[Carl@Cwc]

i love my 22 slx big time but just lately the clamps  are a nightmare.

the 2nd clamp only grips the pole if i leave 2" of pole sticking out, which really throws you out on working , it feels wrong lol

if i set it so it grips it fully closed you have to really really pull it to get the pole out??

have any of you encountered this and what was your resolution please.

i know alex offers an express clamp replacement service but i need the pole now even more so as i am way behind

[Dave Willis]

It's the pole section wearing out. Usually the top two go first. There are ways to overcome this with a bit of diy or carry on untill it's really bad and order a couple of spare sections.

[Carl@Cwc]

it isnt even 8 months old i dont think..

is this an common occurance in this sort of timescale ??

 

[Llaaww]

I just pulled a clamp off mine, the glue failed after a couple of months, out with the gaffer tape in the morning.

[Dave Willis]

If you've got the black hands syndrome then yes they do start to wear. You could try swapping the cam levers on the clamps from one lower down and see if that helps at all or speak to Alex for his thoughts.

[traps7]

I had exactly this and bought a new section about year ago for my SLX 25' but I still haven't fitted it yet.

You need to change the lever at least but for best results replace both the leaver and clamp of the offending section.
I was very dubious when Alex advised me to try this before buying a new section but it has worked.

The clamp body and lever stretch over time.

Worked for me. The new section is still sat in my garage. Just glue a new clamp body on an evening and you'll be ready to go the next morning.

You probably need to take each section apart if you haven't already and give it all a good clean up also.

[Carl@Cwc]

thx fellas
i clean the whole pole and lubricate it every week , i also loosen all clamp levers every friday afternoon and leave them till monday.

this window cleaning is getting very distressing lol

alex if you happen to read this whats the best way forward m8

[traps7]

Id' try replacing clamp lever and body first and if that doesn't work replace section. Either that, or put up with it or saw a couple of inches off.

[Alex Gardiner]

i love my 22 slx big time but just lately the clamps  are a nightmare.

the 2nd clamp only grips the pole if i leave 2" of pole sticking out, which really throws you out on working , it feels wrong lol

if i set it so it grips it fully closed you have to really really pull it to get the pole out??

have any of you encountered this and what was your resolution please.

i know alex offers an express clamp replacement service but i need the pole now even more so as i am way behind

What Traps has just posted is very true and can make a big difference.

The second section on any domestic pole is usually the pole that will receive the most wear (in our experience of the last 10,000 poles). What has happened is that this spot gets clamped on a lot particularly when used on domestic work with lateral forces at play and combined with the presence of dirt (which there always is in our industry) will have led to a small area of wear. Is 8 months the norm? It is very difficult to say as every pole is used differently and in a different environment. This would, in my experience, be on the sooner side. There are 4 solutions to this:

1. When closing the pole, simply do not fully close this section, by doing this you will be clamping on a fresh area which will solve the problem (this is what I do when it happens on an older pole to me as all of the other solutions involve work!).
2. Similar to above you can wrap about 4 wraps of insulating tape over the worn area so that the section cannot fully close on to it and the clamp holds on a fresh place.
3. As Traps has suggested, fit a new clamp, but at the same time saw off all but the last 15mm of this worn section (at most you may lose 2cm) before re-fitting the clamp to the section.
4. You can re-finish this small worn area. To do so mix up a little two-pack rapid setting epoxy resin (Araldite Rapid or similar) and smear a very thin layer over the worn area. Allow to dry and then sand smooth any ridges. This will have built-up this area and it will work like new.

[Carl@Cwc]

ALEX M8 THIS IS THE FIRST SECTION.  ( caps off lol)

i realise this is also a massivley used section and its had 5 days a week usage for last however long...

i didnt wanna cut any off it ,but realise this may be the easiest option.
making it a 21.sommat slx .

dont wanna do the 4 wraps of tape thing as i am used to being a certain length closed and an extra 2" is noticable in my brain it just feels all wrong

[Mike #1]

I use Elite carbon and have a similar problem . I dont put four wraps of tape round but 1-2 and over a few weeks of clamping on the taped area it wears down enough to clamp down fully on that worn area .

Also to help reduce wear i use the dry Ptfe spray sold by gardiners . Which drys like a laquer which gives a durable coating to each section .    Mike

[AuRavelling79]

My SLX30 is over four years old and gets used daily. I last replaced the clamps on the top three sections about two years ago and this helped. I nearly bought new sections when it was about a year old but have found a much simpler solution.

But now I just don't close the clamp fully - works fine and lasts forever. Just nip it up and no worries.

The only thing you have to watch is going over the top of lower gutters and conny edges  is that the open clamp is on top so to speak - but you pretty much need to do that when new.

[sunshine windows]

Sorry to hijack, but Alex, do you do pole refurbishments?? mines getting worn on a few of the sections and i'd rather have it done properly than bodge it myself

[SB Cleaning]

Had my slx 25 for 2 years still going

[Mike #1]

Does anybody know if spraying a carbon fiber with say a laquer typically used as a top coat when spraying cars would be damaging to the carbon .

Just wondering as this would solve so of the wear and tear issues and prolong pole life.    Mike

[Alex Gardiner]

Sorry to hijack, but Alex, do you do pole refurbishments?? mines getting worn on a few of the sections and i'd rather have it done properly than bodge it myself

We used to offer this until recently.  If you email me, I can send some detailed instructions on refurbishing the pole.  We also will be producing a video showing how to perform various refurbishment tasks.

[Alex Gardiner]

Does anybody know if spraying a carbon fiber with say a laquer typically used as a top coat when spraying cars would be damaging to the carbon .

Just wondering as this would solve so of the wear and tear issues and prolong pole life.    Mike

A lacquer coat should cause no problem to the carbon fibre.

[andyM]

Alex my slx is fine at the moment but if in the future if I need to cut down a section of pole as you suggested earlier is there a risk that the carbon section might split near the cut?
I have had this happen before in the past on old fishing pole sections and was using a fine tooth hacksaw blade.
Is it advisable to wrap the section in masking tape where the cut will be made to prevent splitting?

[Alex Gardiner]

Alex my slx is fine at the moment but if in the future if I need to cut down a section of pole as you suggested earlier is there a risk that the carbon section might split near the cut?
I have had this happen before in the past on old fishing pole sections and was using a fine tooth hacksaw blade.
Is it advisable to wrap the section in masking tape where the cut will be made to prevent splitting?

Hi AndyM

The best way to cut through carbon fibre sections is with a fine tooth hacksaw.  I usually use masking tape to mark the line of the cut and then lightly cut through the outer layer around the entire circumference before sawing all the way through.  This method prevents external splits when cutting.

[andyM]

Good advice thanks Alex.