Forums > Technical Discussion > Fishing swivels on poi...do we like them??

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Fire Mamamember
53 posts
Location: West coast gal,Canada


Posted:
I'm wondering about how neccesary fishing swivels are on poi? I've never had a set that had swivel action but am interested in knowing if this is the way to go and why....or if it even makes a difference....?

Thru meditation I program my heart to beat break beats and hum bass lines on exhilation....


Fire By Riz tmmember
212 posts
Location: tampa fl usa


Posted:
Fire
I have made them both ways with and without
I have found the ones with swivels have a longer cable life.

I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all


RoGOLD Member
member
57 posts
Location: Kamloops, B.C, Canada


Posted:
Swivels eh?

hhhhhmmm, considering my poi are home construced (got crazy wooden handels and such) they might be a little different that everyone elses... I'm still mixing and matching different connections to the handles... I used to have a pair of swivels on my poi, and I've broken them once already. But this is me, I have a unique way of breaking things with my style of fast, and hard spinning.

I've come to use Quick links instead of swivels... not too much difference really, has a bit different swing to it... But I think I still need to look into something else still

I just use quick links because they're bloody invincible, and they're cheap to if I ever do break them (when hell freezes over!)

_Stix_Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land


Posted:
I love fishing swivels.. have them on most of my poi cept my fire ones coz they are ball chain and you don't need them..

Just made my self a swanky new pair of sock poi -(well think denier tights).. I fed the top of the 'sock' thru a split ring and secured the ends with a cable tie - nice and tight.. then a fishing swivel attached to the split ring leading to double loop handles.

I find that my poi last longer and actually look better (well these ones anyway) coz they don't get all tangled and twisted on themselfs... Instead of using kwick links (whick I find difficult to undo coz of my stupid fingers..) I use the safety pin type swivel from the fishing shop.. It's got a swivel on side and a 'safety pin' kind of afair on the other side so you can undo them and replace glow sticks quickly - I wouldn't use them for fire or anythign heavier as I'm not too sure about the strenght..

I honour you as an aspect of myself..

You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..


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


Posted:
Personally I just use ballchain, then the whole cable is one big swivel, it works really well.

If fishes were wishes we'd all cast nets


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
Ballchain rules the firey realms above, below, and on all planets in the known universe!!!

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


Astarmember
1,591 posts
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada.


Posted:
I loved them on my cable poi but I hate cable poi for a few reasons. They give such a smooth swinging action. I don't have them on my chains because I have big metal rings for handles attached to the chain by quick links. I can't really think of any good method to use swivels on chains which I consider satisfactory.

I find they make the biggest diffrence when they are attached to your finger loops and to the bottom where you hook the poi on.

Edit:I think I will probably switch to ballchains when I find a place around here which sells heavy enough ballchain+the proper fittings for it. Although I like chains because the chain it's self is more visible when you spin. I wish someone would make neon yellow annodized ballchain or regular chain links. Would be pretty nifty

shoddygoodsmember
18 posts

Posted:
I will start out by saying i'm new to the group and totally new to poi ( i made my first set 2 days ago) but i have been toying with a staff for a while.

i really wanted to find good materials, that i felt confident in and that werent gonna break when i least suspected it. The swivels i found in the store were at most 60# test and i read somewhere that you should try to make sure everything in your rig is over 100#.To make a long story short i came up with these:

https://makeshiftindustries.com/IMAGE/swivel.jpg

these things are relatively small but they're MONSTERS! . the scan i incuded has the size as well as the pound rating. (the pic should be right about life size on a 1024x768 moniter)
i'm currently using the #1 size at 390# test (definatly not the weakest link in my set) and since their ball bearing swivels they run like a dream. if i hold them up and blow on them they'll even spin !
The big 800# jobs may be over kill for most things but might be just the ticket if someone was say planning to make say an 8" diameter meteor type object.....

dryden

ZoltarBRONZE Member
Beginner
282 posts
Location: Beyond Time, South of Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Anyone know where I can find the above swivels (in shoddygoods' post) in Australia?

I have used fishing swivels (rated to 120lb) in the past, but I just dont trust them on my fire gear.

So much fire, so little body hair...


flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
moral dilema:

I really want some swivels.

but:

I don't want to support companies who make a living out of the torture and murder of animals in the name of sport.

So i don't use em. Anyone know a non fishing source of swivells?

Fire Mamamember
53 posts
Location: West coast gal,Canada


Posted:
Good advice folks. I really like the idea of just using ball chain....I'm exploring it now (I've opened a new discussion about it).

Flid...good point....the ball chain may be your answer as well,as it creates it's owm swivel action.

Thru meditation I program my heart to beat break beats and hum bass lines on exhilation....


shoddygoodsmember
18 posts

Posted:
oh, yeah duuuhh where did i get them... that might be useful.
here is my scan again to show the sizes.
https://makeshiftindustries.com/IMAGE/swivel.jpg

i'm using a set with the #1s and a set with the 8mm
here is the link to where i got them.
https://www.billfishtacklesupply.com/Swivels/swivels.htm

(which if i remember right did come from australia, but i live in midwest us and still only took like 5 days)
these might be of some interest as well:
https://www.billfishtacklesupply.com/Terminal/terminal.htm

really small wire thimbles for nice eyes on cable ends (reusable and in stainless)

you can also look for a place that sells sampo swivels
https://www.sampoinc.com/sa_sr_both.htm

these i'm also using
https://www.sampoinc.com/ro_sna_splitrings.htm

i too had reservations about using fishing swivels as the only ones i found localy were non ball bearing type and rated fairly low pound wise. these are all rated very high and i figure they will hold up well as they are for commercial fishing. i just built my first set with them so i cant say how they preform over the long haul. but when it comes down to it ball bearings have less friction so they run smoother which should also lengthen their life.

