Tent pole repairs...
Discussion
I have a Kampa Watergate 8 tent.
Fully sealed groundsheet, separate inners, fibre glass (I believe) poles which slide into sleeves on the outside of the tent.
Last time out one of the pole sections split long ways. We only noticed when we took the tent down.
Long story short? We bought a repair pack, with 8 or 9 poles (already capped with joining sections/ferules, just need cutting to length), a couple of extra ferules (correct terminology?) and elastic cord.
The questions really are...
"Are then any secrets, shortcuts, hints or tips when it comes to cutting the pole to length?" We've been instructed to use a hacksaw.
"Any helpful hints to retrieving the end of the elastic cord to untie the knot or cut the minimum off the end?" I don't really fancy trying to re-thread the entire pole, section by section.
"Should I treat the cut end in any way to seal it to prevent future delamination?"
I'm planning to have a repair session later today to sort out the one that we know is broken. I may also pre-cut some other new poles to length to make running repairs easier as we're off to a festival for four days/nights. Do I need to worry that if one section has snapped the others that make up that arched pole will follow?
Daft questions, possibly, but this is the first time we've attempted repairs. The last tent where a pole broke was due for replacement anyway so we got rid of it rather than repair. We like this tent, and would like to keep it for as long as possible...
Fully sealed groundsheet, separate inners, fibre glass (I believe) poles which slide into sleeves on the outside of the tent.
Last time out one of the pole sections split long ways. We only noticed when we took the tent down.
Long story short? We bought a repair pack, with 8 or 9 poles (already capped with joining sections/ferules, just need cutting to length), a couple of extra ferules (correct terminology?) and elastic cord.
The questions really are...
"Are then any secrets, shortcuts, hints or tips when it comes to cutting the pole to length?" We've been instructed to use a hacksaw.
"Any helpful hints to retrieving the end of the elastic cord to untie the knot or cut the minimum off the end?" I don't really fancy trying to re-thread the entire pole, section by section.
"Should I treat the cut end in any way to seal it to prevent future delamination?"
I'm planning to have a repair session later today to sort out the one that we know is broken. I may also pre-cut some other new poles to length to make running repairs easier as we're off to a festival for four days/nights. Do I need to worry that if one section has snapped the others that make up that arched pole will follow?
Daft questions, possibly, but this is the first time we've attempted repairs. The last tent where a pole broke was due for replacement anyway so we got rid of it rather than repair. We like this tent, and would like to keep it for as long as possible...
I wouldn't use a hacksaw by choice, it's too coarse a blade. If it were me I'd use a Dremel with a cutting disc. If you haven't got a Dremel, you can put the cutting blade in an electric drill. Try not to breathe the dust, do the job in the garden.
For threading the bungee through the pole, you can try attaching some fishing line to the old line if it's still there or if you're starting from scratch tie the line to a thinner piece of rigid rod, ideally longer than the section of pole. Once the fishing line's through attach to the bungee in the same way. If the hole's too small and you can get the knot through, have a go at supergluing the fishing line to the rod.
For threading the bungee through the pole, you can try attaching some fishing line to the old line if it's still there or if you're starting from scratch tie the line to a thinner piece of rigid rod, ideally longer than the section of pole. Once the fishing line's through attach to the bungee in the same way. If the hole's too small and you can get the knot through, have a go at supergluing the fishing line to the rod.
ColinM50 said:
I wouldn't use a hacksaw by choice, it's too coarse a blade. If it were me I'd use a Dremel with a cutting disc. If you haven't got a Dremel, you can put the cutting blade in an electric drill. Try not to breathe the dust, do the job in the garden.
For threading the bungee through the pole, you can try attaching some fishing line to the old line if it's still there or if you're starting from scratch tie the line to a thinner piece of rigid rod, ideally longer than the section of pole. Once the fishing line's through attach to the bungee in the same way. If the hole's too small and you can get the knot through, have a go at supergluing the fishing line to the rod.
Cheers!For threading the bungee through the pole, you can try attaching some fishing line to the old line if it's still there or if you're starting from scratch tie the line to a thinner piece of rigid rod, ideally longer than the section of pole. Once the fishing line's through attach to the bungee in the same way. If the hole's too small and you can get the knot through, have a go at supergluing the fishing line to the rod.
