10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

Races I do these years are mostly held late late in spring, when the snow is wet and soft. Did "Ski To sea" at Mt Baker, WA yesterday: it hasn't gone below freezing for several nights in a row, and it was 40F at the start and raining. The tiny baskets on my 7 mm exels sank so deep, it was frustrating to pole up long hills. Any tips on reliably (and reversibly) fitting bigger 10 mm Swix baskets, on 7 mm Exels? Worried about swing weight, too. I could take bigger Swix racing poles and drill tiny holes in them all over to reduce weight weight, but the question on matching pole diameter still remains.

10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

On 5/27/2013 6:36 PM, runcyclexcski wrote:
Races I do these years are mostly held late late in spring, when the snow is wet and soft. Did "Ski To sea" at Mt Baker, WA yesterday: it hasn't gone below freezing for several nights in a row, and it was 40F at the start and raining. The tiny baskets on my 7 mm exels sank so deep, it was frustrating to pole up long hills. Any tips on reliably (and reversibly) fitting bigger 10 mm Swix baskets, on 7 mm Exels? Worried about swing weight, too. I could take bigger Swix racing poles and drill tiny holes in them all over to reduce weight weight, but the question on matching pole diameter still remains.

Seems like drilling lots of tiny holes would weaken the pole a "hole" lot!

10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

I've mixed and matched grips, straps and basket brands successfully over
the years. Stove and boiling water, along with one of those wax sticks.
Even hot tap water works for taking them off, though probably not hot
enough for solid hold. However, that difference between 7 and 10mm
would worry me. It's easier to seem firm enough in the kitchen than out
on snow after a few K.

Gene

On Mon, 27 May 2013 15:36:09 -0700 (PDT)
runcyclexcski wrote:

Races I do these years are mostly held late late in spring, when the
snow is wet and soft. Did "Ski To sea" at Mt Baker, WA yesterday: it
hasn't gone below freezing for several nights in a row, and it was
40F at the start and raining. The tiny baskets on my 7 mm exels sank
so deep, it was frustrating to pole up long hills. Any tips on
reliably (and reversibly) fitting bigger 10 mm Swix baskets, on 7 mm
Exels? Worried about swing weight, too. I could take bigger Swix
racing poles and drill tiny holes in them all over to reduce weight
weight, but the question on matching pole diameter still remains.

10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 10:13:22 AM UTC-4, wrote:
I've mixed and matched grips, straps and basket brands successfully over

the years. Stove and boiling water, along with one of those wax sticks.

Even hot tap water works for taking them off, though probably not hot

enough for solid hold. However, that difference between 7 and 10mm

would worry me. It's easier to seem firm enough in the kitchen than out

on snow after a few K.



Gene



I am thinking to put a 10 mm basket in an hot oven and bring it close to melting, hoping it will shrink - what do you think? May be put a hose clamp around it, and keep tightening it as the thing gets softer. It's just polypropylene (or ABS) of some sort. Yeah, 10 mm and 7 mm is a big difference - I don't wanna lose a basket in the middle of a race.

Yeah, I know - drilling the holes worries me, too - but I do remember seeing such baskets (with holes) in the 80s.

10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

On Wed, 29 May 2013 17:36:17 -0700 (PDT)
runcyclexcski wrote:

I am thinking to put a 10 mm basket in an hot oven and bring it close
to melting, hoping it will shrink - what do you think? May be put a
hose clamp around it, and keep tightening it as the thing gets
softer. It's just polypropylene (or ABS) of some sort. Yeah, 10 mm
and 7 mm is a big difference - I don't wanna lose a basket in the
middle of a race.

Yeah, I know - drilling the holes worries me, too - but I do remember
seeing such baskets (with holes) in the 80s.

Baskets crack and get badly misshapen easily, so I'd try with boiling
water first. What comes to mind - you're more the engineer than I -
would be to fit the pole in the basket, reheat it in the H20 very well
and carefully use pliers to see if you can shape it down to the right
size. Not sure that'll work, but I'd be queasy about an oven. If you
can get this to hold on asphalt, then snow won't be a problem.

Gene

10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

On Thursday, May 30, 2013 2:24:04 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wed, 29 May 2013 17:36:17 -0700 (PDT)




I am thinking to put a 10 mm basket in an hot oven and bring it close

to melting, hoping it will shrink - what do you think? May be put a

hose clamp around it, and keep tightening it as the thing gets

softer. It's just polypropylene (or ABS) of some sort. Yeah, 10 mm

and 7 mm is a big difference - I don't wanna lose a basket in the

middle of a race.



Yeah, I know - drilling the holes worries me, too - but I do remember

seeing such baskets (with holes) in the 80s.



Baskets crack and get badly misshapen easily, so I'd try with boiling

water first. What comes to mind - you're more the engineer than I -

would be to fit the pole in the basket, reheat it in the H20 very well

and carefully use pliers to see if you can shape it down to the right

size. Not sure that'll work, but I'd be queasy about an oven. If you

can get this to hold on asphalt, then snow won't be a problem.



Gene

Polypropylene melts at around 110C, it gets somwhat soft in boiling water (100C). I could add salt to the water to bring up its boiling point to ~105C. Since baskets are made by injecting molding, I doubt this will damage them.

10 mm baskets on 7 mm poles
 

I would think you would need to build up the inside somehow, maybe by mixing saw dust with the glue.

My experience with roller-ski tips that are not the EXACT size (much less than 7-vs-10 mm) is that I need to use epoxy gel, otherwise they would come off rather quickly the first time out on the trail. BTW, I don't have any major trouble getting them off -- using a heat gun, however, to soften the epoxy.