Forums > Beginner Staff Moves > Please Help Me WIth My Staff Design

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Robin Claassennewbie
4 posts
Location: San Jose, CA


Posted:
I've been spinning poi for a few years, and I just decided to make a staff so I can learn that too. Below is a picture I just Photoshopped up of the design I have in mind:


Non-Https Image Link


I'd appreciate any input anyone might have to offer on the design and its construction. I have three questions in particular about it that I would really appreciate getting some advice on.





The first is what type of wood to use for the staff body. I'd like to harvest the wood from my local area and carve it myself. The woods around where I live are made up mostly of California costal live oaks, California valley oaks, California bay laurels, buckeyes, redwoods, California sycamores, madrones, and Douglas firs. Also, about an hour and a half away there are Monterey pines, Monterey cypresses, and giant sequoias; and I know of a grove of olive trees nearby that I might be able to harvest a staff from. I was thinking of finding a fallen redwood limb of the right size; whittling down the bigger end so that it's identical to the smaller end; and then sanding and lacquering or polishing it.



I've heard that oak is supposed to be a good wood for staves, but if another type of local wood would work well, I would prefer not to have to go through all the labor of cutting and carving oak when I'd probably have to start with a large piece to get a long staff, and it's such a hard wood.





My second question is where I could get some metal caps to put on the ends of my staff, or if they'd even be necessary. My plan is to sew a pair of cotton-core/Kevlar-sheath hybrid wicks, and attach each of them to the ends of the staff with a single screw screwed into each end. I was thinking that it would be good to have metal staff-ends to protect the wood from the fire and prevent it from splitting at the ends, but maybe those aren't issues to be concerned about..



I read one poster in this forum talk about a wooden staff they made where they just fitted sections of a metal pipe over the ends of it, leaving the ends open. I not sure, they might have been talking about the more traditional wick design where the Kevlar is wrapped around the body of the staff itself, but even if that type of staff-end would adequately protect a staff with the wicks screwed into the ends, I'd still prefer to have closed ends for aesthetic reasons, if for no other.





I was also thinking of maybe making my staff in a tapered design, with the center having a slightly larger diameter than the ends for strength and appearance. I know that you want to have as much weight on the ends of the staff as possible to keep the momentum up, but maybe that wouldn't be so important if I used a relatively light wood, like redwood. Anyone have any thoughts?





Again, I'd really appreciate any input anyone might have to offer.



Thanks,

Robin

EDITED_BY: Robin Claassen (1125375953)

LavatwilightGOLD Member
old hand
834 posts
Location: Wellington somerset, UK


Posted:
just for the ends bit, i have a friend who used a wooden stick, and cut up beer cans to go under the wicks, and it seamed to work really well, you just gotta make sure that there are no sharp edges around for nasty cutty curry slashy slashy!

Drawings by chalk minds, strech between the stars

Kyle Mclean-
Contact without dance is like sex without wiggling.
A) it does feel as good
B) it does not look as good on film


Robin Claassennewbie
4 posts
Location: San Jose, CA


Posted:
Thanks Lavatwilight.

I thought of using sheet aluminum, but I figured that it would make cutty cutty slashy slashy folds along the edge toward the middle of the staff if I centered the piece over the end of the staff and bent it down.

Alternatively, if I wrapped the sheet around the circumference of the end of the staff, I'd probably have to secure it to the staff with screws, and those might get in the way of the screw I put down the center of the staff to secure the wick with, especially if I taper the staff. Appearance-wise, I'd also like to avoid having visible screws along the length of the staff and the exposed edge of the aluminum where it would fold over the part wrapped underneath.

Any other ideas?

LavatwilightGOLD Member
old hand
834 posts
Location: Wellington somerset, UK


Posted:
a few layers of Al foil might do it.
i dont know much about fixing apart from with screws along the insides.

Altho *bright idea pops in to head*
if you were to put it on with screws along the axis then, leaving a bit of wick left over the end, use some kevlar thread and sew over it to cover them up smile

Drawings by chalk minds, strech between the stars

Kyle Mclean-
Contact without dance is like sex without wiggling.
A) it does feel as good
B) it does not look as good on film


Robin Claassennewbie
4 posts
Location: San Jose, CA


Posted:
You know, I might eventually just use sheet aluminum or aluminum foil to protect the ends of the wood, in which case having screws along the side of the staff would probably be unavoidable, but I can't imagine that looking that good.



I'm not totally set on the closed-end staff caps, or any other aspect of the design. I just think that the screws-along-the-side design looks sort of brutal and overly functional. I want to build this staff as much for appearance as for functionality. I want it to be beautiful.



I think ideally I'd like something with closed-end caps that I can attach with the same screw I attach each of the wicks with, like what I have in the picture. There's got to be somewhere that sells pieces of metal like that. I just need to find it.



If you're suggesting in the second paragraph that I cover up the end of each screw used to attach the wicks where they come out of the wicks at the extreme ends of the staff, I think that's a really good idea. I could stuff some cotton inside the chamber between the two layers of Kevlar to give the wick-ends a smooth, rounded appearance.



I'd really appreciate any more input you or anyone else might have.



Thanks.
EDITED_BY: Robin Claassen (1125376428)

GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
What you've drawn above, the wicks will break off.
Run the wood and the metal sheath through the middle of the wicks.
Have the metal sheath come at least 5 inch beyond the wood into the middle staff

Have you a plan for the grip?

Smiles
Drew

Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
hmm i think drew's right about the break occuring at the weakest point.
you two could not have more opposite avatars! smile

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


-sandy-BRONZE Member
old hand
716 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
Also tapered ends have a habit of breaking off so you want plenty of metal covering the wood.
My friend covers his ends with a washer and screws it on to protect the wood ive got mine filled with lead to give it more momentum.
If you use too much cotton with your kevlar your wicks will die quite quickly cos the cotton will burn away and fall apart when you drop it.
You want the wicks to be attached really securly cos they take most of the damage when you drop it.

"Don't do it naked!"



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