Practice Fire / Contact Staff - Cheap and Easy

Hello there.

So I wanted to learn how to spin a Fire Staff and/or do Contact manipulation of a staff. But I did not want to invest a lot of money until I knew I was going to like it.

Searching the internet and instructables yielded many results on making staff out of aluminum rods, shower curtain rods and wood dowels. But those items tend to be:

a) expensive
b) hard to come by
c) too heavy and
d) hurts a LOT when it hits you in the face.

So I went to my local H*** Despot and Wally-Market and picked up supplies to make a PVC Practice Fire / Contact Staff.

Total Cost: Less than $20.
End Result: Staff that does not hurt me (much) as I learn to spin.

Please Note: At NO point should this practice staff be set on fire!

Step 1 Parts List and Tools

Parts

 1/2" - 1" Schedule 40 PVC pipe. 10 ft is $2.00
Foam exercise mat or camping mat - $6
Role of duct tape. $4
Really big nails: $1
Contact cement: $3
Tennis racket grip tape. $4
 
Tools

Hack saw
Scissors
Sharpie
Ruler