Basic Net Mending (1945?)

[Music] to the crew of a commercial  fishing vessel there's nothing to match the satisfaction of hauling in a full net over the side for what comes up in the net  is the payoff and this payoff looks [Music] big but sometimes the only reward  for long hours and hard work is an empty net that's tough luck tougher yet when you  realize that it might have been avoided with a properly mended net a few holes are  found nearly every time the net is brought in that's why the man who can mend  Nets properly rates high on every fishing vessel each tear may be a  little different from the last one but the basic mending procedures are the  same supporting the net just above the tear using the proper tools trimming the hole filling the needle and mending the hole it makes no difference if The Mending is done on the deck of the vessel or  in a net Loft the job is the same when a tear is found support the damaged sections to do this stretch the net  so that the meshes line up straight twine in straight twine one pair  of bars is lined up side by side while the other two bars are separated by a loop if the net is stretched the wrong  way it cannot be mended properly this is known as cross twine cross twine can be  identified because Loops separate both pairs of bars with the net hanging straight twine  gather several meshes about two rows above the top line of the hole you're now ready  to support the damaged part of the net the S hook made of stiff wire is one of the many  devices used for this purpose insert one end of the hook through the gathered meshes and  the other end through the meshes above for support it takes a good  sharp knife to trim the hole right there is only one kind of knot in a Machin net  in mending the knot is called by different names depending on the number and location of  the bars attached to it with one bar cut the knot becomes a three- leer this is  either a starting or a finishing point in mending with two bars cut and the ends  pointing upward the knot is referred to as a pickup with two bars cut and both ends  pointing downward the knot is referred to as a full mesh with two bars cut one end pointing  upward the other down the same knot is called a cider begin trimming at the starter three- leer  cut off excess length on the tone bar trim the full mesh by cutting the stump there are two  ways to cut stumps on full meshes depending on which bars it'll be retained if the  bars to be retained are separated by a loop to remove the stump cut the loop if the bars to be retained are not separated by a loop make the cut using one side of the  stump as a bumper to avoid injuring the mesh Loop all the stumps on full meshes are cut  by one of these two methods cutting stumps eliminates bulky knots which create irregular  mesh sizes uneven strains and eventually damage in trimming the ciders only long torn ends  are shortened ciders are the side boundary markers of the hole trimming serves two purposes  it eliminates bulky knots and sets the pattern for mending the pattern for mending now begins  to take form trimming proceeds around the hole from the starter three leer until  the lowest level of the tear is reached after reaching this point trimming begins  again at the starter three-leg but this time proceeds in the opposite direction  pickup measures may be found anywhere in the trimming procedure particularly on  the lowest row of meshes on the edge of the tear cut the stumps from pickup knots  using the same method as for full meshes in this case however the  lower bars of the knot are retained trimming is completed when  a finishing three leer is formed in the bottom row of mesh at the edge of the hole with trimming completed select the proper needle a well equipped neatly  arranged dwine box helps speed the job needle size is determined by the size of  the mesh in the net now select a twine twine size should always match that of the original  net in this case white untreated twine is used to show more clearly The Mending procedure  to fill the needle hold the short end of the twine firmly against the shank and wind  the long end over the tongue through the heel over the tongue on the other side and back through the hill rocking the needle  each time the twine goes through the hill with a little experience the needle  can be filled in a very short time when the needle is  filled cut the long end of the twine begin mending at the starter three leer  shuttle the needle under one bar of the starter three leer along the twine to slip by until about  1 in of the end extends from the knot twist the end against two bars of the three- legger form a  loop with the other end then shuttle the needle upward through the loop and pull downward to  tighten to keep the size of each new mesh the same use the fingers of the left hand for measuring  shuttle the needle Between the Bars of the mesh from underneath grip the junction form a loop  shuttle the needle under the two bars of the mesh and through the loop then pull downward to tighten  this completes the first mesh knot all the others in this row are made in the same way use fingers  for measuring shuttle the needle from underneath grip tightly at the junction form a loop swing the  needle under the bars and through the loop pull to tighten whenever mending proceeds from left to  right the needle is shuttled from underneath the mesh completion of the first row of meshes  is indicated when The Cider on the right is reached to make the cider knot grip the  lower bar with thumb and forefinger now pull The Mending twine tight against the knot  and swing the needle under the upper bar and Over The Mending twine form a loop shuttling  the needle under the upper bar and the twine and over the twine Loop tighten the hitch and  the knot is complete in this row of meshes the needle must be shuttled from above when  mending in the opposite direction as in the first row of meshes the needle is inserted  from underneath as mending proceeds from right to left shuttle the needle from  above otherwise the procedure is the same shuttle the needle from above  check mesh size form a loop shuttle the needle under both bars of the mesh  and through the loop tighten the knot when The Cider on the left is reached grasp the  lower bar with thumb and forefinger make a loop shuttle the needle Under The Mending twine and the  upper bar of The Cider then through the loop and tighten in reversing Direction This  Time a new factor is encountered the pickup mesh always look carefully for  pickup meshes after each cider to make this knot shuttle the needle from underneath  pulling the twine until the bars are equal in size form a loop pass the needle onto both bars of the pickup mesh and through the  loop tighten the knot by pulling upward as there are no other pickup knots in this row proceed with the meshes  until the Cider on the right is reached always remember when  making mesh knots from left to right start by shuttling the needle under the mesh bars cider knots are very important they signify  the end of a roll and indicate a change in the direction of mending direction of mending  determines whether the needle is inserted into the mesh loop from above or below weaving from  right to left the needle is always inserted into the loop from above if this is not done the twine  will not line up properly and the meshes will be twisted never pass a cider without first looking for  pickup measures in fact pickup measures may occur anywhere in the tear particularly on the last  row of meshes near the finishing three- legger for to make the finishing knot on the three- legger  shuttle the needle under two bars of the three legger form a loop pass the needle under the  bars of the upper mesh and the new twine and through the loop to make doubly sure that the  finishing knot will be secure make another hitch the mended section is now a  strong and serviceable as any other part of the net although Nets are  now made almost entirely by Machine repairing them is still reserved to the  human mind and the skilled human [Music] hand