DIY Travel Bo-Staff

Submitted by composites123 t3_10lns73 in DIY

Edit: Thank you to everyone for their advice! I really appreciate the support and thought everyone has put into this, I honestly was not expecting it :)

I had crossposted this on r/woodworking as well and they were not as helpful and told me it will fail lol. I'll post some updates once I finally get manufacturing going, and even if it fails at least I tried and can share my experience with you all! I know it would be easier to just buy an existing travel bo-staff but I really wanted to try making my own, it feels more special that way.

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I am looking to make a travel bo-staff by using two wooden rods, threaded inserts, and a threaded bolt. The problem I have is that I don't know how to center the hole on the rod ends to make sure the interface feels seamless and that rods aren't misaligned. I do not have a lathe, but I was thinking about 3D printing a guide to put on the rod ends, and hopefully, that would be accurate enough to center the holes. I added some photos below to give a better idea.

Any advice on manufacturing would be great, open to all ideas and even a different design for connecting the two rods. My only real requirements are that it needs to be seamless when connected and not come apart unless I want to take it apart.

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Below is a cue stick, the construction is close to what I am thinking about doing.

Cue Stick

This is a travel bo-staff sold commercially. I am basically trying to mimic this.

Bo Staff

https://www.centurymartialarts.com/shop/weapons/bo-staff/collapsible-graphite-bo-staff-12443

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Comments

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jobyone t1_j5z67g6 wrote

I bet a 3d printed guide will get you really close. Certainly close enough that you'll be able to pretty easily hand sand it down to perfectly smooth. Just construct the joint before you do the final sand and finish on the staff.

You might also want to permanently fix the threaded rod into one side with epoxy or permanent threadlocker. That will probably help it always land in the same alignment when you screw it together, to avoid feeling a lip.

Ever so slightly chamfering the edges where it meets is probably also a good idea. It'll make a slightly recessed ring where the sides meet, but that's better than a ledge, and will help avoid splinters.

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composites123 OP t1_j5zlcgb wrote

Thanks for the tips! I was thinking of using the red Loctite threadlocker for one of the threaded rods. Do you have a different one you would suggest instead?

Also, how can I chamfer the rod? I have limited tools at home (small apartment really) but if it is something handheld I could buy it online.

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jeffersonairmattress t1_j5zqnw1 wrote

If it's a hardwood and you have a power drill, leave the ends long, chuck on a finishing nail driven into the long end and have a friend spin it in a plastic v-notched guide while you hold a sanding block to chamfer.

For your assembly guide, if pieces are straight and round you only need a piece of angle iron or similar long V-section thing and it will align perfectly. Use a small compass or miter square to find center and punch it before pilot drilling a 1/8" hole through a guide block set perpendicular.

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caddis789 t1_j5xxnbv wrote

If you don't have a lathe, I would leave the blank oversized when you drill the hole. Then put in the hardware and sand it down while the ferrule is connected. I would get a center finder to mark the blank before you drill. A drill press will help keep your hole straight.

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just-some-person t1_j5zi2s4 wrote

Donatello, I told you NO INTERNET. You're grounded for another week.

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feeling_impossible t1_j5z8lww wrote

I used to build pool cues for a living. We would use a lathe to install the joint pin but...

https://www.cuestik.com/5/16-14-titanium-self-aligning-joint-pin/qtipin-14/

That's the link to buy the joint pins. If you get one that is 3/8-10, it is meant to screw directly into wood in the shaft without an insert. That will be easier on your end.

When you drill for both sides of the joint pin (the butt and shaft sides), have both the butt and shaft over sized. So if and when you probably miss the exact center on both, you'll be able to screw it together, then sand the joint together. Then you'll have a perfectly matched joint between the two.

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Flash_ina_pan t1_j5y2ym3 wrote

You could use something like this jig

Then clean up the joint with sand paper.

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dipolartech t1_j605ug2 wrote

I've tried this, you have to some seriously strong expensive wood, or have caps on the two parts

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ApocalypsePopcorn t1_j5y6gl1 wrote

If you can spin the rod while the bit is stationary, I believe the hole will self-centre.

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Squee45 t1_j5yz5cx wrote

This is only if you can hold the work centered on its axis, it's why 4 jaw chucks on lathes exist, to both hold something precisely centered, or to hold things off center and make holes/do work on them.

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dwerked t1_j5ysyav wrote

Yep. It should. I'm not telling you to mount the dowel and use the drill as a lathe, but I've seen it done.

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RogueJello t1_j5yu3ob wrote

How thick is the bow staff? You might not have a lathe, but you might find that putting the rough staff in a drill chuck is enough, assuming the staff fits. If it fits, you can then use the drill to turn the staff fast enough to sand it down.

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Usefulnotuseless t1_j5zieab wrote

Don’t forget to wrap the middle with friction tape, hot pink or magenta should do it.

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mynaneisjustguy t1_j62xxp6 wrote

Make your join before you finish the shaping. That way you guarantee centre. Finding centre is easy tho if you understand mathematics. If you have a circle end; measure the longest line you can internally. Do this at several points. Where they cross is the centre. But yeah; this will fail, woodworking was correct. First real impact and you will have two short sticks with a screw in one end of one of them and a shattered end on the other.

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