Taking the Pith

[lutra]

I just found a swan Today with it's head and neck chewed down to it's chest, a fox had chomped it and left it. All it's flight and tail feathers where intact. I'll have a nosey tomorrow and see if it's still there.

I should think there would be a market for them, but you might get bird flu and die rich.

[chavender]

Hi steve,

Ive only ever seen 2 floats the way you describe with the sandwich and that was as a boy so if you can find them I'd love to see one again if nothing else for memories of an old guy I used to know who had them. he used cork, pith and what I can only describe as a red wood?? not sure what it was but they certainly were beautiful

Best Regards

George

 

 

i copied the idea from a book ,but i can't rember what book ,it was a way of using left overs for me .

 

the ones you seen could of been made with red cedar ?

[George387]

i copied the idea from a book ,but i can't rember what book ,it was a way of using left overs for me .

 

the ones you seen could of been made with red cedar ?

 

Cheers Steve

 

Not sure what wood type it was mate as it was over 35 years ago but I remember the float well. I have seen something similar once which was a chequered effect, I even saved the picture of it i will have to sort through & see if I can find it when I get more time.

[lutra]

Yes that makes sense.Will go and get some tommorow.

I did just that the following day and having dried it out Ive been having a first go at using it.

 

All have elder pith bodies apart from the one on the far right with has a body made out of Celotex insulation board.

 

Shotting tests show that the pith is an improvement in buoyancy for size of body over the balsa i had been using, but the Celotex maybe slightly better still.

 

The celotex is pretty soft stuff so i gave it plenty (6) coats of varnish to toughen it up a bit.

[Tigger]

Looks like you've been doin plenty Pithin about Brian

Being serious now...they look great m8...which are mine

[watatoad]

You can get many grades of celotex including some very dense ones

 

There are looking really great, well done.

[lutra]

Looks like you've been doin plenty Pithin about Brian

Being serious now...they look great m8...which are mine

Any you want Ian, but i thought you weren't to keen on them as they aren't straight.

[watatoad]

I don't mind the bent ones if nobody else wants them. I have no prejudices and I can try them out on my new reel, if I can get it solid wood just for the fun of it.

[Tigger]

Any you want Ian, but i thought you weren't to keen on them as they aren't straight.

 

 

I wasn't keen on the bent quill type floats but they look very nice bent or not. I've got a couple of full sets of swan flight feathers here if you want em Brian, I plucked em off a dead one with it's head chewed off then realised when I got home maybe it had died of bird flu and had it's head munched after it had popped it's cloggs so I've not touched them since.

[lutra]

I wasn't keen on the bent quill type floats but they look very nice bent or not. I've got a couple of full sets of swan flight feathers here if you want em Brian, I plucked em off a dead one with it's head chewed off then realised when I got home maybe it had died of bird flu and had it's head munched after it had popped it's cloggs so I've not touched them since.

I actually have loads of swam quills that i got the same way a couple of years ago, so I'm OK for them thanks Ian.

 

I'm no expert, but i don't think bird flu will not survive that long on a dead bird and if your not dead yet, they should be OK.