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Copper pole????
I was just in my mechanincal room and noticed the copper pipe coming from my hot water heater…..needless to say I thought I would try the "grip" of it and it was like I was a fly stuck on fly paper! Loved it! Not to mention it was warm from the water going through it.
So, my question is, can you use copper (love the look of it) for a pole?????? I have my X-pole/chrome, but a smaller diameter pole would help me with my grip moves , and having two poles, friends could come over etc. Don't want to spend a lot of money for a second pole, so I'm putting together a project for my hubby and my son (who is a plumber) to make one.
Any suggestions?
I was just in my mechanincal room and noticed the copper pipe coming from my hot water heater…..needless to say I thought I would try the "grip" of it and it was like I was a fly stuck on fly paper! Loved it! Not to mention it was warm from the water going through it.
So, my question is, can you use copper (love the look of it) for a pole?????? I have my X-pole/chrome, but a smaller diameter pole would help me with my grip moves , and having two poles, friends could come over etc. Don't want to spend a lot of money for a second pole, so I'm putting together a project for my hubby and my son (who is a plumber) to make one.
Any suggestions?
I was just in my mechanincal room and noticed the copper pipe coming from my hot water heater…..needless to say I thought I would try the "grip" of it and it was like I was a fly stuck on fly paper! Loved it! Not to mention it was warm from the water going through it.
So, my question is, can you use copper (love the look of it) for a pole?????? I have my X-pole/chrome, but a smaller diameter pole would help me with my grip moves , and having two poles, friends could come over etc. Don't want to spend a lot of money for a second pole, so I'm putting together a project for my hubby and my son (who is a plumber) to make one.
Any suggestions?
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9 Replies
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A Friend of mine made her pole from copper plumbing tubing. She loves it…..
She says her hands smell like a dirty peeny sometimes, lol, but that is also how she guages it is in desperate need of cleaning.
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Copper is very expensive right now. My husband works with copper pipe quite a bit and in order for you to get something that would be thick enough not to bend when you did a spin is going to be quite costly. A tube that is 10' and 0.07" thick is $190, one that is 0.083" is $239. I personally would be scared to death to try any move that created any sideways force if it was not reinforced in some way.
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If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, Summit Racing sells stainless pipe that is used for exhaust systems. A 10' section is under $100. I had a friend use this to make a pole at a bar. He polished it some way and it had the BEST grip. He just used pipe flanges to secure the top and bottom.
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Wow, thanks for all the info……!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't know copper was so expensive! I think I will be looking for another alternative…………………..
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It is so weird you posted this. I was looking into the same thing!!! I was thinking about plating since copper is so soft. I love the look of copper and I know it is so grippy so it would be an awesome grip. I work for a plumbing group and my boss said a copper pipe, (even the thickest grade) would not be very strong, and it would be pretty pricey. You might want to see if you can get a steel pipe and have it plated. The problem with copper plating is it can oxidize off, so you would actually need to get a clear powder coat over it, losing the copper grip. although the powder coat is grippy too. I had my bellydance swords copper plated years ago, and where they have tarnished, the copper has been eaten away 🙁
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OK, so I decided copper was out of my price range. But for those of you who are intested, I read about someone who bought a cheap steel or iron pole say 1 1/2 inch, then bought a copper pole that was just a HAIR larger in diameter…..like 1 7/16th of an inch. He put the copper pole OVER the heavy duty sturdy pole and the copper was like a sleeve! It was very strong, and the copper even roatated because is was a bit larger!
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That sounds pretty neat. You could probably drill a hole and put a pin in it to keep it from rotating to make it a stationary. I
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"I didn't know copper was so expensive! "
This is the reason that abandoned houses or houses up for sale get broken into and wiring and piping stolen. We even had copper ripped off of churches downtown. If it is low enough for thieves to get at then it is gone.
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I’ve seen a few people experiment with copper poles for training, and while the grip feels amazing at first, the long-term issues can be tricky. Copper is softer than chrome or stainless steel, which means it can bend or dent under sideways force if the wall thickness isn’t strong enough. It also tends to oxidize, so you’ll notice the metal smell on your hands unless you’re consistent with cleaning.
If your husband and son are both handy, they could definitely reinforce it, but make sure the tubing is strong enough to handle spins and weight safely. Many professionals in the trade recommend checking the grade and thickness of copper before using it for structural purposes. For reference, I came across this website that covers plumbing and pipe durability in detail, it might give you a better idea of what type of material can hold up without warping.
In short, copper can work for grip, but for safety and longevity, you’ll want to be sure the pole is reinforced and securely anchored.
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