Ok Boys, I Need Your Expertise Please

[NCGREG]

Well, I am a happy camper! I picked up my new Excal II today and walked out on a mega sanded in and mineralized beach with it for just a little while, just so as to get to know it a little.....Man.....I never knew a detector could hunt, and operate so smoothly. I think I'm fallin' head over heels in love, but....this mutha is one time bow heavy!....I have absolutely made up my mind, and I am going to build a straight shaft for it tomorrow. So now I need to ask you all a couple of build questions..so here goes.

I have an 8' stick of aluminum round stock 7/8" OD x 3/4 ID it looks to be the same stuff as the store bought straight shafts are made of except it isn't powder coated (that doesn't matter to me).

When I start to build this shaft, should I mount the control box and battery pack at the rear first, before I cut any length off of the 8' stick? And then mount the arm cuff and handle as I work down the shaft? And lastly, cut the excess off at the coil end?

Or ..... should I start mounting and drilling at the coil end of the shaft first, and move toward the rear... mounting the accessories and cut the excess off of the back end?

I am 6'-2" with long arms (gorilla like) .. and I feel like I should build this shaft to fit .. me .. for comfort .. and not go by the advertised lengths posted on the pre made mfgs sites.

I would be very dissapointed to cut this aluminum rod in haste and realize that I screwed up by not allowing myself 2 or 3 more inches at one end or the other. I've got the previous post that went into detail about doing this. (I think Can Slaw posted it) but I don't believe it actually said whether it was a good idea to start at the coil end and work to the rear or vise versa.

Thanks in advance for all of your input.

 

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[tiderider]

You can buy a hip mount for it and save time and money !

 

[NCGREG]

I want to mount the control box and the battery pack in the rear position where it will balance the whole assembly for my height, arm length and swing style, etc.

Thanks.

 

[tiderider]

Your welcome, good luck in your future hunts, tiderider

 

[bigscoop]

So you're just building the upper shaft, going to use the stock lower shaft, correct? If this is the case then the first thing you want to make certain of is that the stock lower assembly fits snug in the tubing you purchased. I have purchased tubing in the past that wasn't seamless and it had a high seam on the inside - so first you need to make certain you don't have this issue.

 

[NCGREG]

Yep, The lower rod will fit the shaft. The shaft is seamless and the same specs (diameter) as the stock tubing. Scoop.. I thought about what you and I had talked about long and hard. I really appreciate what you suggested, and I want to thank you, but I just don't care for the stock S shaft design. It works great for some folks, but personally for me, the angle of the S shaft really works on my wrist after 30 minutes or so and my fingers and right hand are screaming. I tried a Plugger straight shaft on my old BHID before I bought this Excal and after I got it adjusted to my swing, and length, it was much easier for me to deal with.

I have a lower rod clamp for the lower part of the shaft that has the knob to tension and hold the lower rod into the shaft itself. I'm not using the "cam twist lock" The one I have is from Plugger, he uses them on the shafts that he sells on his website. They just slide onto the end of the straight shaft and snug up with a screw. I've got the arm cuff, handle, S/S hardware etc.

So, how is the best way to do this?

Thanks, Greg

 

[zigzag]

I'm making one now out of a 60" piece of carbon fiber. I'm going to use the short diving shaft that comes with the xcal and shove it almost all the way in the carbon fiber tube. It will be a perfect length for me but I'm only 5' 11". If I want it a little longer all I have to do is pull the bottom shaft out a little more.

 

[RustyGold]

I would start from the rear and work toward the coil end.
That way you would know where the coil shaft holes need to be drilled as well as arm cuff placement,
and you will know where to cut the shaft. My carbon fiber shaft is too
long for me at 42" and I'm under 6 ft. I would consider 46" on the shaft and
then cut it down from there after you try it out! I would think the 45" would be a good length also!
Good luck Greg!

 

[bigscoop]

Here's how I do it;

A) transfer the hole pattern for the lower shaft.
B) Insert lower shaft and lock at mid-position, mount coil.
C) Locate handle height where you want it. (You still have adjustment in the lower shaft so it only needs to be close.)
D) Locate arm cuff height, allow for additional holes 1” above and below primary hole, drill holes.

E) Move arm cuff to highest hole position and secure.
F) Position main pod "1" above highest cuff position and then position the main pod at the angle you want it. Mine have the nobs pointing out, away from my body.
G) Drill holes for main pod and battery assembly.
H) Repeat “G” up the shaft at “1” intervals, (two more places so you will have some adjustment.)
I) Cut off shaft 2 inches above highest hole.

J) Now adjust everything to suit.

 

[Fletch88]

I would start from the rear and work toward the coil end. That way you would know where the coil shaft holes need to be drilled as well as arm cuff placement, and you will know where to cut the shaft. My carbon fiber shaft is too long for me at 42" and I'm under 6 ft. I would consider 46" on the shaft and then cut it down from there after you try it out! I would think the 45" would be a good length also! Good luck Greg!

