Telescopic WOODEN (or wood effect) curtain pole for kitchen

[MM]

I've made a pair of tab-top curtains from a flat bed sheet. The curtain pole at present fits WITHIN the recess to the patio doors. Up until now I have "made do" with a telescopic curtain rod from Wilko, but these are far to small in diameter and thus look out of proportion. But I prefer the look of a curtain within the recess, not in front of it.

Wilko (and also Screwfix) do supply telescopic shower curtain rods with a diameter of 22mm, but these are only available in white or chrome. I want a wooden curtain pole. I have such a curtain pole from the old house. It's in two pieces with a double-ended screw in the middle.

So how could I modify this wooden pole to make it telescopic so that it springs out within the recess and holds itself in place? NB: The new curtains are very lightweight, and the current Wilko thin telescopic pole holds them perfectly adequately.

I reckon, if one bought a couple of large cupboard knobs and drilled them out to take the pole (approx 25mm dia), then shortened the wooden pole just a tad so that there was a gap of, say, 10mm inside the knob, I could then insert a small compression spring inside the knob so that the pole butts up against it. I would only need this at one end. The other end could just press against the plaster, inside its knob. Or maybe insert a sprig (sprig, not spring) in the end to bite into the plaster a tad. So the end result would be:

Wall -- compression spring -- pole -- sprig -- wall. The only point of the drilled-out knobs is to hide the ends. These would be a fairly tight fit around the pole and thus wouldn't need any fixing.

To install, slide the pole inside the sprung end and push hard to compress the spring. Then slide the pole into the horizontal position and release the pressure. The spring expands and holds the pole!

Anyone got any better ideas? And where might I locate a suitable spring?

MM

[spuorgelgoog]

bicycle pump?

Or those telescopic shower rails.

Or don't use a telescopic rod but hang a pole on wardrobe rail end brackets.

Owain

[mark.bluemel]

My immediate reaction was that.

[The Natural Philosopher]

• making springs is easy. just get a length of piano wire from a model shop and wind it round a suitable mandrel.

[The Todal]

Google

or An Angle Grinder.

[MM]

All the ones I've see require drilling and I want to avoid drilling in the area in question, as the cable detector detects something metallic continuously. May only be a lintel or something, but since the telescopic rod from Wilko works fine, the principle of a sprung rod has to be a suitable alternative to drilling.

MM

[News]

In message , MM writes

I think that would work. I would use blind holes in the knobs to ensure the full width of the back of the knob was applying pressure to the wall, and ensure the sharp end of a spring was not digging into the plaster.

You would need a fairly wide and substantial spring. How about a car valve/rocker spring? It would only need to be compressed a few mm to slip into place. Make doubly sure by having a spring at both ends.

[Lee]

If you are not averse to a *shallow* hole in the said area, then a couple of ball roller catches may be sufficiently strong to hold up the pole+curtains, if they are as light as you say.

[Lee]

Assuming solid poles, drill out a larger diameter hole a few mm deep for a rubber* washer/cap and a further smaller diameter, deeper hole for the spring. Only problem is attaching the rubber cap to the spring in a way it won't fall off every time you move the pole - the one I had here was moulded in a way that it had a "peg" that the spring wound onto.

*white rubber would be preferable, unless you want to mark the wall every time you move it :)

[MM]

That's a good idea about the valve spring, but it would have to be cut shorter, as the valve springs I remember from my youth (Morris 8, Standard Vanguard, Ford Popular) were about 2 inches long. As I recall, the spring steel was extremely tough, but H/D side cutters might go through. Don't think one would have much joy with a hacksaw, but then I've never tried cutting a valve spring!

MM

[MM]

Ah, now THAT is a brilliant suggestion! And one I had just not thought of. Yes, ball catches do have quite a "push" behind them. Thanks.

MM