TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Traditional landing nets large and small.
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Plumtart
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Plumtart »

Just to bring this back onto the original idea.......... Yes there are other ways to make a spreader, but nothing is as nice and as accurate as a brass or bronze casting. The split brass rod works sometimes, but more often than not the brass fractures before the 90 degree angle is achieved, and the bent ash arms never quite fit into the inaccurate VEE shape.

There are 500 members of this forum. That should provide enough takers to assemble an order sufficiently large to make each casting good value. It's a good opportunity, I think.
What Great Ones do, the Less will prattle on. Wm. Shakespeare. Twelfth Night.

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Beresford
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Beresford »

Do you know how many orders you need to make the project viable?
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Plumtart
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Plumtart »

Beresford. I don't. I'm rather hoping there's enough information within the membership to tell us more. I do remember, a few years ago Paul Cooke had some near copies of the Barder type 2 spreaders made, so he'd have some information. I think he said they cost him about £50 each, which I thought a bit fruity. I'm pretty sure if we assembled an order for about 100 the unit price would drop dramatically. I think £30 for a spreader is more than reasonable.

As I've said, ash bending is quite easy, and small groups of TFFs could use a 6" tube with a wallpaper steamer to do 10 hoops in an hour. The only difficult bit is the spreader, and that's what I'm suggesting we can achieve, collectively.

Think about it. Edward's last batch of nets sold for (what was it) about £1,200 each. When he gets them back into stock they sell overnight. With an exactly similar spreader and a few hours work many TFFs could make something damned close to those for about £70. Seems like a good idea to me.

I already have ash-hooped nets a'plenty, but I'd buy the spreaders just for the fun of making more. Good things to give to friends, too.
What Great Ones do, the Less will prattle on. Wm. Shakespeare. Twelfth Night.

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Plumtart
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Plumtart »

Incidentally - perfectly good ash bending can be achieved by bending well-steamed ash lathes around an old car tyre of whatever size you fancy, using lengths of bicycle inner tubes to lash the wood lathe every 6" through the tyre's centre hole. Well stretched bicycle inner tubes put on tremendous pressure. Two people on the job make it much easier to lash before the heat goes out of the wood. When the resulting dried hoop goes into a 90 degree spreader it immediately takes up the teardrop shape we all prefer.

One 1/4" or slightly thicker lathe steams to bendability in about 20 minutes, two lathes of half that thickness (for reverse grain laminating) steam in about 15 minutes.

It really is THAT easy. But this initiative thread is not really about ash bending - we just need beautiful spreaders.
What Great Ones do, the Less will prattle on. Wm. Shakespeare. Twelfth Night.

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Bobby Marlene
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Bobby Marlene »

I would be interested in one or two. Medium to small size preferred. Thanks for this initiative. Bobby

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Duebel
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Duebel »

A very interesting initiative!

There's a company in Bamberg that does this kind of casting work. I'll go and speak to them about the spreaders. I don't own any traditional landing nets, so can anyone give me the exact specifications and provide me with some pictures?
Greetings from Bamberg
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Beresford
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Beresford »

I think 100 orders is over ambitious. Consider that most of the 500 members are not contributing regularly and of those who do, many either don't need any more nets or don't wish to make one. I'd aim for about 30 tops including the ten you may want and cost on that basis. If more orders than that come in then the price per unit could be reduced. If you plan on making different sizes available that will compound the problems.

I know the Walker carp net is a different beastie to make, being more complex, but I didn't even get orders for ten complete sets of metal work. Some folks wanted a couple of pieces but not all of them and that made it impossible to produce without me being left with lots of odd parts.

I'd suggest deciding on one size and offer that. Are you able to get a prototype hand made as a sample to show and test – that is the point at which folks will probably be prepared to put down hard cash.

Finally, you could fund this project beyond this forum and use Kickstarter.
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Plumtart
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Plumtart »

Oh! Humm.

Beresford. I'm beginning to see your point, and I recognise the frustration you must have felt with your Walker net initiative. I'd have thought this more Crabtree Net assistance more generally applicable.

The response so far has been minimal, and my growing impression is that this might be more trouble (to me) than it's worth. I'd thought that there was more everyday interest in TFF goings-on than this thread suggests. I'm an occasional TFF looker-inner, and an even more occasional poster. I think I pay my way into the 500 but would willingly give up my place to a super-keen newbie who wanted to live his angling life through this forum, making 100s of comments.

On this occasion I thought I might be proposing a scheme that would meet with widespread uptake, which it has't, so far. But I don't feel at all put out about that. As I've said, I'm fully 'netted-up' and can fabricate good spreaders as required.

I'll let this thread fester-on for a few weeks, then return to see what has transpired.

Out, for now.

W.
What Great Ones do, the Less will prattle on. Wm. Shakespeare. Twelfth Night.

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Tengisgol
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Tengisgol »

Plumtart wrote: Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:11 pm I'd thought that there was more everyday interest in TFF goings-on than this thread suggests. I'm an occasional TFF looker-inner, and an even more occasional poster. I think I pay my way into the 500 but would willingly give up my place to a super-keen newbie who wanted to live his angling life through this forum, making 100s of comments
Hi Plumtart, I think this is a great initiative but its probably worth giving some thought to your comments. TFF 'goings-on' tend to ebb and flow, I have noticed.

Some people are really interested in making or repairing their tackle but it does vary between replacing the odd rod ring to full-blown engineering projects. It is noticeable that many members do have lots of other responsibilities and do what they can on the trad-fishing and DIY-fishing front. That's one of the nice things about the forum, how you can drop in and out, depending on how life is, with the same welcome and lack of expectation regardless.

I suspect that, rather than 'fester', your post might mature gently as members return from their festive jaunts (sober up!) and turn their minds to 2019 and its opportunity.

All the best,

Mr 'Humm'
Where the willows meet the water...

https://sites.google.com/site/tengisgol/

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Pallenpool
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Re: TFF Initiative - The TFF Brass Spreader

Post by Pallenpool »

If it were down to me I would distance myself from trying to organise a whole lot of spreaders for various individuals with different size requirements - it sounds like a can of worms waiting to be opened.

In my experience once the project has left the personal (single person) domain for design, and build sourcing it can go awry rather quickly indeed - what would help matters no end (and your cause) would be to present an existing example that you have and can get replicated and go from there - a price structure too would help 15, 30, etc. providing a unit price within each quantity group. Also bear in mind that Beresford has already tried this with a lot of work on his part and with not one taker on his Walker net initiative - there are no guarantees!

I would also point out that some on here do a lot of their angling through the various topics and posts for a number of reasons - health, busy work schedules and all seem to just enjoy the forums company - so please take circumstance and personal preference into consideration.

I wish you luck in the venture.

Peter
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No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

Heraclitus


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