- Joined
- Jul 20, 2011
- Messages
- 3,419
I've been swinging the WOT on the stock shaft for the Sov for a few months. I transferred the control box to my hip to lighten the load early on, but still found the setup a little heavy for my liking. I also wanted a second shaft so I could just attach the coil wire to the control box and go.
I entertained the idea of going with the "Black Widow", but my wife wouldn't have it!
I researched CanSlaw's version (where the h3ll is he?) and contacted Lawsonland to see how his was holding up. OBN suggested I stick with carbon fiber, so that's the direction I went.
First things first, I needed to know the inner and outer dimensions of the shaft to fit the coil support rod, handle, and arm rest. Knowing I hip mount and don't intend to adjust the shaft, I decided to use one tube for the entire length.
I purchased the Minelab ISO rod off eBay for $15 including shipping. The outside diameter of the portion to be inserted into the tube is 5/8" (0.625"). I recognized the inner diameter of the tube itself had to be slightly larger to not only allow the rod to be inserted, but also to achieve a proper bond gap. But how much
Here is a guide. The proper bond gap is between .007" and .014". So my inner diameter should be 0.650".
Next, I researched handles and elected to go with a bike handle extension bar. The least expensive I found were these off eBay at $13 including shipping. I searched and searched for handles that would be square to the shaft, but couldn't find one that was long enough to support my hand. The inner diameter of ALL bike extension handles I found is 7/8" (0.875"). The handles adjust slightly, so I knew a shaft with a 7/8" outside dimension would work.
So there you have it, I needed a shaft with an inner diameter 0.650" and outside diameter 0.875". There are several carbon fiber suppliers and all have several different options... uni-directional, filament wound, pultruded, sanded... here, just read this. The stock tubes were almost all 0.625"ID x 0.750"OD, or something very close. The ID would be tight, but sanding might achieve the proper bond gap. The OD was just wrong and the least expensive was $68 including shipping.
"Honey! I'm thinking of going with a Black Widow". 
I set my eyes back to eBay. After a couple weeks of searching (Raiders don't quit), I found a 72" shaft 0.680" ID x 0.750"OD. Hmmm... the ID is only 3/100" off and if I could build up the shaft to support the handle... this could work! $51 later it's delivered.
But wait, I still need an armrest. Hey, that Garrett Ace 350 has a small shaft. I took the arm rest off. Put it next to the tube, and it fit like a glove. But yellow?
The only yellow I want to see is in my scoop. "Hello Garrett? Yes, I need a replacement arm rest for an AT Pro. Address? Uh huh, yes, thank you!" Click. YES! 
Freebee!
I needed the shaft to be 44.5" plus 3.5" for the coil support rod totaling 48". I also needed to drill a 3/8" hole for the arm rest. Here are instructions for cutting and drilling carbon fiber.
After cutting and drilling, I attached the arm rest, then bonded the coil support rod with Gorilla Glue. In this sequence, the arm rest serves as a guide to ensure the coil rod is square to the shaft. Gorilla Glue expands 3-4 times the amount you apply, so you need to clamp the rod in place otherwise the glue will push the rod back out the tube. I attached bungee cords through the hole in the support rod and TAPED AND CLAMPED THEM SECURELY IN PLACE. I followed the bonding instructions for sanding and cleaning then liberally applied the Gorilla Glue to both the inside (yes inside) of the rod and the inside of the tube. After inserting the rod in the tube, I pulled the bungee cords back and attached the other end to the arm rest... pulling the rod into the tube. I didn't want the glue to settle on one side of the shaft, so I stood it up on end with the coil rod at the bottom to ensure an even bond all around the rod. I should also mention there is a hole on one side of the rod, but it doesn't go all of the way through. I drilled it through so when the Gorilla Glue expands, it would form a bond all the way through the rod (hence the reason for applying the glue inside the rod).
Finally, I took the arm rest back off, built up the shaft with electrical tape for the handle, then installed the handle and the arm rest.
The set up with the 15" WOT is two pounds lighter than the stock shaft with the 10" Tornado. Total cost was roughly $80. I've taken it out a couple times. It's much easier on the constitution. I have a slight wobble in the arm rest but the bigger issue after three 3-hour hunts is the tape under the handle is slipping. Any suggestions to correct this would be much appreciated.
