Papays are big fruit; heavy, and often high up.
After getting the picker fingers around the fruit, you pull the string to close the flexible "fingers". Twist the fruit to break the stem, and lower the fruit to the ground.
Although this design works, and the closing fingers are a neat mechanism to play with, you can find a stronger design with no moving parts on my other instructable; http://www.instructables.com/id/Heavy-Duty-Papaya-Picker The heavy-duty design has given me years of service with no problems.
After getting the picker fingers around the fruit, you pull the string to close the flexible "fingers". Twist the fruit to break the stem, and lower the fruit to the ground.
Although this design works, and the closing fingers are a neat mechanism to play with, you can find a stronger design with no moving parts on my other instructable; http://www.instructables.com/id/Heavy-Duty-Papaya-Picker The heavy-duty design has given me years of service with no problems.
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Signing UpStep 1: Safety while heat forming PVC
We love plastics for what they do for us, but plastic manufacture and decay tend to pollute the environment and negatively affect our health.
Vinyl Chloride, one of the components of PVC, is carcinogenic. When it is locked up in the polymer, however, it is much safer to be around. In my years of experience working with PVC, I have not noticed any adverse effects on my health from being around it.
Always work in areas with good ventilation. If you do get caught in a cloud of smoke, hold your breath and move to clean air.
When heating PVC with a gas stove or propane torch, try not to let it burn. Smoke from burning PVC is bad. With experience one burns it less and less. Don't panic the first time you do burn some. It scorches, but doesn't immediately burst into flame. Move the material away from the flame and try again. Don't breathe the smoke. Smoke avoidance comes naturally for most people.
While heating PVC over a gas flame, keep the plastic an appropriate distance from the flame to avoid scorching the surface before the inside can warm up. It takes time for heat to travel to the center of the material being heated.
Keep the plastic moving, and keep an eye on the state of the plastic. When heated, the PVC material is flexible, like leather. Beyond this stage, you risk scorching it.
A word from James, the plastic engineer -- "Just a word of warning, PVC can handle some high heats but if it catches fire, you wont be able to put it out, it does not need oxygen to burn so don't do this inside".
I do work inside, but my house is made of cement and has good ventilation. MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE GOOD VENTILATION. PLAY WITH FIRE -- CAREFULLY.
Vinyl Chloride, one of the components of PVC, is carcinogenic. When it is locked up in the polymer, however, it is much safer to be around. In my years of experience working with PVC, I have not noticed any adverse effects on my health from being around it.
Always work in areas with good ventilation. If you do get caught in a cloud of smoke, hold your breath and move to clean air.
When heating PVC with a gas stove or propane torch, try not to let it burn. Smoke from burning PVC is bad. With experience one burns it less and less. Don't panic the first time you do burn some. It scorches, but doesn't immediately burst into flame. Move the material away from the flame and try again. Don't breathe the smoke. Smoke avoidance comes naturally for most people.
While heating PVC over a gas flame, keep the plastic an appropriate distance from the flame to avoid scorching the surface before the inside can warm up. It takes time for heat to travel to the center of the material being heated.
Keep the plastic moving, and keep an eye on the state of the plastic. When heated, the PVC material is flexible, like leather. Beyond this stage, you risk scorching it.
A word from James, the plastic engineer -- "Just a word of warning, PVC can handle some high heats but if it catches fire, you wont be able to put it out, it does not need oxygen to burn so don't do this inside".
I do work inside, but my house is made of cement and has good ventilation. MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE GOOD VENTILATION. PLAY WITH FIRE -- CAREFULLY.
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Glad to be of service. I used to live over there many years ago. Many fond memories.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Heavy-Duty-Papaya-Picker Try this one. It's my favorite. The closing finger idea is fun, but the fingers can break. This heavy-duty design is more solid and has no moving parts.
My strongest papaya picker is basically a 5 gallon plastic bucket rigidly mounted to the end of some 1 1/2, or 2 inch diameter thick walled PVC pipe. It has a fishnet bag mounted inside it to catch the papaya. You work it up under the papaya, and twist it around until the stem breaks, but it doesn't have a positive grab on the papaya like this design does. The fishnet may help by giving it a little extra friction on the fruit.
Anyway, the closing fingers are cool, but yes, it could be stronger.
I used to make the hooks by forging out some 1/2" rebar, I think, to make a sharp point. I used an acetylene torch for heating, a hammer and anvil. After you forge the point, heat the rebar and bend the hook shape. Weld the hook to the end of the pipe.
Anyway, the hook on a pole is the best coconut picking pole I have found. After you impale the husk, you can even lower the coconut to the ground under control.
L