A work in progress

[r2rusmc]

I decided that my boys need a cargo net and that I'm going to make it for them.

I started by ordering 150 feet of one and a quarter inch thick manila rope.





I decided to use PVC as the frame which (in theory) would also act as a ceiling protector. I laid out my plan which sounded great but once I had it semi-built I realized that the size is ginormous!





I gave the boys a chance to check it out.







I have decided to scale down the width from 8 feet to 6 feet and will do that this weekend. The net will be about 8 feet tall and I'll be weaving it into a diamond pattern.

Also, the frame is not secured as I still have rope pulling to do. Once secured it will be much straighter and more stable than it looks at the moment.

With as much fun as they had just playing on the straight ropes, they are going to have a blast on it once it is completed. I anticipate it being completed within the next week or so.

My boys are spoiled rotten!

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by r2rusmc

I

My boys are spoiled rotten!

yes they are, but rightfully so....you are a great caregiver and parront!

[birdlady49]

What a GREAT piece of artwork! How did you get the rope hooked into the PVC?

[r2rusmc]

Originally Posted by birdlady49

What a GREAT piece of artwork! How did you get the rope hooked into the PVC?

The skin it tore up while stringing it thru acted as a lube. :D

Right now the rope is all one piece and it was threaded thru piece by piece. The pvc is also one and a quarter inches so it was a tight, tight squeeze. Once I reached the bend, I used a the handle of a wrench to help wedge it into the turn.

Seriously it was a lot of grunting and groaning and mumbling to myself about "me and my dumb ideas"!

All the pvc is still in pieces lightly connected until I get all the rope pulled to the appropriate lengths. I'm not sure how much rope I'll need for the 6 center pieces since they are going to be zigzagging down the length. I'm estimating 12 feet to get started. The two end pieces are hanging straight so sizing them is a no brainer.

Because I'm changing width now I need to pull off the last three "T's" and straight pieces then restring the short straight piece and "T" back on. I'm not looking forward to that.

Lisa...thanks! Remind the boys of that when they want to get pissy with me OK!

[PyscoFalcon]

Wow your very creative :)

[hyacinthLove]

that is so awesome! a cheaper alternative to those "get a grip" nets :)

where do you get manila rope from?

[r2rusmc]

Originally Posted by hyacinthLove

that is so awesome! a cheaper alternative to those "get a grip" nets :)

where do you get manila rope from?

It is cheaper price wise but not when you factor in labor, agrivation and skin loss. I can say with full confidence that I will not be making another of this size! EVER!!

I got the manila rope from a vendor on eBay after a lot of email exchanges to determine if it is treated with anything (its not).

I'm still trying to track down enough cardboard to make a box BTW.

[r2rusmc]

Okay I've made some progress. Sorta.

I did a pseudo tie together that was supposed to help me gage the length of the interior ropes. Well I ran into problems. The plan was for the two end ropes to hang straight but no matter what I did or tried I couldn't prevent them from pulling inwards. The size and weight of the rope was working against me.



I put a lot of thought into it last night and today and considered making a frame and keeping the ropes straight that way. Decided pretty quickly that that was going to take something away from what I was trying to do.

Soooo this evening I cut the ropes and began cross weaving them. Pain in the butt and the reweaving the rope is not as easy as you'd think but I'm much happier with the design now.



The weaving isn't perfect but I can live with it. I'm sure my technique will be perfect by the time I get to the bottom.

I left about a foot of rope hanging on each end because I haven't figured out how I'm going to finish the ends yet.

I also added additional ceiling supports for ease of future placements.

If I haven't said this before, "I will never make another cargo net of this size again!!"

[catschair]

I told you that you would end up splicing it sooner or later. ROFL My fids know that their loving auntie must be making them a present too......

[r2rusmc]

Finished the weaving and it really wasn't all that bad!

Mango checking it out



Look Ma, I can get on the PVC. Nanny, nanny, boo, boo!!!



Lemme test climb down this side



Oh is that a crumb on the floor, I better go check it out...and down he went the little turd!



Sammy's turn to check it out.



Ah, I feel right at home. I see Mom has the camera, better get myself all prettied up!



Better check Moms work



Check out these cool new toy hanging off the end!!



Weaving is all done





I left Sammy on it while I finished the last couple of rungs and he was like the typical brat child and harassed me the entire time. Trying to grab my fingers while I'm doing the weave thing. He was pretty unrelenting. I put him on the top far side and it took him a nanosecond to get back down to getting his beak in the way. The boy is a trip!

When he wasn't getting in my way he was playing with the ends and starting unweaving the one and was knocking the ends around. Everytime it bopped him in the head he just started laughing. His goal was to interupt my concentration and he did it well.

I haven't decided for sure how I'm finishing any of the ends now. Sammy enjoyed them so much I don't want to cap them and cut them off. This is going to take some more thinking.

Back to the weave. The work isn't perfect and I could go back thru and fix small mistakes but won't. I'll drive myself nuts striving for perfection and I know that one small fix will cause a huge fix somewhere else. I'm human so it won't be perfect.

Bottom line, it is for the most part done and the boys seem to love it. Them liking it is what really matters. Besides, being my own worst critic, I'm going to notice the slightest imperfection whereas I don't think anyone else would give it much thought.

This tale will end when I figure out how to finish the ends in a way that the birds will still enjoy yet the net will not come undone. We are steps away from "Happily ever after".