The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Hi Beresford, I did expect an engineering firm to be quite expensive but it looks as if its going to be a fair bit more expensive than I imagined and if its not too much of a problem I personally would like to sheepishly back out at this stage. I think I will have a go at making one from scratch as a next winter project.
I will however still have a go at the wood spreader blocks for you and anything else I can help you with.

Good luck with the project and thanks again for the time and effort you have put into this already.

Wal.

Thanks for all the work you've put into getting these quotes Beresford but I'm afraid for me it looks the cost will be more than I'd like to pay. Even without the alloy block, once VAT and postage is added we are talking of maybe £100 if my maths is correct, which is more than I can justify at the moment. Thanks again.

Pete

Firstly may I reflect a sincere thank you for taking it to this stage; the research, drawings, progress with light Engineering shops - all require dedication, enthusiasm and commitment.
The initial costs for the metal work are a little more than I had anticipated. We of course will have to add on the costs of handle, net and the two laminated cane arms to the "kit".
Having said that, if one is still at the no commitment stage, and despite my view that the metal work prices are a little more than I had thought, I would be interested in the hinge piece and the long knurled nut with two brass screws but only if there were ten orders and hence the hinge piece for example cost falls to £ 37. I could not justify more and similarly would not wish an alloy spreader block at £ 50 to £ 60. I would go with wood for the spreader not alloy. I have assumed it is the hinge piece that takes the base of each cane arm and thence allows the arm articulation ?
So. One needs at least eight others from the Forum to make it potentially viable for me to get the costs down. I thought the metal work might be a bit less and that it would be the cane arms from a commercial source that might be a bit more so I am a little surprised. I still think that there might be scope for someone with a lathe.
Thanks for the investigative work so far. It has definitely brought out that this is not an easy area unless one can find the right character with the right machine shop who could do a limited production run without some of the larger overheads.

Cost wise I thought the hinge piece is actually the bargain here considering how long it would take to make by hand. I don't think somebody with a lathe could do it for less since there is so much non-lathe work. The issue we face here is the economies of scale or rather lack of – even ten units is a very short run. I know we'd never be ordering 50 sets but if we were costs would seem very affordable, even 20 sets would see a significant drop in unit cost. I agree that the alloy block makes the whole thing feel very expensive and as I've noted I'm very much in favour of wood anyway.

I agree with you there. The "hinge" piece is the bargain and, from my non engineering perspective, is the one piece that would present the particular difficulty in a kit type build. I am sure we can make a wooden spreader block ourselves

So.....fellow TFF Members......can we have 18 more of us please willing to signal engagement with this then as Beresford notes, the costs will fall.....

Still interested Beresford, will firm up for definate if I feel able to produce some arms following Paul Cook's anticipated "how to" posts, as recently advertised.

So we have a few of us interested. Any more TFF Members willing to participate to help get the costs down a little bit ? If one follows the guidance that Beresford has provided through his work on the metalwork and couple that with the forthcoming "Make the Arms" "teach in" that Paul Cook is going to provide in a seperate thread, we can make this happen.......

Im still interested, so you can count me in on this

(hopefully we can get some more members onboard)

but im not interested the spreader block tbh, I would prefer wood.

I think that makes four of us. One more and the first set of prices are valid. My current feeling is that we wait until the main part of the summer season is past us to see what level of interest we have by then. The parts can be produced for us reasonably quickly.

I think the alloy block is the bit that tips the price into the expensive bracket and I've always wanted wood myself as well.

The other thing we could opt to do is follow B. James design not Walker and have a brass ferrule without the 'tounges' that the silk/nylon lies over. This would make that part cheaper. Thoughts on this detail?

Beresford - thoughts are:........absolutely happy to wait until the main part of the Summer season is past and take "stock" then.

The alloy block I think I would prefer the wood "option" too ! I do like the alloy version to be frank but on the grounds of cost I favour wood at this point. One could always change it later but I also think that the wood might (?) be easier as well !

In respect of the James vs Walker design, I regret I do not have the knowledge to know. I saw the one that Neil made as a James design version recently and thought that was superb.

So....come on TFF Members.....there are in excess of 700 members here. Surely some of you would like a "genuine" hand made "Walker (or James ?) style cane net".........the more that "sign up"/express an interest then the less cost it will be.....see Paul Cook's thread on the Arm Build and get yourself a "culm" of bamboo, some sticky back plastic, a wire coat hanger and some left over tinsel and we can all make some of these.....sign up....your Forum Needs You ! Come on.....think of a stunning cane carp landing net....or even one for tench ! Express your interest via this thread to Beresford.........you know you want one !