Forums > Technical Discussion > Building a Staff

Posted: 11th Apr 2002
I'm not sure about the finding the hole bit - I haven't really had a problem after marking on the edge where it is, but I *do* use the drill to go straight through the wick - and no longer have a problem with the wick twisting up around the drill.. (but I used to)
this is all just to do with the type of screws you use...
some will catch on the wick, others (the ones I have a self-tapping wood screws without the sharp edge) don't... which makes the job about a zillion times easier...

Posted: 11th Apr 2002
After wrapping the kevlar around my staff, I punch a leatherwork needle through the kevlar at the spot I've marked to make sure everything is lined up. If it's all good, I pull the needle out and screw straight through the same spot.

If you don't have a leatherwork needle, use a nail.

Ðraevon
www.incendium.org

Posted: 11th Apr 2002
John--

Sounds like you've got a pretty good system. Knowing exactly where the holes *should* be, mathematically, is an important step.

I make a pilot hole in the kevlar using a very long sheetmetal screw that's a little smaller than the hole in the wood. I drive this by hand through the kevlar roll and out the other side. Sometimes it takes a little hunting to find the hole in the shaft, but not hours. Once through, I back it out and stick a phillips-head screwdrive in after it to work the kevlar hole a little. Then follow with the screw.

Another technique would be to take a piece of fat wire that's a little longer than the eventual roll will be. Start off with that in the shaft's hole, and as you wrap around, poke it through the kevlar on one side, then the other, keeping it in the hole all the time. When you're done, the wire is in there as a guide and you can follow it in. This assumes you have a screw going all the way through the staff, rather than anchoring the screw in the shaft.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy

Posted: 11th Apr 2002
Thanks guys.

i can't drill through, i guess i have the wrong screws.. maybe if i put the wick in a vice first..

and putting a nail or needle through usually doesn't work, because the wick is so tight, it slides a little, and moves around..

i thought about putting wire there and putting it through the wick each time too.. but then, when you pull out the wire.. the screw might not go through exactly the same.. maybe i am winding too tight..

i've made a bunch this way, just wondering if there was an easier way..

maybe..... a hollow tube, that you put through the wick, then put the screw through? but then that would be too lose...

hmm....

thanks!

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
I usually measure with a ruler how far down the pipe each hole is..normally about three and 6 cm or something.
Then I draw a line with a texta through the two holes and down my pipe to show me the line the holes are on.
Then I Wrap my wicking. I normally use a bit of masking tape on the end to hold it to the pipe and then another bit on the other folded down end to hold ot together tightly.
Then with the texta I measure down the 3 and 6 cm, making a big fat dot where they are along the line.
Then I screw my SELF TAPPING (thats the key) screws in by hand (not with a screw driver until they are far enough in) in slowly...
Then I wiggle it around a little till I can find my hole, usually it just goes straight in if ive marked the holes properly.
Then I use a hand screw to tighten it.
Works for me.

cheers
lluhmas

BAHOOGA! It's the penguin-people!Gertrude, get me my lollypop and we'll lick 'em to death..and?

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
yeah, that's pretty much what i do too.

except sometimes i miss by a few mm and it's so annoying.. i unwrap the wick, to find a little mark where i was trying to screw it in, JUST above or beside the hole..

and yes, i use self tapping screws.

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
i need to put in my 2 cents because i was doing the same thing before. i was drilling the hole in the staff and the wood, and then wrapping the kevlar and tring to force the screw throught the kevlar and to find the whole, when out of nowhere, malcolm swooped in and said those 3 little words to me...

self drilling screws, they work wonders. all i do now is get the pipe that i use for the actual staff, drill a small SDS into the end of the kevlar (this is to hold the kevlar to the pipe while i wrap it) then wrap the kevlar around the pipe put it in a clamp so it doesnt twist up on itself, and then just drill in the self drilling screws (SDS)

hope that makes it a little easier for ya, i know it made it a LOT easier for me...

okay, i just read the other post, are self tapping screws the same thing? if they are, why bother with making the holes, just drill the screws straight through everything. thats what i do with the self drilling screws, just put it in a clamp and drill it straight through the kevlar and the piping...

[ 13 April 2002, 06:44: Message edited by: pozee ]

anyone got a light?

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
yeah..

so you mean, put a screw driver head on the end of the drill, and then the screw on that..

then put the wick in a vice and drill through.

i thought of that, but i don't have a vice, or that kind of bit for my drill.. i suppose i could get the stuff.

but still, if you are drilling the screw through the metal, you have to get sufficient speed on the drill bit. so, won't that wreck the wick?

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
well i dont have a vice either. i just use a small C-clamp. i drill a small screw in to hold the kevlar yes, that way i can wrap it nice and tight. and i put the screwdriver bit on the drill, i dont use a drill bit to go through the kevlar and the pipe, i just use the self drilling screws and drill them straight through everything. it doesnt mess u pthe kevlar at all. the same concept is used, i believe, for the pure flame 3 piece. at least that is how it looked when i got mine. hope that helps, and i hope you were talking to me. if not then i probably just repeated myself...

anyone got a light?

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
Pozee, self-drilling screws sound like a great idea. But, to answer your question (and really confuse myself) I don't think self-tapping screws are the same as self-drilling screws.

In Oz, I think they call self-drilling screws, tech screws. With tech screws, you don’t need a pilot hole. You just drive the screw straight in with a special bit on the end of the drill or a tech gun.

Also, some people use masking tape instead of screws to hold the kevlar to the staff before wrapping the kevlar around the pipe. And, I know this is obvious, but folding a bit of wick back over to prevent fraying also makes it easier to drill through the Kevlar. Cheers .

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh

Posted: 12th Apr 2002
When we put our wicks on we use self tappers (metal) and screw straight through the wick, pole and wood. We work a nail through the kevlar first to create a fairly big hole. The trick for us is that we can make a larger than usual hole which is then covered with a medium sized washer followed by a small spring washer. The spring washer stops the screws from comming loose due to the added pressure.

Dance my children, light up the skies, become one with the music, Thumpatron is with you. -The Thumpatron Clan.