The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

At Redditch I bought a lovely little wooden landing net (albeit with the original knotted mesh) I have swapped the mesh for a rubberised one in the interests of fish safety, but the wood looks tired... so I'm torn between a light sand and buff with beeswax or a light sanding and a couple of coats of varnish...?

I just give mine a good coat of Danish Oil once a year?
Soaks in nicely, and is developing a nice patina with every application.
I have the same net as you, not sure whether the Danish Oil would affect the rubberised mesh, so I play safe and remove it until the frame is completely dry to the touch.

If it's varnished, strip it and re-varnish, or coat with oil. Although it doesn't look too bad to me so a light sand and new varnish?
I think oiling on bare timber is preferable and easier to maintain in the long run.

Certainly Danish Oil is the way forward,I finish all
My bentwood net frames with Danish oil. It does not chip, the wood absorbs the oil which acts as a preservative, multiple coats give a lovely patina, which can be resurrected easily if and when the frame gets a bit of a
“ well used “ look by simply re applying a few further coats of oil.

I simply give the whole frame a wipe over with a rag soaked in the oil, leave to dry, usually about an hour or so, then buff up the frame with a soft cloth, leave to harden off for 12 hrs , give a further buff up and do the same again as many times as you think fit. Soon you will have built up a hardwearing patina that is better than any yacht varnish finish and so much easier to bring back to good condition without any sanding back etc.
If you are so inclined after sanding the varnish back you could stain the frame any colour of your choice defore applying the oil, use spirit stain as it gives a better colour with more depth .





Here is one of my frames stained with mahogany and finished with Danish Oil .

David

Banksy wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2023 4:15 pm

Seem to recognise that David.

David

Thank you Gentlemen... I shall try the Danish Oil treatment


David (OMR) I think I bought the head from your stand at Redditch (at least there was a lot of Old Man River signage and cards on the table...

Aitch wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2023 4:33 pm Thank you Gentlemen... I shall try the Danish Oil treatment


David (OMR) I think I bought the head from your stand at Redditch (at least there was a lot of Old Man River signage and cards on the table...

Sorry Aitch, it is not one of my frames,your frame has a brass spreader, mine are alloy . If it had been one of mine it would have already been finished with oil.

David

Oh well... sorry for the confusion David... but its a nice net head and will be fine for my Roach and Perch fishing.. be even better once its had a coat or three of oil...