clipstick repair

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 gravy 02 Oct 2021

I've got a clip stick of the twist and lock variety and a couple of sections refuse to lock no matter how much I twist them.

Anyone know how to fix this?

 HeMa 02 Oct 2021
In reply to gravy:

You’ll loose adjustability and some reach. But drill a hole through and place a pin in it. 
(Something like this https://images.app.goo.gl/N8XoThKspqqYEE8Y7 )

works fine for preclipping from the ground. Not so much for stick-clipping your way to the top. 

 NaCl 02 Oct 2021
In reply to gravy:

I've got the same problem albeit to a lesser extent. Mine does still lock but not very strongly and folds back without much prompting. I've been looking at drilling the rivet out at the top end and taking it to bits to see if owt can be done to firm it up again. 

 JLS 02 Oct 2021
In reply to gravy:

Cut the head off and attach it to a decorators pole from screwfix.

Not any use if you need a short one for going on flights but it does make a robust unit.

 HeMa 02 Oct 2021
In reply to JLS:

Yup… if the reach is enough. 
 

a 4m painters pole (so 2m when retracted) is often not enough to clip the first bolts where I climb. And the long enough ones that you can still fit in a car are three times more spendy as a newer flicklock clipstick…

them painters poles make great boulder brushing sticks though…

 JLS 02 Oct 2021
In reply to HeMa:

Mine is this one. So yes, not super long at 3m but generally gets the second bolt in at the places I climb.

https://www.diy.com/departments/harris-seriously-good-telescopic-extension-...

 ericinbristol 02 Oct 2021
In reply to gravy:

Rubber band or hair bobble on the cap of the joint. Extend the section. Roll the band/bobble to just above the joint. Works for me 

 NaCl 03 Oct 2021
In reply to gravy:

It's been peeing it down all day so I decided to have at mine and see if I could fix it. Stripped it down to the individual parts to have a look what is wrong with it. At the bottom of each pole section there's a small plastic roller cam that widens as it rotates, locking it. On mine the outside grippy teeth are starting to wear reducing the overall expansion range of the cam and the "stickiness" of the mechanism. I've added two (tidy) turns of electrical tape to the inside surface of the cam to each and sealed this with some CA glue to stop it unpeeling. Its doesn't seem to have affected the ability of the stick to slide back and forth and it does seem to have improved the locking of the stick. It's obviously too early to tell re longevity at this stage andI realise there's the potential for it to fail in the future but you gotta risk it for a biscuit eh?

It may prove to be a waste of effort but at least its kept me occupied on a rainy day

OP gravy 04 Oct 2021
In reply to NaCl:

I can't see how to dismantle mine.

The lower/fatter sections have a plastic cap and a crimped section at the top the seems to make it impossible to separate the sections. 

Maybe I'm not being brutal enough?

 NaCl 04 Oct 2021
In reply to gravy:

It's a bit of a project. I drilled the rivet out of the blue 'drawholder to remove that then used a small piece of metal bar to drift the plastic caps of each section of stick. Once I'd done that I removed the rubber handle and straightened the crimps hidden in the end that stops the inside falling out.

At this point all the second largest section should be able to be pushed through the opened gap. The plastic cam lock on each section has been point crimped into place through the alloy.  I used a smallish drill bit (3-4mm) to drill the crimp point out and then used a flat blade screwdriver to drift the cam out carefully. Go carefully with the drilling - try to just get the crimped metal and not the plastic underneath and don't keep hitting the same spot - tap, rotate, tap, rotate and it should come out fine. Once that's out the next section should drop through.

Rinse and repeat until you have individual parts. Wrap, trim and seal each section's cam with electrical tape and CA glue and put back into place. I used a slightly sharpened small screwdriver to bang a few crimps back in to each section although glue could be used obv. 

Finally beat chest with hands and roar "I am man - see what I have wrought"

Post edited at 08:49

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