As links are not allowed to the Matts Amazing DIY site I am in the middle of posting the whole of the F16 modular pole topic over here on CIU as I think a few of you may be missing a few tricks he topic will be boring text only if you want to see a pole go to your nearest coarse fishing shop.
Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 7:20 am Post subject: FEATHERLITES Merry Christmas
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Its taken quite an argument with my consience to publish my "sectrets" it will take a bit to download,(days) so be patient.
To be read in conjunction with this topic - Thanks Matt.
http://d.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=194 Here is my standard letter to users.
Carbon Fibre, Suggestions for use of light pole.
The composite pole is strong and will withstand most everyday use but they will not withstand being trodden on or used with any levering action. The top two sections of which form a working top that is robust to take a lot of use for when doing down stairs windows etc. I strongly suggest that you use this shorter pole for as long as possible until you get used to putting the joints together and taking them down. Simply push them lightly together, the downward weight will ensure that they do not come apart. In use they are “bendy” this is the nature of glass poles.
The alu section is a cut down Unger pole and again simply push fits onto the taper of the smallest section. It does not need taping together for security, the yellow tape is just there as a temporary protector and a simple “grip” to stop the two sections spinning in use. Fit an Unger elbow joint onto this, then fit the brush of your choice. This joint allows many variations of angles when using nearer the horizontals and also working to the left and right. I suggest that the brush weigh no more than 12oz because leverage if used nearer the horizontal plane will increase the poundage of pressure required to work it and create stress in the pole.
If your brush is heavier than this, which I do not recommend, particularly with the Lighter Carbon fibre, then you must keep the pole near to upright all the time when assembling and then removing sections. The hose must be external to allow the quick adding and removing of sections. I suggest you spin the pole two complete turns in your hands to twist the hose and the taper helps to keep it in place near the top, the remaining hose can then be held in place with a hooked finger of the right hand whilst grasping the pole.
Carbon Fibre, Start using this slowly and carefully, the top two strong sections fit on the No2 section of this pole to give you the max. pole height of 32ft add 4ft-5ft body height and this will clean most 3 floor buildings. The top 2 heavier sections allow the pole to have some “give” in use. (the No1 section being unused ) The carbon fibre top few sections are a weak point if any of them are going to be broken it will generally be one of these. I have enclosed a small piece of one of my broken pieces to give you and idea of how the material breaks. Spares and extensions for the pole will cost about £30+ each and may take 14 days as many are imported to order. Carbon fibre will always rise in price so should hold its value. The pole you have is superior to my own. I have spent a lot of time evaluating and purchasing various makes and the one you have is the strongest I could find. They are designed for catching an 18lb fish. It is still fragile and you will need 2 months of practice, once you have safely passed two months you could consider yourself an expert. You may then want to use just the carbon fibre sections alone as it is stiffer, this will give you a pole of 32ft.
If you need to go higher I can recommend two different makes for doing this based on what height you need to achieve when you are ready.
In use I usually carry about 4-5 sections upright and 2 extras in my hand putting these down to operate the pole. I just unpull each section and drop it on the grass or lean it against something. You will learn to do this rapidly. At first you will miss a telescopic action pole but after some use, due to the extreme lightness you will not change back. I carry most of my poles loose on some corrugated plastic sheeting just under the ceiling of the vehicle or across the rear seat of the car and the long ones leaning on the back seat. You can also put 2-3 sections and the brush, on the ladders or rack, ready for a quick start at the next house, make sure you fasten it on ! the base of the poles are weak and will chip or split with rough treatment, I have simply wrapped a piece of pvc round to help wear and tear.
Do not try to lever any of the carbon sections upright with only one hand, us two hands spaced far apart. Do not grip the sections too tightly or it may be possible to crush them. If you hear or feel any of the poles “crack” in use then you may have a slight split in one. If you roll and gently squeeze the suspected tube between two fingers you may be able to detect this split as it will make a tiny noise when you press at the right point. I can patch these up. If you get a split in the top of any sections it may me possible to carefully carry on using them as the upper push in section acts as a collar.
Take your time over the next few weeks even if it means losing a bit of money, to get used to the pole. You will make more later as this pole should increase your enjoyment, lessen injury problems and earn you more money. I can recognise, assemble and take down in the dark now. At first its not easy to push the poles the right way round, the tape will help you recognise the thick end.
You mentioned you could work within the poles limitations, so take your time, treat very gently do not crush, stand on or allow to be levered against anything – EVER Use upright and its strong. You may have questions, please ring me. Fishermen tell me its not them that break poles but someone else.
More to follow....
2.
Joints,
Put over. The majority is like this. The top section is held in one hand and the top of the lower section pushed into the base of the top section, this can be done because all the poles taper. So the top section is "put over" the tip of the base section and so on.
Put in. The top of the base section fits outside the diameter of the top section and is "put in"
The joint ends are not designed for dropping on concrete or used with any sort of leverage etc, they will chip and break , but with care mine seem to be holding up ok. Older fishing poles had a tendency for locking up, which made it harder for pulling apart. But when used vertically the newer poles this seldom happens. Tip, a rub with a piece of candle wax makes them nonstick and assembly easierDo not twist the sections together when raising sections, lightly put then inside each other without pressure. Gravity will stop them coming apart.
The lightness and the effortless use- especially when going above conservatories, is almost magical. I am also earning more money per day with less risk of injury. They are fantastic and for work up to and over say 30ft I predict that standard poles are history.
