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Stiff pole trouble

Nick772

Member
Messages
44
Location
Derbyshire
Hi fairly new to wfp after 35years trad I'm having problems with one of my poles it's become very stiff and struggling to go up and down any advice welcome if tried cleaning it but not took it fully apart yet.

Thanks in advance

 
Hi fairly new to wfp after 35years trad I'm having problems with one of my poles it's become very stiff and struggling to go up and down any advice welcome if tried cleaning it but not took it fully apart yet.

Thanks in advance
Nearly laughed at the heading, is your pole fibre glass or carbon fibre? 

Is it the clamps that are biting or the actual pole sections at fault? 

I've known cheap fibre glass poles to swell with years of use as the resin wears away and water draws into the base.

 
Hi fairly new to wfp after 35years trad I'm having problems with one of my poles it's become very stiff and struggling to go up and down any advice welcome if tried cleaning it but not took it fully apart yet.

Thanks in advance
 After 35 years you got stiff pole trouble sounds bad ? my clamps on my wfp have little screws to loosen off 

 
Hi fairly new to wfp after 35years trad I'm having problems with one of my poles it's become very stiff and struggling to go up and down any advice welcome if tried cleaning it but not took it fully apart yet.

Thanks in advance
Sounds like you haven't maintained it all, follow the advice below

FAQs ABOUT POLE MAINTENANCE:

Q: The pole is getting very hard to extend and retract - how can I sort this out?

A: Sometimes after a short while a new pole can start to be stiff to operate. This is because when they are new the tolerances are tighter on the poles so they are more sensitive to dirt, etc. Sometimes this phase passes after a couple of weeks as a little wear eases this situation.

However, sometimes a little help is needed:

Cleaning the pole will usually cure this problem - fully extend the pole and direct a hose jet of water up the pole flushing any dirt out, spray the jet in and around each clamp as well, then dry the pole off with a cloth.  When dry you can also spray a little PTFE dry-film lubricant to the pole sections. Some people do the above every week as a matter of course. Doing so will prolong the life of the pole as generally dirt and grit are the main wearing agents.

If this isn't enough, the pole can be quickly taken apart and flushed with water. To do this, undo the clamp and slide out each section. Spray each section with a hose jet of water, paying particular attention to the overlap areas. Dry it all off and if you wish spray dry -film PTFE spray to it. Reassemble.

Q: My pole has started to slip when in use; the clamps do not seem to hold anymore - how can I cure this?

A: Your clamps will need regular adjustment during the life of your pole, just a few turns of the clamp nut will often remedy the situation.

If your clamps have worn too much you will eventually run out of adjustment space. When this happens a simple solution is to replace the offending clamp. Contact us for a replacement, they are relatively cheap and will extend the life of your pole easily.

At a certain point your pole sections will have worn too much for even a replacement clamp to cure. When this happens a replacement pole (or pole section) will be the only answer.

Courtesy of Gardiners Website 

 
Nearly laughed at the heading, is your pole fibre glass or carbon fibre? 

Is it the clamps that are biting or the actual pole sections at fault? 

I've known cheap fibre glass poles to swell with years of use as the resin wears away and water draws into the base.
Hi it's a fibre glass pole and seems to be worse when it's wet weather it seems to be the pole sections rather than the clamps

Sounds like you haven't maintained it all, follow the advice below

FAQs ABOUT POLE MAINTENANCE:

Q: The pole is getting very hard to extend and retract - how can I sort this out?

A: Sometimes after a short while a new pole can start to be stiff to operate. This is because when they are new the tolerances are tighter on the poles so they are more sensitive to dirt, etc. Sometimes this phase passes after a couple of weeks as a little wear eases this situation.

However, sometimes a little help is needed:

Cleaning the pole will usually cure this problem - fully extend the pole and direct a hose jet of water up the pole flushing any dirt out, spray the jet in and around each clamp as well, then dry the pole off with a cloth.  When dry you can also spray a little PTFE dry-film lubricant to the pole sections. Some people do the above every week as a matter of course. Doing so will prolong the life of the pole as generally dirt and grit are the main wearing agents.

If this isn't enough, the pole can be quickly taken apart and flushed with water. To do this, undo the clamp and slide out each section. Spray each section with a hose jet of water, paying particular attention to the overlap areas. Dry it all off and if you wish spray dry -film PTFE spray to it. Reassemble.

Q: My pole has started to slip when in use; the clamps do not seem to hold anymore - how can I cure this?

A: Your clamps will need regular adjustment during the life of your pole, just a few turns of the clamp nut will often remedy the situation.

If your clamps have worn too much you will eventually run out of adjustment space. When this happens a simple solution is to replace the offending clamp. Contact us for a replacement, they are relatively cheap and will extend the life of your pole easily.

At a certain point your pole sections will have worn too much for even a replacement clamp to cure. When this happens a replacement pole (or pole section) will be the only answer.

Courtesy of Gardiners Website 
Thanks for that info will give it a good clean through

 
Hi it's a fibre glass pole and seems to be worse when it's wet weather it seems to be the pole sections rather than the clamps

Thanks for that info will give it a good clean through
Atmospheric conditions affect GRP and cause swelling.

The best advice is to strip your pole down 

Clean all the pole sections so they are dirt and grit free. Ensure they are dry then with a green scotchbrite green scouring pad lightly rub all over them then apply a few passes with a spray lacquer and allow to dry 

If the pole sections are out of round you have serious moisture issues within the cross section of GRP 

 
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