The first Garrett AT, Ace, GTi, and GTAx carbon-fiber shaft prototypes are complete!

[sgoss66]

Hi all!

I wanted to give an update on the Garrett AT- and Ace-series carbon-fiber two-piece shafts (middle and lower sections) that I've been working on. The first batch of 10 prototypes are complete (I made them in four different colors -- black, green/black, red/black and blue/black), and I am VERY pleased with the result! The have turned out great! The two shaft sections are connected by one of my heavy-duty clamp-type cam locks (as used on my Equinox shafts), which eliminates the twist-lock and the spring button/button-hole design that is used for attachment of these two shaft sections, on the Garrett shaft.

AS A RESULT, my shaft offers four benefits over the stock middle and lower shaft sections...

1. LIGHTER WEIGHT. My carbon-fiber middle and lower shaft sections offer a 20% weight reduction over the stock Garrett middle and lower sections. (My two-piece shaft weighs 5 ounces +/- .1 oz or so, whereas Garrett's two sections weigh 6.1 ounces +/- .1 oz or so).
2. FASTER/EASIER INSTALLATION AND SHAFT LENGTH ADJUSTMENT. With no twist lock and no spring button/button holes to fumble with, attachment of the lower shaft to the middle shaft is quick and easy; simply flip open the clamping lever on the cam lock, insert the lower rod section into the middle shaft section, and lock the clamping lever closed!
3. UNLIMITED ADJUSTMENT LENGTH OF THE LOWER ROD SECTION. Again, with no spring button/button holes on the shaft, you can quickly and easily adjust the lower rod to ANY desired length, as opposed to having your lower rod adjustment length confined to pre-determined button-hole locations.
4. IMPROVED AESTHETICS/VISUAL APPEARANCE. The high-quality, attractive look of carbon fiber offers an upgrade the look of your Garrett machine. And, you can add even more visual appeal -- making your AT- or Ace-series machine really "stand out" from the crowd -- by choosing one of a number of custom colors for your carbon-fiber shaft. A green/black prototype shaft is pictured, below!

If you have any interest in upgrading to a carbon-fiber shaft for your AT- or Ace-series machine from Garrett, contact me via PM, by email at steve@stevesdetectorrods.com, or via Facebook message (www.facebook.com/stevesdetectorrods).

(SEE LATER POSTS IN THIS THREAD, FOR ADDITIONAL PICTURES)

THANKS!

Steve

 

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[Bayoutalker]

Can you post a pic with the unit assembled? I'm having a hard time imagining how it goes together.

 

[sgoss66]

Bayoutalker -- absolutely I will. Let me get one assembled, and I'll take some pics.

Basically, though, my shaft would install onto your upper "S-shaft," the exact same way the Garrett shaft attaches to the upper "S-shaft. If you look in the picture, at the top of the "middle section" of my shaft (the same section with the clamping cam lock on it, but at the opposite end from the clamping cam lock), you will see that I have installed one of those "screw fittings" -- I got them directly from Garrett. So, you'd use the "twist lock knob" that resides on your S-shaft (right near the control box), and screw that twist lock knob into the Garrett screw fitting I have installed on the top of my middle shaft section -- just the same as you do currently, with your Garrett middle shaft section. Likewise, the spring button/pin just above the twist lock on your S-shaft section, would snap into holes that are included on my middle shaft, just the same way as the spring button/pin snaps into the holes on your Garrett middle shaft. So, again, my shaft, and Garrett's shaft, attach to the Garrett upper S-shaft section in exactly the same way.

Make sense?

But yes, I'll post the picture tomorrow (I'll assemble it to an AT Pro).

Thanks!

Steve

 

[sgoss66]

Bayoutalker --

OK, here are some pics, as I promised. The first one will show my middle shaft (a green-black one), next to a Garrett middle shaft. This will help you to see that the connection point to the upper Garrett shaft section is the same, on both. (Note that my middle shaft DOES NOT have spring button/pin holes -- that is BY DESIGN, as they are not needed due to the heavy-duty clamp-type cam lock I am using to connect the lower and middle shaft sections; this makes lower rod length adjustment much quicker and easier, and also UNLIMITED, in terms of adjustment length, as opposed to when being confined to using the fixed button hole locations, as on the stock shaft.)



Next, I'll show that connection point, where the middle shaft connects to the upper, with my shaft installed on the Garrett upper...



Now, I'll show a picture of the clamping cam lock, employed to connect the middle and lower shaft sections.



Here is a picture of the four middle shafts, each in one of the four colors that I chose, to build this first batch of prototype shafts (left to right, the colors are black, green/black, blue/black, and red/black...)



Finally, here are some pictures of the shaft fully assembled and attached to the AT Pro upper -- ready to hunt!









Thanks!

Steve

 

[Lookin4fun79]

Purchased 2 shafts from Steve. Good quality, and look great. Steve is great to work with. Prompt shipping and with quick response to questions. I have a 3rd shaft in the works. Buy with confidence and assurance of great product.

 

[sgoss66]

Purchased 2 shafts from Steve. Good quality, and look great. Steve is great to work with. Prompt shipping and with quick response to questions. I have a 3rd shaft in the works. Buy with confidence and assurance of great product.

THANK YOU, sir, for the kind words! I appreciate it, and appreciate your business!

I spoke with Garrett today about the cam locks; I'll have some new cam lock "nuts" on the way for you soon!

Steve