The new Ungers are also modular butt jointed , however the joints on the fishing poles are effortless to put up and remove with no moving parts.
There are 3 types of poles, Glass fibre cheap but bendy, Carbon composite, lighter and stiffer. Full Carbon fibre Rigid, light but delicate and worth the extra money. Its very early days but I suggest you look for carbon fibre poles only because they are stronger near the tips, more suitable for our use. You lose 3m off the top of most poles because they are too thin, these are surplus. 13 metres cuts down to 30ft and will l do most 2nd floor windows, stick on a couple of extensions and that will get you easily up to 42ft
This topic is gathering its own momentum and I am having trouble keeping up with it.
Because of the lightness you will need a lighter brush I suggest 8oz max 12oz (its only when you get a featherlite that you begin to realise how much a brush really weighs at the end of a long pole (1Lb needs 4Lb of torque force at 30ft).Because its lighter you need to scrub on the upstrokes and the brush is used at a different almost “flush to the glass” angle. The bristles need to be softer and not so dense. You can trim the lower bristles at an angle, this increases the surface area contact of the brush and the slightly shorter bristles have more scrubbing action. (pic)
I also suggest that you get some of the 4mmID silicon type hose to go up the pole to reduce weight again but you need a cheap bypass installed on your pump.
You can customise your pole by heavily pvc tapeing round the base sections to stop the base chipping when you rest them on the ground.(or use bycycle handlebar tape) This also helps prevents them sliding inside each other and makes them easy to extract when they are stored inside each other. You can also paint inside the tips with white ladies varnish as this will show up any damage.
You can buy Fluorescent nose cone tips to guide the tip into the base of the previous section. This makes assembly easier. Or you could make your own by squirting expanding foam into the tip allow it to expand and about 15 min later using some tissue, twist the excess into an ice cream cone shape and allow to cure. This also makes the tips stronger. Its messy but fun.(or just rotate occasionally as it dries, with the waste dropping onto nespapers)
I used to fill the whole of the top 2 sections (the ones you are most likely to break) with the foam but its difficult getting enough pressure into the centre regions of the pole. But now I just use strong sections. The lower thicker poles are the strongest and you will generally not break these. But it is possible, that’s why you should only buy poles that you can easily get spares for.
The poles all stack inside each other for storage and transport. You could make something like an arrow quiver. Or use a golf bag and stand(cut the vertical dividers out). ............I prefer to assemble a few sections and carry upright over my shoulder. Then a few extra sections can be carried loose in the hands and dropped on a grass floor or against a hedge or wall etc.
For those that find this topic difficult to understand and follow through, I am no longer supplying Featherlites made to my latest specification. Less than £10/ft to order, and no VAT
More to follow...
Part 3, To make your own you need to buy this.
http://check link is by a known / regular poster AND NOT A PORN SITE LINK.fishtec-coarse.co.uk/ProductDetailInfoWithoutOptions.cfm?ID=FC-ZENSPOLE&ShopRef=40&Prime=Yes&shopListRec=30517
Cut the 3rd section down to fit a 12" piece of the Ubger alu on as previously described. The 3&4th sections of this pole will form the basis of strong top sections which will answer most concerns about fragile poles, as for our use they are virtually indestructable.The top 2 sections are of no use and are discarded. but keep the rest of the pole as they have other uses and as spares. This by itself will give you a 16ft floppy intro into light poles.
Now for an economical entry into light poles you could try a Ron Thompson Reload 11m carbon composite pole approx £50
http://check link is by a known / regular poster AND NOT A PORN SITE LINK.cheshirefishing.co.uk/shop/reload.htm This has now been replaced by the £59 Gangster
http://check link is by a known / regular poster AND NOT A PORN SITE LINK.cheshirefishing.co.uk/shop/gangster.htm
Cut the 3rd section so also it fits into the alu 12" piece and also fits into the Zensorflex no2
Combined with the Zensorflex this will give you an everyday 26ft pole for £50+18.99= £69
the carbon composite is however not quite as stiff as true carbon fibre which I prefer.
If you need to go higher or want better performance and stiff use, I suggest you buy one of these ....
MAP CFS F16 16m Pole Package, Powerpole
http://check link is by a known / regular poster AND NOT A PORN SITE LINK.cheshirefishing.co.uk/shop/mappoles.htm
Scroll down to this
MAP CFS F16 16m Pole Package, Powerpole
RRP £399.00 BLITZ PRICE £249.99
When cut down it will take you to 43ft with extensions £49/6ft capable of reaching higher than 75ft.
This pole is one of the latest but at this price supplies are limited to holding stock. Spares for all the sections are available. CFS stands for commercial fishery pole, they are stronger improved sections and do not stick together.
I suggest this because the parallel extension sections enable the pole to go to virtually any height, they are priced about £50 each. You will not need any of the free kits and may be able to get a reduced pole price. The free bag sounds good but in practice is not used at all.
Warning the prices quoted will rise within the next 3 months or as soon as the special offers finish, when they are gone they are gone. The suggested poles will also change as next years "new model" arrives on the scene. Note Leeda poles are no longer generally available.
You may also find good enough second hand ones on ebay or locally.
The Zensor pole tough first section approx 3ft is crucial to conversion of any pole, although "flag" poles may work, but I have not tried that.
