Places to Buy?

Hey,

I've had a friends aluminum 5' staff for a few years and done ok with it, but the center joint is not good, requires duct tape to attach, and is a little light for my tastes. Would like to buy one that's a little heavier and made from better materials.

Seeing a lot of people talk about having got new staffs, or made new staffs, but nothing as to where they are getting 'em from. If you have web links for places that people are making / buying their staffs could you post 'em here?

Ottawa is rather lacking in places to support my learning to spin.

1. durbs

2. home-made is best

3. www.fuckinggoogleit.com

4. um, HoP sells stuff . . .

Thanks for the snarkyness, 'preciate it!

I have google'd it and other than bearclaw I haven't really seen anything that has appealed to me, but do not have the tools / skills necessary to make what I have in mind. A friends' friend made one that I would have liked (for her) but isn't making them anymore.

Hence asking the other people here on HOP.

jamie, i am going to be in ottawa, in july, spin some time?

will have to make my self a pair of staves when i am there, so could maybe help you out

Definately like that idea! Ottawa has some great parks to spin in with great background for photos. (Major's Hill Park, Astrolab and Art Gallery grounds, etc)

I've always *wanted* to light up off the eternal flame in front of our parliament buildings. I say *wanted* because I've since found out there are snipers in hiding spots watching the grounds 24 x 7 so that one has taken a back seat for a while.

My e-mail is on my bio page. When you get your schedule confirmed, drop me a line and can plan it out from there.

'pologies for the snarkyness, i guess it must have been late

making staves is pretty easy; you just need some metal, some wick, a drill, and a few self-tapping screws

internal dowelling and grip is optional [but recommended]

oh, and something to clamp the metal, I suppose - although I've drilled aluminium before using my foot to keep it in place.


seriously, though, don't overestimate how difficult it is. give it a go.

i've found that an open thick old book is a very handy mount for drilling round things on.

that strikes me as a good idea

chrome steel is pretty hard to get the drill going on, though - you'll find it slides off quite easily. shouldn't have the same problem with aluminium, though.

if you use steel, best bet is to clamp a wooden block on top of the staff and drill through the block; the block acts as a guide, and makes sure that the drill bit stays perpendicular to the long axis of the staff.

wrap the kevlar around the staff first. Tape it on tot he pole and Glue it in place with pva glue (white glue) before you wrap it around.

fold back about an inch of the wick when underneath to stop fraying (cover it in glue first) then wrap masking tape around the whole wick. this stops the wick catching on the drill bit

drill straight through the tape, wick, ali and dowel in one fowl swoop. makes a nice handy hole for the screw straight through the wick.

getting the tape of the wick is a very frustrating experience. i found out completly by accident that if you soak it in parrafin first the glue disolves and the tape just falls off.

dont go to far through the wood though as it gives the screw something to cut a thread into...

best of luck

a

one fowl swoop?

doesn't that hurt the chicken?

yeah, maybe i should get a real drill...

I've got access to a drill press so maintaining verticality (favourite line from a Simpons' show was the Don King impersonation looking for a pugalist who can maintain verticality for 30 seconds) of the drill bit isn't a tough task. And with a countersink / awl to start the pilot hole on the metal I should be okay.

I tried one before, but wanted to make it out of wood entirely and the double-threaded screw system I used didn't work good at all. First attempt didn't hold, second attempt held but was not angled perfectly centered. Plus wasn't strong enough to handle even a couple of drops.

Most of my technical skills have a limited shelf-life as 'proof of concept' creations. Other than my 5-frequency geodesic dome though. That baby is an engineering masterpiece!

nice one fire doll, i love the proof of concept creations

have you played around with any hoop baton ideas?

im trying to think of a way to let the staff rotate along its own axis while its attached to a hoop.

the you can do hoop steves

1 inch thick swivels?

i was thinking t-connectors facing in. bit of oil maybe. or a fixed stick with a rotating barrell around it. like mechs flags.

you could just rotate the t-connectors to the outside and put fire on em if you wanted a solo hoop again.

a hoop staff seperation/joining move would be most tasty. but also very silly.

so you wnat to put a hoop on a stick, like nate was doing, but remove the tape, and have it done correctly

but you also wnat to be able to remove the hoop to either use as a hoop or fire staff, is that right?

want me to have a think, see what i can do?¬

cool

I'll nod my head in agreement like I know what you mean ;P

would you wnat the staff to have wicks on as well?

it would be over kill

so yes