RustyGold, The 3 piece CF is too long for you? I am only 5'10" and I have my stock lower rod in the 4th hole up and it's perfect to give a larger radius sweep for beach hunting.

 

[NCGREG]

Thanks for the help RG.

 

[NCGREG]

Here's how I do it;

A) transfer the hole pattern for the lower shaft.
B) Insert lower shaft and lock at mid-position, mount coil.
C) Locate handle height where you want it. (You still have adjustment in the lower shaft so it only needs to be close.)
D) Locate arm cuff height, allow for additional holes 1” above and below primary hole, drill holes.

E) Move arm cuff to highest hole position and secure.
F) Position main pod "1" above highest cuff position and then position the main pod at the angle you want it. Mine have the nobs pointing out, away from my body.
G) Drill holes for main pod and battery assembly.
H) Repeat “G” up the shaft at “1” intervals, (two more places so you will have some adjustment.)
I) Cut off shaft 2 inches above highest hole.

J) Now adjust everything to suit.

Thank you Scoop, this is what I was looking for! I'm on my way to the work bench.

 

[snokid]

that's how I did mine back forward

 

[TheRingFinder]

Greg - Do 10 arm curls every night before bed, around 10 pounds or so. The detector is NOT heavy. I have hunted hours upon hours and have never had an issue and I'm almost 50.
Come on, buck up Man!!

 

[NCGREG]

Greg - Do 10 arm curls every night before bed, around 10 pounds or so. The detector is NOT heavy. I have hunted hours upon hours and have never had an issue and I'm almost 50.
Come on, buck up Man!!

I hear you my man. I'll be the first one to say "Greg is a dad burned, broken down, burnt out, old geezer". lol!! I felt like I had been holding a bulldozer transmission up all day yesterday with my right hand, and my back is killing me today. I am building my straight shaft as we speak.....That darned S shaft with the front wheel drive control box is history...!!! LOLOLOLO!!

Have a nice day,

Greg

 

[RustyGold]

RustyGold, The 3 piece CF is too long for you? I am only 5'10" and I have my stock lower rod in the 4th hole up and it's perfect to give a larger radius sweep for beach hunting.

Hi Fletch,
I'll give it a try again and see if I can adjust it if I need to! I have some shoulder damage from an old injury so maybe if I drill an extra hole in the shaft I can make it fit me.
Thanks

 

[harryst]

easy I am about the same height I have a Anderson carbon fiber shaft that makes it almost weightless the upper shaft is 45" long, behind the arm cuff is 14" the lower shaft is the same length as the original shaft. It seems long at first but like I said it's almost weightless even after several hours swing it. Carbon fiber or an aluminum rod has about the same effect it's the leveraged design that works well. Hope that helps.

 

[TheRingFinder]

I hear you my man. I'll be the first one to say "Greg is a dad burned, broken down, burnt out, old geezer". lol!! I felt like I had been holding a bulldozer transmission up all day yesterday with my right hand, and my back is killing me today. I am building my straight shaft as we speak.....That darned S shaft with the front wheel drive control box is history...!!! LOLOLOLO!!

Have a nice day,

Greg

Back at ya brother - Good luck with the new shaft, let us know how it works out!!!

 

[NCGREG]

Ok, here it is and it turned out really nice. I ended up cutting the tube 47" long and drilling 7 adjustment holes at the bottom of the tube and spacing them at 1-1/2" inches apart. I also drilled 3 adjustment holes for the arm cuff and spaced them at 1-1/2" inches apart as well. I used a nylon lower shaft lock with the wing nut tightener on it, that I had ordered from Plugger. I positioned my control box and battery pack at the point behind my elbow where it balanced and felt the best for me and then secured it with masking tape in its place, marked the holes, then disassembled everything and drilled those holes.

I didn't have any 1/4" inch nylon bolts and wing nuts for securing the control box and battery pack, so I used stainless 1/4" bolts and stainless wing nuts. I took it outside and played around with it for a while after I finished putting it all together. Let me tell you.....This is a great improvement! This machine is now balanced, and handles like it is part of my body instead of feeling like I'm fighting a huge heavy weight tied to my forearm.

I finally ended up with $31.00 total in the whole thing! I used an old arm cuff and an end plug that I robbed off of an old White's shaft that I had, and the handle was robbed off of another old straight shaft that I had lying around in the closet. So I saved some money, and improved my rig tremendously.

I'd like to thank all of you guys for your help, and your patience. It makes a big difference, to be able to ask a question about how to do something and people are so willing to help solve the problem.

Greg

 

[Fletch88]

Nice job Greg! The stock shaft is only good for wading or diving IMO. You should be able to hunt wet sand for hours now!