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Cheap Home Made Ettore Extension Pole

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WWC

How To Make A Cheap DIY Ettore Extension Pole

How To Add An Ettore Angle Adaptor & Ettore Pro Plus Pole Tip To A Harris Extension Pole & Another DIY Extension Pole from B&Q

(Sorry about some of the pictures being a bit out of focus - I just used my phone camera)

This "How To" has been posted in different posts to allow all the images I want to show, to be included.

Part 1...

First I bought 2 Extension Poles from B&Q:

A Harris Extension Pole - £15

HarrisExtensionPole.jpg


& A Smaller Anza Solutions Aluminium Extension Pole - £7

lightweight-pole_zpsf24f87e3.jpg


Then I had to try to find Ettore Pro Plus parts for the extension pole. Not an easy job believe it or not. I could find then in the USA, but not the UK. So, I contacted a website that I have gotten some bits and pieces off, and had previously found helpful - Wintecs

Mark from there had a problem himself finding a supply of them, but kept fishing about until he was able to get me a couple of both the Ettore Pro Plus Angle Adaptors and the Locking Cones - Thanks Mark /emoticons/smile.png

Ettore-components_zps9208b313.jpg


 
Part 2

Now to work...

Remove Existing Fittings

First off, I needed to remove the end fittings that came with each of the extension poles. This was simple, as each were pop riveted in place. So, I just used a small HSS drill bit in an electric drill, and drilled through the pop rivets. Then gave the ends a bit of a light thump with a lump of wood to persuade them to come off the end of the pole.

Harris Pole

Harris-with-end-removed_zps6204d215.jpg


Anza Pole

Topoff-lightweight-pole_zps3b8b43ba.jpg


I needed to fit the angle adaptor to the poles, and the pro plus locking cone to the angle adaptors. My intention was to just fix these permamently together... especially since I couldn't figure out how the cone and angle adaptor were supposed to go together normally???

Ettore-components_zps9208b313.jpg


 
Part 3...

Fitting The Angle Adaptor

The adaptors of course didn't fit directly on either pole - the poles were too wide. I already had in my mind that the best way for me to join the parts together, was if I could find some plastic pipe that would fit as a 'bridge' between the two different parts. In each case (both types of extension pole) I found that the same two different pipes would work for me.

[Note] There are different diamaters of white condute and grey pipe, make sure that you get the right size - both internal and external diameters. I would tell you the size that I used but I have now forgotten as I write this post - sorry /emoticons/sad.png

Though, I found the right sizes by testing the components n the ends of a few different bits of pipe. Thus I came up with the white plastic Electrical condute pipe, and the grey water (plumming) pipe.

A piece of White Electrial Condute Pipe & A Piece of Grey Plumbing Water Pipe - both available in B&Q (and my shed).

Pipes_zps9af0e7e5.jpg


[A Couple Of General Tips]

When fitting a pipe inside a part, I wanted the fit to be tight. In fact in most cases it was very tight and I was very pleased with the fit. Though it gave me a slight a problem - how to get it to fit in, it was so tight!

So, here are two tips to use each time you pair two parts together in this DIY task...

(1) When fitting a pice of pipe into another part, use a file to slightly bevel the leading edge to help it go in easier.

file-end-of-pipe_zps5f42645a.jpg


(2) The component that is to accept the part (the female end if you wish) can be heated by sitting in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to give it a little more flexibility when pushing in the pipe.

heat-the-plastic_zps39ff362e.jpg


 
Part 4...

Preparing the Ettore Parts

You need to remove the spring from the end of the cone - not the locking part for the tool!

Clip-Pro-Cone_zpsaef429a6.jpg


You need to remove the plastic clip off the angle adaptor

Clip-off-angle-adaptor_zpsfcb5c634.jpg


 
Part 5...

Putting it All Togeher

Here are the component parts for both extension poles

components-laid-out_zpsb0ff6363.jpg


(1) White Plastic Electrical Condute Pipe

(2) Ettore Angle Adaptor

(3) Grey Plastic Water Pipe

(4) Ettore Pro Plus Locking Cone

You can see the approximate sizes that I cut the pipes. The white pipe was pure guess work, long enough to be stable, and not too long so that I couldn't squeeze it in. The grey pipe size was the same length of the end of the angle adaptor.

