2 ft. Extension for expandable gourd rack!!!

[taxidermy lady]

I bought a 2 ft. Extension for my expandable gourd rack and OMG what a job to get on. I beat the heck out of it for 2 hours with a piece of board and a heavy sledge. You know how that stings your hand when you hold it. It only moved like 1 cm each slam! Some hits it didn't move at all. I put oil on it to slicken it up but didn't help much. I had it against a wooden shelf in the garage and I made a big indent in the 2x8. PMCA needs to talk to hilltop and have them fabricate just a little smaller. I will email them and tell them also.
I like it up higher since I live in a low area. I have moved both gourd racks out by the field and they are now 150 ft. Away from tree line. I will post a picture when I get it all done.
I seen martins today above barrow pit feeding. If I had to guess it was a family out for a run. Looked like about 7 or 8 of them. They seemed to be watching me when I was out by the racks! Ok good luck everyone get those babies in the air I need some!!!!

[John Miller]

There is such a low tolerance on these things that sometimes one will stick. We had trouble putting the two sections of a basic pole together once and beat it to the point of causing damage. It may help to make sure when one first starts to insert that is appears to be going in snug but not stuck -- maybe gets off a hair going in -- but not sure.

I think higher will help. Once you get martins, you can keep the rack lowered to 12 or 14 feet. That's what we do at Cahokia Mounds Historic Site, (Collinsville, Il), speaking of which I'd encourage folks to try to check out that site about 8 to 8:30 p.m. this weekend (lull in rain) for fledglings returning to roost. Was amazing to watch last weekend, and probably still many birds there. Sure wish someone could get video, as it's a very public site I think we could then post the video and make a splash.

[taxidermy lady]

Yeah John you're right once I got it started there was no getting it out. I had to get it in there or cut it off. When I noticed it was so tight I put oil on it and it went in and got straight. But there was a spot it didn't budge until I beat on it so hard I had my arm hurting! I emailed Janice at PMCA and called Mel at Hilltop Specialties. So I'm sure they will call me back. I may have to get the other extension replaced because if it fits tight like this one no way will I go any further with it. I have the one I did up and it looks high and I really like it.

I am not sure what is going on this weekend. But if I get a chance I will try to get up there. The only thing I have to video is my iPad. My cell phone is a jiffy phone. In other words I buy my minutes online. Only have it for when I travel since I work at home! Ok thanks and good luck!!

[avesrun]

Never heard of these extensions; what're they all about? Are they made for the 3" sq. poles? Sounds like something I need at my place too. It's uncanny Sharon; we're both moving our setups out closer to the fields to avoid a line of tall trees! Ya gotta do what ya gotta do! It just kinda ticks me off though cause I'm already 90 ft. which was supposed to be good enough and all other directions have clear flyways. 3 darn years and waiting at home.
I haven't moved mine yet and I kind of talk myself out of it every time I see these visitors come in and lurk around for quite awhile; the trees don't bother them. I keep thinking it may NOT be the trees as much as a lack of good martin population and that I just need to be paitient. Oh well. Maybe next year.
TimG

[taxidermy lady]

Tim I have 2" square aluminum poles. And these fit inside the top of the pole. I had to relocate the pulley and perch rods. I am up against a corn field now. Next year it's soybeans. The next wheat. Then corn again. I live in a low area so just thinking to hard probably. But I do like it higher. I have one done but if the other one is as tight as the first, NOWAY will I beat on it like I did the first one.
Yeah mine probably would have been fine where I had them since I did attract a pair. But why I'm doing it is when I seen the hawk get a cow bird and then my martins abandoned the nest after they built it. Makes me wonder was it the hawk or was they just not ready to nest????? I will never know but if I can make it better I will. I think they will be safer and get away from hawks with it more out n the open and being higher. No more bird feeders or cd playing. Since I took the bird feeder down I haven't seen any small hawks. Just red tail. I have about 4 trees I will be taking down this winter. Three in the front yard and 1 in the tree line. Good luck with your home site next year and your new babies at the quarry site.
It is suppose to get hot here in southern Il. I was wondering if you have your gourds vented. Those older babies will need air flow when they get ready for fledging. Sorry Tim but I am fretting about yours. We gotta get them in the air.

[Kelly Applegate~MN]

I noticed that after I put a 2' extension on my poles the rope dings the pole in the wind. Sometimes if the wind is blowing just right it will ding loudly like a giant wind chime! I ended up tying an old T-shirt around the rope just above head height....no more annoying dinging pole.

[BW Fowler]

I had some trouble putting together my 2' extension for the 2" square aluminum pole, but not as much as you did. It eventually went together after a few good whacks. I might suggest if you do this again you could heat the end of the pole using two hair dryers, one placed on either side to try to heat the end of the pole as uniformly as possible. For the extension piece, you could place the end that inserts into the pole into an ice bucket for ~30 minutes. This will expand the pole with the heat and contract the extension with the cold. It should be much easier to fit them together using this method, but you will want to fit them together pretty quick before they go back to the same temperature.

Good luck,
BW

[John Miller]

Regarding the rope dinging the pole in a wind, I have started after raising my systems on ropes and pulleys but still holding tension in my hand to wrap the rope one loop around the pole before I wrap the rope onto the rope winder. It can lead to modest entanglement later around the base when the house is lowered again -- but not bad. Folks can experiment.

[taxidermy lady]

thanks BW I will try the hot and cold method. with some grease on the sleeve. Thanks you very much.

[Anthony Neira]

O.K, Maybe I'm stepping in "iT" , but in Jan. I just put 3, 2' extensions for my 3, 2" square poles, and notice I first had to make sure the thin metal plate was as flat as I could make it on the extension shaft, AND I got my Fav. metal file ( the VERY Fine one ) and sanded the edges that would go INTO the pole, tapered down, I then sprayed WD-40 on it and in the pole, they all went in smoothly
Last week ( July) way after my PMs all fledged, I took down one pole down (& put up a single Trio house in place of the 2, with my old 3 section pole, as to not scare the PMs when they paid a visit in the mornings) to get ready to move it to my back yard, and with the help of my sister holding on to one end & a little WD-40 again, we took apart the pole in the middle itself first, ( again, I used the file, & WD-40 on the edges of the pole's shaft end that goes into the other pole half ) and with a little back & forth on the extension & WD-40 again, we took it off the top of the pole. (?)
I REALLY Believe that the file was the answer to helping me !(?) but I also like working with metal.

[taxidermy lady]

Thanks for your suggestion Anthony! I am going to wait until this winter to do the other extension. The pole will be cold and I will heat the sleeve. It was not made to the right specs. I talked with Mel at Hilltop specialties and the 2" square pole I have is different than the one he makes. So it was very tight. I should have never put it on the pole. I will never get it out. But never fear I will get this one in and it will be easier. I may use a fine file on the sleeve to bevel the edges. I should have waited for help but no not me I always think I can do it!!!

[Anthony Neira]

Sounds Good Sharon ! I tend to live by the file !
I even had trouble with new gourd hanging Arms getting stuck in the arm holder, after trying NOT to destroy everything, when I finally got the off, I used my file to "Roll" the arm size down to fit the holder!