Raider Regards,
R5
I entertained the idea of going with the "Black Widow", but my wife wouldn't have it!
I researched CanSlaw's version (where the h3ll is he?) and contacted Lawsonland to see how his was holding up. OBN suggested I stick with carbon fiber, so that's the direction I went.First things first, I needed to know the inner and outer dimensions of the shaft to fit the coil support rod, handle, and arm rest. Knowing I hip mount and don't intend to adjust the shaft, I decided to use one tube for the entire length.
I purchased the Minelab ISO rod off eBay for $15 including shipping. The outside diameter of the portion to be inserted into the tube is 5/8" (0.625"). I recognized the inner diameter of the tube itself had to be slightly larger to not only allow the rod to be inserted, but also to achieve a proper bond gap. But how much
Here is a guide. The proper bond gap is between .007" and .014". So my inner diameter should be 0.650".Next, I researched handles and elected to go with a bike handle extension bar. The least expensive I found were these off eBay at $13 including shipping. I searched and searched for handles that would be square to the shaft, but couldn't find one that was long enough to support my hand. The inner diameter of ALL bike extension handles I found is 7/8" (0.875"). The handles adjust slightly, so I knew a shaft with a 7/8" outside dimension would work.
So there you have it, I needed a shaft with an inner diameter 0.650" and outside diameter 0.875". There are several carbon fiber suppliers and all have several different options... uni-directional, filament wound, pultruded, sanded... here, just read this. The stock tubes were almost all 0.625"ID x 0.750"OD, or something very close. The ID would be tight, but sanding might achieve the proper bond gap. The OD was just wrong and the least expensive was $68 including shipping.
"Honey! I'm thinking of going with a Black Widow". I set my eyes back to eBay. After a couple weeks of searching (Raiders don't quit), I found a 72" shaft 0.680" ID x 0.750"OD. Hmmm... the ID is only 3/100" off and if I could build up the shaft to support the handle... this could work! $51 later it's delivered.
But wait, I still need an armrest. Hey, that Garrett Ace 350 has a small shaft. I took the arm rest off. Put it next to the tube, and it fit like a glove. But yellow?
The only yellow I want to see is in my scoop. "Hello Garrett? Yes, I need a replacement arm rest for an AT Pro. Address? Uh huh, yes, thank you!" Click. YES! Freebee!I needed the shaft to be 44.5" plus 3.5" for the coil support rod totaling 48". I also needed to drill a 3/8" hole for the arm rest. Here are instructions for cutting and drilling carbon fiber.
After cutting and drilling, I attached the arm rest, then bonded the coil support rod with Gorilla Glue. In this sequence, the arm rest serves as a guide to ensure the coil rod is square to the shaft. Gorilla Glue expands 3-4 times the amount you apply, so you need to clamp the rod in place otherwise the glue will push the rod back out the tube. I attached bungee cords through the hole in the support rod and TAPED AND CLAMPED THEM SECURELY IN PLACE. I followed the bonding instructions for sanding and cleaning then liberally applied the Gorilla Glue to both the inside (yes inside) of the rod and the inside of the tube. After inserting the rod in the tube, I pulled the bungee cords back and attached the other end to the arm rest... pulling the rod into the tube. I didn't want the glue to settle on one side of the shaft, so I stood it up on end with the coil rod at the bottom to ensure an even bond all around the rod. I should also mention there is a hole on one side of the rod, but it doesn't go all of the way through. I drilled it through so when the Gorilla Glue expands, it would form a bond all the way through the rod (hence the reason for applying the glue inside the rod).
Finally, I took the arm rest back off, built up the shaft with electrical tape for the handle, then installed the handle and the arm rest.
The set up with the 15" WOT is two pounds lighter than the stock shaft with the 10" Tornado. Total cost was roughly $80. I've taken it out a couple times. It's much easier on the constitution. I have a slight wobble in the arm rest but the bigger issue after three 3-hour hunts is the tape under the handle is slipping. Any suggestions to correct this would be much appreciated.
Raider Regards,
R5
