18kRonin
Forum Supporter
Couldn't get out of a hunt for a couple of months at the end of last year so looked at some ways to customize some of my gear. While looking through a second hand shop I found a good quality unused mop with a twist lock telescopic aluminum handle perfect to try out an idea I'd being toying with for awhile and if it didn't work no big deal the mop was real cheap.
I've been wanting a straight shaft that will fit both my Excal and DF so I only need to take one shaft with me but also I wanted a longer shaft for snorkeling on the surface in calm water and at the same time it had to be short enough to fit in my backpack to make a good travel shaft.
You're right, a tall order but the "mop shaft" works well. Have hunted with it for 40 hours now, 24 of those in water, not the best looking or strongest rod out there (the tubes are a bit too thin) but it's rigid, no sloppy loose connections.
Biggest problem I saw with it was sand getting in and getting jammed in between the two aluminum tubes but solved that by taping the joins so only water can get in through the top of the shaft where there is less chance of sand getting in with the water. Because the length is adjustable and I hip-mount the control box I only needed to drill one set of holes to connect the coil to the shaft and they seal up ok when the buttons are in position still letting in water but stopping most of the sand. I didn't fit a cam lock to the bottom of the tube because I tape it and seems to lock it tight. The only draw back is having to tape and unwrap the joins each time I set up or change detectors but usually hunt with the detector that's best suited for the conditions for 6-8 hours keeping the other for a backup or if the conditions change. Made the arm cuff out of some sheet aluminum gluing some closed cell packing foam on the inside. Also found that when setting up the handle it feels more comfortable for me if it's offset a little e.g. for a right hander move the end of the handle from the straight up position a little to your left. When going overseas I can save on luggage space and the other added bonus is saving around 370g if taking two detectors and only one shaft.
Like all prototypes there IS room for improvement and the real test is how long will it last, worried about that twist lock still gripping a year from now. Maybe carbon fiber might work better?
ANY ideas or comments, go for it...
And that concludes my presentation
HH
18
It's ok to have a detector on Shrine grounds but digging is a big no no.
I've been wanting a straight shaft that will fit both my Excal and DF so I only need to take one shaft with me but also I wanted a longer shaft for snorkeling on the surface in calm water and at the same time it had to be short enough to fit in my backpack to make a good travel shaft.
You're right, a tall order but the "mop shaft" works well. Have hunted with it for 40 hours now, 24 of those in water, not the best looking or strongest rod out there (the tubes are a bit too thin) but it's rigid, no sloppy loose connections.
Biggest problem I saw with it was sand getting in and getting jammed in between the two aluminum tubes but solved that by taping the joins so only water can get in through the top of the shaft where there is less chance of sand getting in with the water. Because the length is adjustable and I hip-mount the control box I only needed to drill one set of holes to connect the coil to the shaft and they seal up ok when the buttons are in position still letting in water but stopping most of the sand. I didn't fit a cam lock to the bottom of the tube because I tape it and seems to lock it tight. The only draw back is having to tape and unwrap the joins each time I set up or change detectors but usually hunt with the detector that's best suited for the conditions for 6-8 hours keeping the other for a backup or if the conditions change. Made the arm cuff out of some sheet aluminum gluing some closed cell packing foam on the inside. Also found that when setting up the handle it feels more comfortable for me if it's offset a little e.g. for a right hander move the end of the handle from the straight up position a little to your left. When going overseas I can save on luggage space and the other added bonus is saving around 370g if taking two detectors and only one shaft.
Like all prototypes there IS room for improvement and the real test is how long will it last, worried about that twist lock still gripping a year from now. Maybe carbon fiber might work better?
ANY ideas or comments, go for it...
And that concludes my presentation
HH
18
It's ok to have a detector on Shrine grounds but digging is a big no no.
HH! 
