I made my 8ft canoe pole today from a closet rod and copper pipe end caps. This is to be used while kneeling in my narrow (30" max) solo canoe as suggested by p.netters in a post I made a couple of weeks ago. I was going to epoxy the caps on, but when I shaved the pole ends and did a dry test fit I could not get the cap back off. So I just hammered it down all the way. I think it will do ok for my test on the Llano River this weekend.
I have 2 coats of Tung oil on it and will try to get a 3rd one on tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some pics and videos of my poleing experiences when I get back.
Thanks for all the good advice and suggestions on paddling a canoe in shallow water. I am pretty sure I will get to try out lots of the suggestions this weekend.
Mark
Go for it. I want to hear how you do in
a kneeling position.
Me too
I’ve always been intrigued by poling, but not to the degree that I’d go out and get a larger and more stable canoe just so I could do it. I honestly hadn’t really considered that maybe it would work “well enough” from a kneeling position.
I am also curious…
…to see how it works out. I can think of times/places it might be useful. Please keep us updated!
Copper end caps
You could keep the end caps on by drilling a hole in the middle, inserting in one of those two-way bolts (wood screw on one end, standard stove bolt thread on the other), leave about an inch exposed and fit it with a lock washer and nut. Stainless, of course.
-rs
did some poling from
a kneeling position last week. NOT BY CHOICE HAH!!
Worked okay though, and your 8' pole will be a definite advantage. Have fun.
Been pretty happy w/ just the caps. I think a bolt in the end of the "home-depole" may cause splitting. Experimentation is at least some of the fun.
they’ll come loose
The wood is going to swell after being soaked for a day. The outer layer of wood cells will crush. When it dries, the caps will be loose. It may not happen the first time, but it will eventually. The good news is that they’ll fall off at home, when you’re not using it.
copper end caps
I screwed my first set in which worked fine. After they wore out I replaced the caps and smeared some plumbers goop inside. Works fine. Even a piece of duct tape seems to work as every push is just that, a push.
If the ends were sealed up prior to cap installation I think you'll be okay, if not, it's a learning experience. Looking at my wood poles during end cap replacement, I notice the end of the pole "smushes", widening the diameter. Little shorter, little wider.
Hey Fluke, I tried your epoxy method last year on my aluminum poles(remember me thinking the 12'2" length of threaded rod...HAW). I did something wrong 'cuz Aaron and I both broke the bolts out after about a half mile of "upstreaming" ;-). Went back to just the end caps. Met Ed Hayden a couple weeks ago and he showed me his method with the delrin bushings. If I ever get motivated that's my next step.