Mangrove Push Pole Assembly Kit (~19’4”
length)
Contents:
1 pole
section with foot installed
2 pole
sections with ferrule installed on one end
1 pole
section with tip and ferrule installed
Epoxy kit (2 complete kits included):
1 Resin
packet
1 Hardener packet
1 Thickener packet
1 cup
1 stir stick
1 brush
1 brush
extension
3 alcohol
swab packets
1 pair of
XL Nitrile gloves
Things you’ll need to supply to
assemble the sections:
- Level
surface with enough space to assemble all the sections at once
- Masking
or packaging tape to hold the sections together once the epoxy is applied.
- Paper
towels
- Old
newspapers to catch any stray epoxy that may squeeze out of the joints.
- An extra
pair of hands would be nice if they’re handy, but this can easily be done solo.
- About an
hour of free time to put this all together.
***Read and be familiar with all the
steps BEFORE mixing any epoxy.***
Pick a day/time when the
temperature is between 65 – 80 deg F. so the epoxy will not cure too fast or
too slow.
Do not touch the ferrule surfaces with your bare
hands. The oils on your hands could
prevent the epoxy from bonding to the surface.
Step 1:
Layout
All the sections come
prepped, pre-fitted, and labeled for easy assembly. Each end to be joined will have a piece of
tape on it labeled “A”, “B, or “C”. The
sections will me mated so the letters match: “A” – “A”, “B – B”, “C” – “C”.
The first step is to lay
out all the sections on a level surface in the order that they need to be
assembled so the entire pole is laid out.
Place newspaper under the joints to prevent any epoxy from ruining the
surface. (The epoxy will become
permanent stuck if it’s not cleaned up.)
Step 2: Get
Organized
You’ll have about 20
minutes of working time once you mix up the epoxy. This allows over 6 minutes per joint if the
temperature is around 75 deg.
Make sure all the epoxy kit
supplies are at hand.
Step 3:
Mixing Epoxy
The epoxy resin and
hardener are pre-measured insure an accurate mixing ratio. Be sure to use the entire contents of each
package or you risk having the epoxy not cure properly.
A.
Insert the brush extension
into the end of the brush.
B.
Cut open and squeeze
the entire contents of 1 Resin
package into the plastic mixing cup.
C.
Cut open and squeeze
the entire contents of 1 Hardener
package into the plastic mixing cup.
D. Take the mixing stick and mix THOROUGHLY mix the resin and hardener together. Be sure to scrape the cup sides and bottom several times. It will take 60 to 90 seconds of continuous mixing & scraping to get the components completely blended.
E.
Cut open and pour in
the entire contents of the thickening powder into the epoxy mixture.
Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and consistent.
It should resemble the thickness of ketchup or mayo.
Step 4:
Applying the Thickened Epoxy
Work on one complete joint
at a time. DO NOT jump ahead and try to coat all the ferrules at once or all
the interior surfaces at once.
Use the brush to apply the
thickened epoxy to the inside of the 1st joint “A” – “A”. You do not have to have a thick layer. Just spread enough of the mixture so the
surface has been “wetted” with epoxy. Coat
the interior up to the depth of the metal brush end. Anything past that point will just waste
epoxy and add unneeded weight.
Set the interior joint
aside and coat the ferrule portion of the “A” – “A” joint. Apply epoxy to the entire ferrule surface as
even as possible. A thick layer is not
necessary since a good portion of it will be squeezed out.
Step 5: Joint
Assembly
Slide the male ferrule into
the mating section slowly while rotating/twisting the pieces together.
You may have to stop a couple of times to scrape the excess epoxy off of the joint. Place the excess epoxy back in the cup to reuse on the next joint. Scrape the joint clean, but wait for the final clean up until all the sections have been assembled.
Temporarily place a piece
of tape across the joint to keep it from sliding apart as you join the other
sections.
As a time check, this
should only have taken about 6 minutes or less for Steps 4 & 5. If the epoxy has started to thicken too much,
stop before bonding together
another section. Mix up another batch
with the extra epoxy kit. It was
included in case you couldn’t get all the sections together in one batch.
***Repeat Steps 4 & 5 for the remaining pole
sections.
Remove the tape a joint and
rotate the sections to get the best alignment of the surfaces. The sections may have a slight variation in
wall thickness so rotate the two halves to get the best fit.
Use the alcohol swabs and
paper towels to do a final clean up of any squeeze out. Any remaining residue will cure to the
surface and cannot be removed without sanding.
Place another piece of tape
tightly across the joint to hold the sections together while the epoxy cures.
Look along the completed
pole for any traces of epoxy that may have transferred to the surface accidently. Clean
everything thoroughly.
Step 7: Final
Cure
At normal room temperature
(~70 deg) the epoxy will be 95% cured in 24 hours. This will allow you to move and handle the
completed pole. I would refrain from
using the pole in direct sunlight for about 2 days
total, just to be sure that the epoxy has fully cured.
If the pole was assembled
in cooler temperatures, then allow 4 or 5 days for complete cure. Basically, every 10 deg drop in temperature
will prolong the cure for an extra day.
(Example - @ 60 deg F, the epoxy will cure in 48 hours for handling or
moving, but take 4 days to completely cure)