Unsticking Superlite modular pole sections

[WfpTen]

Help! Does anyone know how to seperate sections of Gardiner's Superlite modular pole sections? I bought the business about 2 months ago and with it came the van and various tools among which was this Superlite pole. However with it being second-hand and me being a novice in it's use I now have 6 sections that are stuck together( 3 pairs of sections). Try as I might I'm finding it impossible to seperate them which is making working with the pole difficult.

Has this happened to anyone else? Apart from buying new sections, not an option at the moment, can you suggest anything?

Thanks in advance.

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Nudel]

They are tapered and pushed together, yes? The PTFE film probably dried out. Try spraying some PTFE into the joints, then wiggle and rotate them while pulling apart. 

Don't use excessive force though.

 

[Alex Gardiner]

Wfp Ten

Please find the following instructions below:


Freeing Stuck Sections

When it comes to disassembling them the natural inclination is to pull the sections apart (which is fine if you have only used them lightly or for a short time) or to twist the lower section anti-clockwise which is actually going to tighten them. The best way though  to separate them is to twist the lower section clockwise and it will twist the joint apart. To assist this it can help to stand to one side of the pole, facing the joint and twist the lower section away (clockwise) from you. If they are very stiff, wearing a pair of rubber gloves will give you much better grip and usually makes all the difference.

If a section appears completely 'fused' together then get a helper wearing rubber gloves to hold the upper section, you then twist the lower section which will shift almost anything! The important things to remember when attempting this is to twist the lower section 'clockwise' which looks wrong. Twisting it this way will 'unwind' the section. Wearing rubber gloves increases grip dramatically Get one person to hold the smaller section about 10" up from the joint, then the other person can hold the lower section just below the joint and twist, but do not pull at all.

If the above just will not shift them then spray with WD40 or similar penetrating spray leave for a while and try again - once apart please clean off the WD40 and de-grease. If the above does not work then there is a final method to try This final method is as follows:

You will need three people. Get one person on opposite far ends of the stuck section and get them to pull the section apart as hard as they can.. The third person then needs to stand next to the stuck joint, holds the joint and tries to move the joint in a clockwise circular motion as if the pole section were a skipping rope. You will not actually get much movement on the pole as it is rigid unlike a skipping rope, but what will happen is the joint will be made to 'unwind' itself. This does sound slightly daft, but will usually do the trick.

To prevent future jamming

On all new Super-Lite pole sections the top 6 sections are fitted with a taped joint stop. This means that no matter how much force the sections are pushed together with they cannot go down past the joint stop. This can easily be added to an older pole or replacement sections. You will need good quality fibre reinforced tape (not duct tape) or insulating electrical tape. Fit two sections together and push so that they are just tight. Then at about 1-2mm below the boom of the upper section wrap the tape around the lower section. Keeping wrapping the tape around for about 5 or 6 wraps. Make sure when doing this that the tape is sitting straight on top of itself so that the edge it makes is  straight edge. This will then act as a stop when the section is in use. Repeat this on all section needed.

Also after having fitted the joint stop it is advisable to spray each male joint with Dry-Film PTFE spray (not WD40 or GT85) and allow to dry fully before use. It is worth cleaning all of the joints and re-applying this every month or so.

 

[WfpTen]

@Nudel Thanks for your quick reply. It wasn't just a quick reply but it was good advice also![emoji106]@Alex Wow! What an example to other manufacturers! How do you do it!? Thanks for the in-depth reply. With that information I have already managed to seperate 1 of the pairs, just 2 more to go. I think the last 2 will be a 2 man or 3 man job.
I really appreciate the information on the maintenance of the pole. It was something that was worrying me.

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app