out.
We just need to put on some chamfers to the edges, for appearance' sake, more than anything.

Image


Now we can make and fit the anti-rotation screw to the handle ferrule.
The reason why this was not done before is because we didn't know the exact position of where it has to go for certain, until the spreader block was made and all could be temporarily fixed together with a 3/8" BSF bolt.
This is now done so it was assembled and set in the vice together with the ferrule and spot-drilled.

Image

Despite appearances, the block is well supported underneath and secured to prevent any movement. Next, it was drilled and tapped through to suit a 5 B.A. screw, then counter drilled through the aluminium only.

Image

Now, it was removed and the parts separarted and the hinge block set in the vice to have the slot filed out with a half-round needle file. The blue paper is only to protect the ali. from damage from the vice jaws.

Image

All is now ready for assembly. Although the hole in the ferrule has been tapped, I will continue this into the net handle after the ferrule has been fitted to the handle. The 5 B.A. screw has now also been made.

Image

As said, we will have to see in field tests, whether or not we have to remake the spreader block, but the next thing must be the proper centre screw. Here we are making a start..

Image

I bought a short length of special tooling grade aluminium alloy for this but have enough to make two, should disaster fall..

More next time..

wm+

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet one of them shall not fall without your Father knoweth" ..Jesus of Nazareth, King James AV

User avatar
MGs
Pike
Posts: 6417
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:24 pm
12
Location: Cornwall

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by MGs »

Excellent work as usual. Functional and aesthetically pleasing
Old car owners never die....they just rust away

User avatar
Mark
Head Bailiff
Posts: 21141
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:55 pm
12
Location: Leicestershire
Contact:

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Mark »

Excellent work indeed wm+.
Mark (Administrator)

The most precious places in the English landscape are those secretive corners,
where you find only elder trees, nettles and dreams. (BB - Denys Watkins-Pitchford).

User avatar
AshbyCut
Honorary President
Posts: 10142
Joined: Sun May 06, 2012 1:27 am
11
Location: North Warwickshire

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by AshbyCut »

An over-used word these days ... but justified in this case ... Awesome. :Hat:
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.

User avatar
Beresford
Sea Trout
Posts: 4261
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:26 pm
12

Re: Making a Richard Walker Net.

Post by Beresford »

Beautiful work as we have come to expect from you. Thank you for taking the trouble to answer a question that has vexed me for a good number of years.
The Split Cane Splinter Group

Post Reply

Return to “Traditional Landing Nets”