Forums > Technical Discussion > Help making a NON-destructable staff?

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i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
Hehe, well I've bought staffs (The inner-core three piece has really held up...), but none were able to satisfy me. So I tried building one outa 3/4" aluminum pipe, a dowel, and some tennis racket grip.

The only problem is I havn't found an adequate method of making it stay together!

First, the grip... I really like the feel of the tennis racket grip, but it just doesn't stay put. It has a tendancy to "roll up" on me so that the amount of friction is inconsistant across the whole length... and I'm trying to build this for contact work, so thats important to me. Any other grip ideas, or perhaps ways I could make the tennis racket grip stay put?

Second, at 5'5" one dowel doesn't cut it. Well, when its cut in half and secured inside either end I guess it does, but this leaves like a foot of open aluminum pipe in the middle... right about where I kick it when I use my feet... Resulting in the ultra-Gumby staff with amazing bendy ability. Bends back quick, but if done in the middle of a performance it screws with my contact work again...

Third, securing the wick... On every staff I have used this has plagued me. Typically I use screws (Another eason for the wood dowel this time...), but I ALSO use a whole lot of wick... yes I like my staff really heavy. So the screw, even when tight, still sticks up so much that after a few drops it has a tendancy to just snap off... So I also tried picture hanging wire, but because its stranded like rope instead of solid, it wears through and eventually snaps. I havn't found garden wire yet (Home Depo doesn't carry it here for some unknown reason...) but I've heard that it holds up... any comments? Or perhaps suggestions to make it work?

Or maybe I just need bigger screws? Like 1/4" eye bolts or something? I alsothought about attaching eyebolts to the ends and connecting monkey fists to them (Ends are easily replaced this way), but I think this would throw off the weight (Moving parts?)... any comments?

musashiistarring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA


Posted:
Hmm, how are you fastening the screws? For mine I used zinc(sheet metal?) screws to drill straight through the kevlar, steel, and into the dowel. Next time I'll use anodized aluminum, drill through the kevlar before trying to run the screw thru, n use lighter/smaller washers, but these've been dropped many times by a multitude of ppl, with no problems..Also used craft foam for the handles, then interwrapped with electrical tape n glo rope tightly.

First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica

" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."


i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
Ummm I use some screws I found, fairly thick, drilled through the kevlar and all that fun stuff...

The thing is I attach so much wicking (When wrapped, it comes about 1" to 1.5" off of the staff), that even when they are tightened down, when the staff lands, it still tends to snap off (under the wicking, right by the aluminum)...

What size screw do you use? Maybe I just use too small of one (1/8" I think?), or maybe it needs a larger head?

What about something that goes through the whole fire head? Like garden wire? Wouldn't it wear down and break eventually?

Hecatonchiresmember
45 posts
Location: Wollongong, Australia


Posted:
Looks like a few problems here:

Q1] Getting dowel in the middle of your staff

Q2] Grip

Q3] Attaching wick.

A1] Buy longer dowel. You can buy a two metre length. If your hardware doesn't supply, try a timber yard, or another hardware. If this is still no go:
Measure staff - u said 5.5 feet?Measure longest length of dowelMark two spacers - equal to half distance not filled in staff by longest dowelPut one spacer in one end of staff, lined up with mark. Possibly fix it in now.Using the other spacer, push your middle piece of dowel in thru the other end.fix middle piece of dowel. Make sure fixings dont interfere with where you want your grip.Yes, this probably means you need three pieces of dowel.
A2] For grip, we use bicycle inner tyre. Normally supplied for free by your local bike shop, who often has some ready to be thrown out out the back. Cut at air filler thingy, split down center. Wrap around in tight spiral pattern, much like tennis racket grip. Tape the ends with good quality tape.

A3] Bolts passed all the way thru. With little washers on them. If you want, I'll get a photo to show you what I mean.

--Luke


i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
Oh innertube, never thought of that...

What kind of bolts do you use? Your picture may be helpfull here, hehe. I have lots of questions on this one because it has always been a problem for me. How big are the heads on the bolt? The washers? Galvinized steel or what kind of metal?
Sorry for bein a pest.

musashiistarring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA


Posted:
Hmmm, as I remember it was 1/10, 1.5 inch length sheet metal screws

First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica

" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."


WintermuteLost in the world but loving it :)
119 posts
Location: Maybe Oxford, maybe Brighton ;)


Posted:
Well I just made a 4ft6" staff using a broom handle and a piece of stainless steel clothes rail from a fitted wardrobe I just ripped out, and I used hockey stick grip and 10cm wick bolted on with 2 1/4" bolts that go right through, so basically its fully cored with wood, very, very heavy but fine for me as I'm quite a big bloke, and if anybody in the UK needs some info on where to buy all the components to make poi or staves get in touch.

If fishes were wishes we'd all cast nets



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