Conference 7.286::home_work

    Steve,
    Try agway they carry trellis netting and an even tighter mesh 
    netting used to keep birds off cherry trees.
    
    
    Don
    

Memphis Net & Twine 800-238-6380 has all kinds of sports netting.

Steve

    Don't know how feasible it would be price-wise, but many stores that
    sell baby gadgets carry rolls of nylon netting (usually in 10', 20' and
    40' lengths, perhaps 3 or 4' in height) that is used to guard against
    kids getting between the balusters of a deck, porch or balcony. Sorry,
    don't remember the brand name, but do remember it as being pricey...
    something like $1/ft.
    
    If you don't mind, could you post your final cost once you've finished?
    We're planning on giving my nephew a store-bought street hockey net
    next month, which sells for approx $30-$40, but if I could save some
    significant cash by rolling my own, maybe I could afford to give him
    two nets for the price of one.
    
    Thanks in advance.
    
    Freddie
    
    P.S. When we were kids, we used tennis netting and 2x4's. Talk about
    heavy!

re: .0, .3

You can save quite a bit of money AND make better goals.  The store bought 
ones use small pipe, and the joints are held together by screws.  The screw 
hole provide a stress point, and that's where they tend to break.

If you make them yourself, you can glue the joints.  Make SURE you clean the 
surfaces thoroughly (there is a solvent for this purpose), and use the right 
kind of cement.  PVC plumbing is not designed for joints that are moved 
around a lot, so if you don't do a good job, the joints come apart.

As for the net, if you make them the same dimensions as standard street 
hockey goals, you can buy replacement nets.  If you make them the same 
dimensions as standard ice hockey goals (4' x 6') I don't have any suggestion 
better than .2.

Beware a few things.  First of all, PVC doesn't seem to do real well in cold 
weather.  It seems to get brittle and break easily.  Second, it wasn't 
clear whether .0 was planning on taking them from  driveway to skating 
pond or not, but they are a pain to transport.  The street hockey goals fit 
in a station wagon or minivan with a great amount of difficulty, and I don't 
think a standard hockey goal would fit in at all.  They are also relatively 
heavy and clumsy to move.  If they are going to remain stationary, or they 
are going to be left on a pond, 2 x 4's ain't all that crazy.

Clay

    
    
    	Having build/repair/repair pvc hockey nets the last few years, I
    finally went to a junk yard and found some good aluminum piping which
    is lasting a lot longer.  As mentioned in (-1) the pvc doesn't hold
    very well with the cold weather.  As long as you don't use the hockey
    net in the cold weather you should be OK for a while until the kids grow
    up and become stronger with their shots.
    
    	If used on a pond I would recommend 2x4 or steel pipes.
    

    
     My son and I just built some hockey nets out of pvc pipe. I went to
    Acme Canvas in Malden, Mass and bought a used roll of outdoor plastic/
    vinyl webbing that worket perfectly. We tied the netting to the pvc
    using ty-raps. I bought the used roll for $20. The roll was 5' wide by
    approx 35' long. I bought bright orange but they also had blue and
    green. If you call them on the phone they won't be too helpful but if
    you walk in and tell the owner (about 70 yrs old) what you need and
    you don't want to spend alot of money, he will bring you out back and
    take care of you. Our nets came out great and the webbing will last
    forever. If you want to see how we built the nets, I live in Westford,
    Mass. Come take a look.
    
    Bill

    Well, I have finally finished the net, looks pretty decent if I may
    say so.   I found the hockey net at Spags (where else ??).  It is
    regular replacement netting for a 4' x 6' goal, about $8..  Total
    cost was around $20 (3 lengths of 1 1/2" pvc and the net).  It is
    pretty sturdy, 'cept I believe there will be problems if used in
    the winter....
    
    
    Thanks for the help...
    
    Steve