Cobble nets?

[minerrick]

What do you guys use as a good cobble net? I am looking to capture 4' minimum cobbles and larger. I have a winch, so I can use it to move the net, but I was wondering what you guys are using for a lightweight, yet sturdy net to haul cobbles out of my hole. It cannot be too heavy to carry as I have to carry it on my back into the claim. I was thinking about using chain link fence. Anyone use that, and how does it hold up?

 

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[rodoconnor]

Rick , you might try and old car hood. Could be a bit heavy,but they slide pretty good under water.

 

[2cmorau]

I find that the Plastic drum/barrel 45 gal cut in half works fine for me, light and very durable, one style has a rounded top, used a hole saw to drain water and run a 3/4 nylon rope and tie both halfs in tow, great for handchuckers, don't fill it all the way up tend to tip over when coming up to the surface coming up on larger rocks, but slides well, emptys fast too, just grab the side and roll the puppy over

 

[minerrick]

What do you guys use as a good cobble net? I am looking to capture 4' minimum cobbles and larger. I have a winch, so I can use it to move the net, but I was wondering what you guys are using for a lightweight, yet sturdy net to haul cobbles out of my hole. It cannot be too heavy to carry as I have to carry it on my back into the claim. I was thinking about using chain link fence. Anyone use that, and how does it hold up?

I guess I need to add that I am working in a place where I cannot store the cobbles laterally from me and I have to lift them up a steep underwater bank. So although a car hood sounds good, going up the bank, all the cobbles would roll out.

I have been brain-storming, and I am thinking about calling around to see if someone makes a good abrasion resistant poly netting basket. That might be a good option that is light weight, and easy to handle.

 

[Hoser John]

Chain link fence is the best there is,ez to drag,hoist or simple pull and roll over to dump. Love the stuff coupled to truckers lode straps and the world opens up for ya right quick like. CABLE kills.just ask ol'1 eyed Lanny or Buzz with 400+ stitches from his junk to his neck. Err on the side a caution-John

 

[minerrick]

Chain link fence is the best there is,ez to drag,hoist or simple pull and roll over to dump. Love the stuff coupled to truckers lode straps and the world opens up for ya right quick like. CABLE kills.just ask ol'1 eyed Lanny or Buzz with 400+ stitches from his junk to his neck. Err on the side a caution-John

So John, do you fashion it into a basket, or just use it by grabbing all four corners? I was thinking it wouldn't hold up. One idea I had -- I have been using the helicopter cargo nets (I would cut a 6'x6' chunk out of it) and I have been using them for hauling the bigger rocks out. That stuff is REALLY durable and it sinks to the river bottom so I can reload with the bigger 6" + diameter rocks. I was thinking of clipping the chain link to the inside of the bigger cargo net and using it that way. I called around and to find a 4x4 foot piece of sewn poly durable netting was scary in price. I highly recommend the helicopter cargo nets. You can cut up to 20 smaller nets out of them and they literally last for years of industrial winching.

On some of the difficult rocks I have been using steel cable chokers, but they are scary as I have torn open my hands on several occasions, even while wearing gloves. Something I have been doing is I have made a "winch attachment point" out of a 6" long piece of channel iron. I weld in a piece of rebar so it is running lengthwise of the channel and as the loop pops out the end, I bend it up a bit. Then back at the other end of the channel, I drill a hole in the bottom to fit a Simpson Strong Tie Titen bolt. Some of the more difficult rocks I pull out (especially if they are so round that nothing grabs on to them) I drill the rock with a 5/8" hole about 6 inches deep and I bolt on to the rock the winch attachment point with a 5/8" titen bolt. Then I just hook up the winch and away it goes - no fuss, no muss. If the stress on the bolt wasn't too strong, I will reuse it. Those titen bolts are amazing. I think I will buy stock in the Simpson Company. They make an awesome product.

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Milk crate!

 

[minerrick]

Milk crate!

Milk crates work great for moving rocks while underwater to another underwater location. In my situation, a milk crate would last 2 minutes before I destroyed it. I need something more durable, but thanks for the thought.