can a rubber net be repaired?

[jbird]

I have a clear rubber ghost net that a couple of the connection loops have been cut by the frame string. is there any way to mend/fuse these back together? I tried silicone and melting, no luck.

[dude02]

From what I have read, rubber is a thermosetting or thermoset material, meaning once it has been cast, you cannot melt it again and recast it (an analogy would be wet plaster vs. dry, there is no going back).

As for glue, my guess would be is that there is too little surface area and the net moves too much that any type of glue would work for long. Brodin (and others likely) sells ghost replacement nets in the $23 - $28 range and have a video that shows how to restring a net.

Another solution would be just to restring the area that is broken on the next section of rubber that is intact.

[dude02]

I should add, my father in law had a Frabil or Frabill ghost net that was fine, but the net itself was quite heavy. I'd stick to something from Brodin, Fisknat, or an equivalent net maker for a replacement net.

[jds108]

Aquaseal might work. It seems to bond to anything...

[jbird]

Thanks guys! I contacted a manufacturer. I asked here because they weren't getting back to me at first. Dude has it right, theres just no surface area to fuse together and hold. I ended up using an exacto knife and cutting away the entire first level of netting, and reattaching it to the frame. Seems like a decent solution.

[TonyMuljat]

Are rubber nets known to be easy to break/fall apart like this?

[jbird]

I don't think so Tony. This was totally my fault. Ive been building some wooden nets and on this one, while stringing it, I had a little slack left from my previous weave and rather than backing the cord out I just tried to pull it tight, the cord just cut right thru the rubber. My bad.

[RJSFLYTRIP]

My rubber guide net breaks every 4-5 years. I use zip ties to connect the rubber bag back to the frame. Hope that helps.