Modular polo mallet head design

Total Polo Labs have started taking orders for their modular mallet head design. There are details below and more images and lots of discussion on this thread at bikepolo.ca, particularly about using capped ends.

If you're registering interest with them you'll probably need to order the black ABS tubing too. This is the stuff that vidal uses; lighter and stronger than the gas pipe most of us are using but seems impossible to get in the UK. (I think vidal may also be able to supply folk with pieces of this stuff and standard plumbing end caps from the US if you ask him nicely. Or we could figure out a way to machine something similar in London? I know a few people talked about it)

"Contact us at totalpololabs(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in ordering. For this initial order we will stick to $15 for a set of plugs, but we have not determined the cost of the entire assembled mallet head.

Now we are going to offer an 8mm and 9.5mm thick plug. The thickness that I'm referring to is hitting material that is sticking out of the base tube. The 8mm version is 26 grams and the 9.5mm version is 31 grams. We at TPL recommend the 9.5mm plug, because we think it fully takes advantage of the design (it wears longer).

We are taking orders at this time with the intention of figuring out the quantity desired. I'm estimating that we can start shipping them in a month or so, depending on the demand.

Be sure to include:

• Your name
  
• Your address
  
• Whether you want the 8mm or the 9.5mm plugs
  
• Whether you want just the plugs or an assembled mallet head
  
• The length of your typical mallet head (if you want the assembly)"
  

I saw this a while ago and have seriously considered machining my own plugs.
Using solid rods here and the lathe at my school i don't think it would be very hard.
However i think it would be advantagous to use ABS for the main shaft for weight.

I have nothing against these guys but for $15 you can buy enough pipe for a couple of sets of plugs and DIY

Do it! You'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

Or, you'll at least cover the cost of your parts and labour and make many more friends on the polo scene.

(p.s. your link doesn't work)

yeah i want to [not for the money] but because it seems like a nice thing to do.

i do need to talk to matt vidal about abs though. i chatted with him about it a while back but completely forgot to follow it up.

damn link - http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/home.php?cat=76&xid=bd32ac41ba3599c67df6a4f1a2f73e0a

He's got some coming, but it's all been dibbed. Shouldn't be a big problem to get more.

So I posted this up ages ago and it looks like it will be very soon that they arrive and they're looking to be about £15, Lucky is looking for cheaper postage last I spoke to him.
What I'm getting and what's spoken for (but nothing binding due to the time it's taking to get them):

4x 2.3/8" diameter X 5.1/2" length X1 cap (BJ). - Hassan, Dante, Me -1 available

2x 2.3/8"diameter X 5.1/2" length X2 caps. Bill, Matt(BD)

2x 2"diameter X 5.1/2" length X2 cap (BJ). Shin, Object

2x 2"diameter X 5.1/2" length X2 caps. - ? -2 available

DT, Todd and sol have spoken up about one but didn't say which model.

Mike, i can't make sense of what you've posted - what's spare? If there's some thin tubing and a couple of end caps can i grab them?

Solid heads. If you follow the links you'll see.

6 mallet heads that are 2 3/8 inches diameter X 5.5 inches long with either 1 end or both ends closed.
4 heads 2 inches by 5.5 inches with 1 or both ends closed.

Basically there's not any free if the people that spoke up about them still want them and aren't too bothered about size/model. That's all to be decided once they get here I guess.

Basically a wasted post!
Sorry...

i just worked out that i could make 8-10 caps with £15 worth of rod. i just need some abs.
does anyone know the inside/outside diameter of the pipe vidal can get?

bring it on!

The larger size is 60mm outside, 51mm inside (it's probably 50.8mm as this = 2"). I don't have a piece of the smaller stuff, but Matt can measure. The small stuff is pretty amazing because it's so light, the end caps would give it a nice bit of weight.

60mm sounds good to me from a head size point of view but i'm leaning towards the smaller stuff as (as you say) the lightness would be great
and also because the price of solid HDPE drops dramatically with diameter

I'll PM him.

i just did aswell :-)

Ha ha. You know, he can just get end caps sent over with the ABS if you ask him? We're really making more work for ourselves than necessary.

yeah i know, but where's the fun in that?!

great stuff, but why not make some caps for the standard pipe that's readily available here? you'll get a lot more interest purely because the abs pipe (although better) is really hard to get hold of here, so only a couple of people have it.

He can get someone to buy OTP end caps from a hardware store that fit neatly over the ends. Job done.

Okay, i'm PM'ing him now to tell him to ignore all other correspondence and get on the blower to his stateside relatives.

Way too sensible Dt, we're only interested in what the americans are doing.

actually i totally agree with you dt i think it would be a much better idea.
the only drawback is the weight but i think it would be possible to drill a hell of a lot more weight out of the mallet (not the plugs) considering the ends would be 'protected'
i think it just depends on what everyone wants tbh

yeah hassan has done something where the main bit of pipe is drilled out loads and the two end caps (which take all the abuse) are replacable. Something like that would be ideal. Whatever you decide count me in :)

Yep, hassan has basically slipped a couple of bits of the big pipe (63mm) over the ends of some small pipe (50mm). The problem with it is that there is now a lip which catches - i've seen him have that mallet taken out his hands a couple of times already.

Inside fitting end caps ftw!

yeah man fuck all that expensive shit. my brother in law is a plumber and he can get mad ABS for super cheap. the inside diameter of the small stuff is 1.5" the outside diameter is 1 7/8". maybe a dollar per foot.

the caps are more expensive, something like $2/cap. seems about as cheap as cohen can make it. but i want to get in on make some -- cohen do you think i could come with you once to make some? just for fun?

still, i can take another big order. order 1.5" tubing by the foot and caps in singles or pairs. i'll take a list and see if i can send off one more order in a week. i'll get back to you with final costs soon.

personally i think a 1.5 ABS with caps is the best mallet head there is (at least for the money). but i do also like hassan's mallet (but haven't played with it yet).

the problem with 1.5" inside diameter is that with the caps i would like to make that wold be your head size whereas the head is bigger using plumbing caps like you have vidal
is there a (slightly) larger diameter abs easily available?
or do you think the smaller head would be ok?

yeah, i have some 2" ABS (inside diameter), same as the PE they have here.

Yep, hassan has basically slipped a couple of bits of the big pipe (63mm) over the ends of some small pipe (50mm). The problem with it is that there is now a lip which catches - i've seen him have that mallet taken out his hands a couple of times already.

Inside fitting end caps ftw!

that works both ways. and i don't think me dropping my mallet is the head's fault, the pole on it is a bit too short for me, so i have to hold it right at the end and i don't get the best grip. plus mine's made using locally available materials and doesn't require any special machining or anything, just a hacksaw and a drill. done.