[ 07. May 2003, 18:46: Message edited by: shoddygoods ]

erkiemember
11 posts
Location: alice


Posted:
MisStix,
could you give me a bit more detail about how yuo made your poi? I have currently got a tennis ball with a bloody big ring in the end of it tied to a piece of bright yellow nylon string. very unattractive and not that comfortable. Yours sounds liek they could eb a lot better especially with the swivel. Do you have a swivel on both ends of just at the bottom?
erkie

*** and then there was light ***


shoddygoodsmember
18 posts

Posted:
wierd, just woke from a dead sleep with thoughts on where to get swivels if your apposed to getting them from a fishing supply shop...

a kite shop:
https://www.gombergkites.com/line.html#swiv

a quick search found those but a quick read says that they are still manufactured for fishing
so im not sure what to tell ya.....

ZoltarBRONZE Member
Beginner
282 posts
Location: Beyond Time, South of Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Do people normally put the swivel on the fire end of the chain or the handle?

So much fire, so little body hair...


spritieSILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
2,014 posts
Location: Galveston, TX, USA


Posted:
It would make more sense to put them close to the handles so that the whole length of the poi can pivot instead of just the poi part being able to move around. There will be much more flexibilty if you put them at the top.

Cheers!

AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
swivels at the top zoltar, here's my formula:

handle - o ring - swivel - chain - d ring - eybolt (for cathedrals)

ade

colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
i have swivels at both ends
just like the #1's shoddygoods is using.

both ends means you can shorten chains by wrapping around your hand and you still don't get them twisted.

if i chose one or the other i'd choose poi end i think.

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


Insatiable fire-faerie (Angie)BRONZE Member
member
150 posts
Location: Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland,U.K


Posted:
I made mine with swivels and O rings on both ends, i think........i'll go and check

"You've got red on you!" Shaun of the Dead


Dark Pixiemember
47 posts
Location: somewhere.....?


Posted:
Incendium Fire circus (www.incendium.org) use fishing swivels on their fire poi, you can download their instructions for making poi & staffs at their website.

Roman candles that burn in the night, yeah you are a shining light


Astarmember
1,591 posts
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada.


Posted:
Flid I have a big bag of swivels I bought. I will never use them. I can mail a couple to you. It's not like your supporting fishing gear producers because I already bought them and I only need a few out of the bag. I will never buy anymore swivels in my life.

Fire Mamamember
53 posts
Location: West coast gal,Canada


Posted:
Hey feanor...cheers for the link.!!

Thru meditation I program my heart to beat break beats and hum bass lines on exhilation....


shoddygoodsmember
18 posts

Posted:
Astar, are you saying that you bought more than you will ever need? or that you dont like them? if you dont like them whats the reason?

CatastrophicBRONZE Member
member
44 posts
Location: Santa Cruz, CA, USA


Posted:
I live here on the coast so I just trot on down to the harbor to the **deep sea fishing tackle shop** and buy 1000 pound-test swivels...they are huge and very strong. I have had regular freshwater fishing type brass barrel swivels, like 75 lb test or so separate on my tennis ball poi...I don't trust those for fire now!!!

yeah, so my suggestion is find a deep sea fishing tackle place or look online...

I put them on both ends to cover both bases...

Astarmember
1,591 posts
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada.


Posted:
I like them but I have more then I would ever need.

Dark Pixiemember
47 posts
Location: somewhere.....?


Posted:
I'm about to experiment with making my own poi, so what truly is btter- swivels or no swivels?
Thanks!!

Roman candles that burn in the night, yeah you are a shining light


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
Aster - go to www.ballchain.com - they have all sorts of ballchain - anodized, enamel coated - all sorts. Just remember that aluminum chain (anodized) is not of to the rigours of fire poi (and even the 13 gauge and smaller aluminum doesn't last long with practice poi). I think some of their ceramic coated is steel though.

Sorry to be slow on the uptake with your post.

Keep in mind you also need "type A" connectors and quicklinks (two of each for each chain).

update - I just checked my link, and it appears as if they have discontinued their enamel coatings for anything but 6 gauge, which is too small for poi - le bummer. They do have all sorts of metal finishes though.

BTW, they have ballcahin fishing swivels on that same site.

[ 13. May 2003, 01:04: Message edited by: vanize ]

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


_Stix_Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land


Posted:
I used to have sky blue ball chain.. which was lurvley.. but it's all burnt off now..

Feanor - If you are using ball chain then you don't need swivels as the ball chain will spin on itself.. but if you are using rope, cable or chain, I'd recommend at least one swivel on your poi.. I'd place mine at the top - close to the handles, but if you are planning on doing alot of short chain work ie wrapping the chains around your hands... I'd put them at the bottom.. happy making

Happy days..

I honour you as an aspect of myself..

You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
my 500pound rated fishing swivels dont show any wear and have been on my poi for 2 hard years

they are the torpedo ones on this page;

https://www.billfishtacklesupply.com/Swivels/swivels.htm

I love em and they are phat too

Id recommend the top and bottom swivel design (for the same reasons as Cole) using appropriate weight quick links, not split rings (although mine only have swivels on the top and they work fine). Fishing split rings tend to be a bit sharp IMHO.

Josh

Dark Pixiemember
47 posts
Location: somewhere.....?


Posted:
Thanks MisStix
When they are made i'll see how successful I was...

Roman candles that burn in the night, yeah you are a shining light


dwuanosmember
79 posts
Location: Freo


Posted:
I actually made a chain completly out of swivels once. It did it for me! plus I looked really niffty.

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