I've got an "own brand" 'Dremel' somewhere. I'll try to find that. Dust mask, safety glasses already prepped. Garden string and some sort of weight instead of fishing line, as that's the closest I've got. I'll see how that works out. I've got to get the job done else we're tent-less for a four day music festival...
I'm going to use some fine grade wet'n'dry paper to tidy the end of the pole up once it's cut. I hope that's not a daft idea.
'Dremel' was lacking cutting discs, so back to the hacksaw idea.
Masking tape, mark a line, clamp, saw, easy. Then tape off, sand smooth where it was cut, pole section sorted.
Long-nose pliers to get the bungee cord out far enough to untie the knot, clamp with mole-grips. Untie knot and slide some poles off to release the broken one. Drop garden string (thin 'para-cord') through the loose sections, tie to bungee cord, and use a skewer to poke the end of the bungee into the sections. Wrap string around a pliers and pull. Repeat with each section until all the way through. Clamp with mole-grips and tie a new knot, and the job, quite literally, is a fish (no idea where that saying originally comes from).
I also pre-cut a couple more pole sections of each size to put in the tent bag, and have packed the tools and string I used too. Hopefully this'll be enough to get us through the weekend with somewhere dry to sleep that doesn't collapse of it's own accord...
Masking tape, mark a line, clamp, saw, easy. Then tape off, sand smooth where it was cut, pole section sorted.
Long-nose pliers to get the bungee cord out far enough to untie the knot, clamp with mole-grips. Untie knot and slide some poles off to release the broken one. Drop garden string (thin 'para-cord') through the loose sections, tie to bungee cord, and use a skewer to poke the end of the bungee into the sections. Wrap string around a pliers and pull. Repeat with each section until all the way through. Clamp with mole-grips and tie a new knot, and the job, quite literally, is a fish (no idea where that saying originally comes from).
I also pre-cut a couple more pole sections of each size to put in the tent bag, and have packed the tools and string I used too. Hopefully this'll be enough to get us through the weekend with somewhere dry to sleep that doesn't collapse of it's own accord...
Hacksaw's fine. I've done many this way. I tend to finish off by sanding the ends - round off the roughness.
Pulling the elastic through it easy too. Kits come with a long "needle" for this purpose. You may have to improvise with a wire coat hanger, a piece of string, and some gaffa tape.
Pulling the elastic through it easy too. Kits come with a long "needle" for this purpose. You may have to improvise with a wire coat hanger, a piece of string, and some gaffa tape.
Watchman said:
Hacksaw's fine. I've done many this way. I tend to finish off by sanding the ends - round off the roughness.
Pulling the elastic through it easy too. Kits come with a long "needle" for this purpose. You may have to improvise with a wire coat hanger, a piece of string, and some gaffa tape.
Did one of our scout ones earlier this week: very easy, hacksaw and sandpaper is indeed fine.Pulling the elastic through it easy too. Kits come with a long "needle" for this purpose. You may have to improvise with a wire coat hanger, a piece of string, and some gaffa tape.
For threading, don't forget it is elastic - I use a bulldog clip to stretch the previous one, then there is plenty to just 'feed through' the next piece - I have never needed a needle.
Rinse, repeat until the last one, loop in the ferrule the same way you took it out
Use one of these to thread the new elastic https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maver-Pole-Threader-3M/dp...
Well, the repaired pole, and all the other poles too, survived our weekend at 'Y Not' festival.
Just a shame the festival itself didn't survive the onslaught of the finest weather Derbyshire had to offer. They cancelled Sunday's festivities before the arena had even opened due to "adverse weather conditions" and the increasingly dangerous state of the ground on site.
I'm considering a post in the 'Pictures that make your teeth itch' thread now though. The existing poles are all grey, whereas the single section I have replaced is black. Grrr!
Just a shame the festival itself didn't survive the onslaught of the finest weather Derbyshire had to offer. They cancelled Sunday's festivities before the arena had even opened due to "adverse weather conditions" and the increasingly dangerous state of the ground on site.
I'm considering a post in the 'Pictures that make your teeth itch' thread now though. The existing poles are all grey, whereas the single section I have replaced is black. Grrr!
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