Traditional panking poles

[michael]

This weekend I finally broke my panking pole,which I inherited from
the previous owner of our Herefordshire cottage about 25 years ago.It
was a very long piece of 1/4" diameter mild steel,with the end turned
over in the form of a hook.Unfortunatunately,the steel has become very
brittle when bent,and I have broken it several times,being too lazy to
use heat for the job.It is now too short,so I am on the look out for a
new device,in particular to bring down perry pears from very large
trees.
I am wondering what traditional panking poles looked like-a straight
piece of thin ash with a hook attached perhaps.Has anyone come across
any old photographs showing panking poles in use?
Michael

[Stephen Hayes]

I should think hazel would be the thing, even if it wore out after a year or
2. In my coppice I have some poles 4 metres or so long. You can bend the top
over carefully, tie it into a crook with string, and it will set in that
position once dry.

There is bound to be some hazel near you, but do make sure to ask nicely!
search on hurdle makers and you will find a craftsman who works the hazel
coppices and who I'm sure will be able to help if asked. There are a few
hazel coppice workers in Hampshire.

Stephen

[Martin Inwood]

I use two lengths of thick bamboo cut off about 2" from the next segment
joined together with a hazel spigot(just like a fishing rod) and bound up
with gaffer tape, easy to take down and stow away.
I have a stiff wire hook on the end (coat hanger).

Regards
Martin

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[Stephen Hayes]

That sounds a bit like my 'scrumping stick' I used as a lad to get apples
hanging over fences! I think it was a kids fishing net.

[Martin Inwood]

This is about 2" thick and 15ft long. Light & strong, I have a very
aggressive clump of bamboo in my garden, probably the worst kind.
If any member in range wants some poles, stop by and we will cut some down.

[The Marches Cyder Circle]

Ash seems to be the wood of choice on all the old poles i've seen
around hereabouts. An iron hook is usually made by using the 'socket'
off an old garden fork (or pitchfork). One of these, perhaps with a
broken tine, can be picked up for next to nowt at a car-boot sale. The
remaining tine/s can be heated and bent to shape easily enough i
should think. If you cant do it yourself a blacksmith would oblige i'm
sure.

Happy panking! Ny.

[PHILL PALMER]

My first panking pole as Ny will tell you was a disaster.

it was a telescopic fishing rod bought at aldi's with a bit of waste pipe attached (bent into a hook)

i was so keen to use it Ny didn't have the heart to tell me it wouldn't last 2 minutes.

lo and behold it fell apart in minutes of trying it on a standard orchard.

it is fine on smaller trees but i am looking for something for bigger trees.

i need something that can be taken apart and fit into a van, so a traditional pole it out of the question.

i've looked at drain rods. (£15 in machine mart).

anyone have any thoughts ?

phill


> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 21:08:10 -0700

> Subject: [Cider Workshop] Re: Traditional panking poles

> From: marches.c...@mypostoffice.co.uk
> To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com

[Ray Blockley]

Phill wrote:

> i've looked at drain rods. (£15 in machine mart).

 

I have three sets of rods for sweeping my chimney (part of the joys of having a wood burner stove) - an old cane set I was given; a plastic set I bought from Machine Mart (same as the drain rods) and a new highly flexible set of nylon rods (£90!!!). Of all of these, the cane set would be the most suitable if you were to go down this route as they are quite rigid and the clever brass locking system keeps them spot-on.

 

The M.M. plastic rods are light and hollow, with a twin perpendicular rib arrangement running along their length. This does make them weaker though, as I found when one of the rods snapped when I was trying to pull the brush back down the chimney - hence I went for the pukka (and expensive) nylon rods.  

 

Maybe asking on something like Freecycle could magic up an old set of cane rods?

 

Cheers,

 

Ray
http://hucknallciderco.blogspot.com/

----- Original Message -----

From: PHILL PALMER

To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 6:06 PM

Subject: [Cider Workshop] Re: Traditional panking poles

My first panking pole as Ny will tell you was a disaster.

it was a telescopic fishing rod bought at aldi's with a bit of waste pipe attached (bent into a hook)

i was so keen to use it Ny didn't have the heart to tell me it wouldn't last 2 minutes.

lo and behold it fell apart in minutes of trying it on a standard orchard.

it is fine on smaller trees but i am looking for something for bigger trees.

i need something that can be taken apart and fit into a van, so a traditional pole it out of the question.

[Barrie Gibson]

Both Stanley and Draper manufacture strong lightweight telescopic decorators poles some of which can go 4 or 5 metres. Lots of places sell them, for example http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/sc-44-1938-extension-poles.asp

Barrie

 

---

> </HTML<BR

 

 

Barrie Gibson 

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[michael]

Thanks for all of the replies,which gives me a great choice.I have a
good supply of young ash near me,so I will go for that and a
blacksmith made hook.I will look for a fast growing piece,as the
slower growers branch,and also become too thick at the base,making
them too heavy.I suppose I should get about 5 years out of a piece of
ash,presumably until woodworm takes over.Perhaps I should use wood
preservative on the thin end to prolong its life,but it rather goes
against the grain.
Cheers,Michael

On 7 Oct, 05:08, The Marches Cyder Circle

> > Michael- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[PHILL PALMER]

ray,

i've tried out and found the drain rods too flexible. so i've bolted a few old aluminium tent poles together, with the last one bent into a hook.

they seem to work great but i must get some dome nuts as the bolts ripped my marigolds to shreds while panking some perry pears last weekend.

phill

---

From: raybl...@ntlworld.com
To: cider-w...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [Cider Workshop] Re: Traditional panking poles

Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:36:36 +0100

> </HTML<BR

[jez....@btinternet.com]

Phill,

For a second I was trying to understand how a panking pole managed to damage low level flowers... Very fetching! (You could get tougher gloves?!)

Jez :-)

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

---

From: PHILL PALMER <filp...@hotmail.com>

Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:38:07 +0000