My Force Pike "How-to"

[Sir Ken]

**Moderators: Feel free to move this where it belongs**

The base is a sectional pool cue from Wal-Mart: $9.67

Decide what is the correct length for your Force Pike, mine is 46 1/2 "

Round the cut end to fit your idea of a Force Pike end:



Flex funnel from Lowes #51299: $2.59



Extend the funnel and cut it to tightly fit your pool cue:



I already had a precision bearing from an unknown location. Model #R10-2RS, size is .6250 x 1.3750 x .3437 $?.??:



Force the precision bearing down onto the cut funnel piece:



You could use 5-minute 2-part epoxy to fill the cut piece of funnel. I had some left over 5-minute 2-part liquid plastic to fill the void between the cut piece of funnel and the shaft of the pool cue.



I taped off the bearing and used fine sand paper to remove the varnish on the outside of the pool cue and to scuff up the plastic cut funnel so paint would solidly stick. (Here is the first coat):



Lowes faucet #28810 $6.96 and Lowes deep flange #137802 $1.97:



I took the bottom rubber bumper off of the base of the pool cue and screwed on the faucet handle (centered). Then poured more 2-part liquid plastic inside the faucet handle to make it solid:



I took the Lowes deep flange and belt sanded it on the wider side to reduce its size to fit over the foam insulation a little tighter:



Next I took a Dremel tool and opened the small hole in one of the deep flanges so that it would fit tightly down the handle to form the top of the upper handle. I forced this onto the pool cue and then filed it with 5-minute 2-part epoxy so that it would never move again.

I put all of the pool cue pieces together and put the deep flanges in the joints where the cue screwed together. I then cut foam insulation to length (Lowes #21416 1 x 6 x 3/8.) $1.94. The foam has a pre-installed tape on the foam, I pulled the tape cover off so that the seam nearly disappears and fit between the deep flanges.









You can unscrew the pool cue in several places to help in carrying the Force Pike around. If I have left anything out, let me know and I will try help out with the confusion.

[RedGuard]

Nice work. Same Idea I had.

[Jawa]

Nice, what kind of paint did you use? I am using Rub n' Buff and yours looks more metallic.

[Foggedlenses]

Did you use the whole stick or half of it?

[JesterTDA]

I'm not sure what he did but there's actually no one-size fits all pike. They can be in a ballpark size range but I'm 6'4" and what I use would look silly on someone who is 5'2" and visa-versa. Basically when you hold the bottom of the pike in the palm of your hand while you're arms are by your side the top of the pike should be within a few inches of the top of your helmet...plus or minus. So if you're going the pool cue route (which is what my first one was) you should go to the store and test out a few different sizes. When I did mine I think I used the 48" single piece as opposed to the 57" double piece because the 57" cue looked silly. Now I'm using a pike made from an aluminum ski pole (I picked up the set at a yardsale for $5). It's actually a little shorter but weighs next to nothing, was designed to hit rocks on the way down a mountain and not get damaged, and is already aluminum so I didn't need to worry about painting.

[Foggedlenses]

I'm not sure what he did but there's actually no one-size fits all pike. They can be in a ballpark size range but I'm 6'4" and what I use would look silly on someone who is 5'2" and visa-versa. Basically when you hold the bottom of the pike in the palm of your hand while you're arms are by your side the top of the pike should be within a few inches of the top of your helmet...plus or minus. So if you're going the pool cue route (which is what my first one was) you should go to the store and test out a few different sizes. When I did mine I think I used the 48" single piece as opposed to the 57" double piece because the 57" cue looked silly. Now I'm using a pike made from an aluminum ski pole (I picked up the set at a yardsale for $5). It's actually a little shorter but weighs next to nothing, was designed to hit rocks on the way down a mountain and not get damaged, and is already aluminum so I didn't need to worry about painting.

Thanks, didnt even think to make sure that the force pike would not look "out of place". Thanks for that tip and now you have me possibly wanting to go a different route now lol!!