The rest is pretty simple - just pushing together the parts (with one exception on the Harris Pole).

I didn't use any glue, screws, rivets or anything else. All the parts are pressure fitted together i.e. just squeezed in so tight that they stay together. They did need a fair bit of steady pressure to go into each other. I did it all by hand, am not super strong - just a normal, light framed bloke. Though did on occasion use the assistance of a brick wall to push the pipe against. Remember, be firm, slow and steady - you don't want to break anything.

Angle Adaptor To The Cone

After taking the plastic clip off the angle adaptor, heat up piece of grey pipe in boiling water, then force it onto the adaptor

Angle-adaptor-widened-2_zpsa264f705.jpg


Now heat up the cone, and force it onto the end with the grey pipe

(Caution) When it is on, it won't come off easily, so make sure you put it on the right way round. Remember that the tool will be on the end of the cone, and the angle adaptor needs to flex the right way! Note how I have done it.

Angle-adaptor-widened-1_zps86d2a7a3.jpg


Cone-Aligned_zpsb9c85d16.jpg


Angle Adaptor To The Extension Pole

You need to heat the other end of the angle adoptor, then push the white pipe as far as you can up the end.

Push-Pipe-in_zps48f50caa.jpg


Once you have done that, it's time to add the extension pole. There is a slight difference in the two poles, as the Harris pole has a larger diameter than the Anza Pole.

 
Part 6...

Complete The Anza Extension Pole

The Anza Pole is the easier if the two, and the diamater is just right.

Heat up the end of the aluminium Anza pole, then simply push on the angle adaptor / locking cone component that you have just pieced together - Thats It!

fitting-the-extension-pole_zpsc2e0469c.jpg


Anza Pole Completed

Anza-Finished_zpse1df621a.jpg


 
Part 7...

Complete The Harris Extension Pole

The Harris Pole is the more awkward, but not too much. The pole diameter is a bit too big

Harris-too-big_zpsd1059622.jpg


Since the pole is a bit wide, it needed something else. I had thought of a few things that may work - they still might. Including, construction adhesive, thick epoxy glue or even the fiberglass resin and material used for patching up car bodywork. In the end I went for a simple fix - and how it works out long term - Electrical Insulation Tape. It works out just fine short term, if it doesn't I will change something then.

Right now, all I did was wrap some electrical insulation tape around the pipe. Had had to have a few goes at getting this right. It needed to be even all the way along the pipe, and just enough so as the pipe could be forced tightly into the end of the Harris Extension pole.

Taped-for-Harris_zps70ab855b.jpg


I managed to force it is about as tight as the other pipes

Push-in-harris_zpse33384bc.jpg


The Harris Extension Pole is now also complete with Ettore Pro Plus fittings

Harris-Complete_zps12dc1e0b.jpg


That's All Folks!

EDIT - I had A Poblem, and had to make a change to this - see post 16 in the thread.

If anthing on this doesn't makes sense, or I have said something stupid, please let me know so that I can clarify this post.

Thanks.

 
Now that is what I call a cracking tutorial mate, well worthy of a few rep points it's the best I've seen to be honest well done!!

 
Many thanks for your nice comments and rep points . I am a visual and concept sort of person. So, pictures work for me. I was trying to write it so that others could replicate my method if they wanted.

I am glad you liked it.

 
Top class, great pics too, ever thought of getting in to Photography?!
The quality isn't as good as i would like. I have played a bit at photography, but am not good enough, nor artistic enough. Though thanks for the compliment :)

 
EDIT

3 Months later and I ran into a problem. The electrical conduit pipe holding the extension pole and angle adaptor broke /emoticons/sad.png It snapped clean in two whilst on a job.

BrokenExtensionPole.jpg


So, I had to repair it, but try and make it stronger this time. This time I used a metal pole (hollow) that I got from B&Q. It was a 19mm pipe, the sort you use as poles in wardrobes for hanging clothes. It fitted well in the angle adaptor, and in the smaller, lightweight extension pole. The Harris pole, like before needed a bit of tape to make it fit a bit better.

This time, I used pop rivets to hold it together.

BrokenExtensionPole-Repaired-2.jpg


Hopefully the metal pole won't rust away in no time. If I could have found a 19mm hollow aluminium pole, I would have used that.

 
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