Make a practice contact staff?

I am interested in learning contact staff and I have been using my friends a bit but as it is not mine I cannot practice with it nearly as much as I would like. I tried using a mop handle but that alone is just not cutting it, since I have started to lean tward contact. I was going to just buy a fire staff but thought maybe I should try and Make something to practice with and then figure out down the line exactly what I want.
Can anyone give me suggestions on how to make one? How much weight I should be looking for? And how to balance it?
Thanks.

check out the below thread by MCP for making a contact staff:

http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/ubbt...html#Post873243

Alternatively on the cheap you can use a wooden broom handle (make sure it's straight) stick some grip on it (tennis racket grip is good and cheap to start) then get 2 old inner tubes (1 for each end) cut it so you have a tube, then cut again length-wise so you have a long flat peice of rubber, attach to the end of the staff (staples or gaffa tape) and just wind it round and fix in place with a bit of gaffa tape to keep it in pace making sure to keep it tight.

do that for both ends ensuring you keep the balance point in the middle and hey presto a very cheap practice staff. Note for contact you may want something a little heavier so feel free to change the wooden pole for a metal tube (not too thick or heavy) so you get a good solid feel but not something that strains your wrist to just spin.

Hope all that helps.

thanks for the help! :-)