Hammo Can Antenna

I needed a better way to store my Hammo Can antenna.  I ran to the local hardware store and found some 1-1/2" PVC schedule 40 pipe, because that's larger than the diameter of the antenna base.  I cut a 48" length of the pipe.

Next, I glued up some fittings so that I could thread things on.  I'm going all-external to keep the 1.5" interior dimension to fit the antenna.

After that, I needed to machine some pieces that I could set inside those end caps.  I took some UHMW round, bored it through 0.800" (to clear a male PL-259 thread, which I had put a male-to-male connector in the bottom of the antenna).  I then bored out only 1.25" deep to a 1.038" inside diameter (to grip the antenna's straight knurling).  The outside was turned down to 1.480" (a slightly slip-fit for the inside of the pipe end).

With the part parted from the rest of the stock, and inserted into the pipe, I cross drilled with a 13/64" (a clearance drill size for a 5mm screw) both the outside pipe and the part itself. 

I used the hole in the part to line it up with a drill bit, clamp a vise around it to hold it securely, then drilled the part itself for a threaded insert with the size specific for my inserts (letter "J").  I installed one heat-set insert, and bolted the part in place.  Since this is my first of four holes, I added a witness mark via sharpie so that I knew which hole went where.

The part was chucked back up into the lathe to turn it round again just on that surface, and then re-installed to the pipe with one screw.  It was then taken back to the drill press to pop the three remaining holes with the 13/64" drill bit.  The same technique was used to then clamp on the 13/64", switch to the "J" drill bit, and add clearance for the inserts.  Then, install the last three inserts, and turned back down to dimension on that insert band on the lathe again.

Next up, I heated the part up until I could force the antenna/pl-259 adapter into the part, and locked it down with a washer.  Back into the pipe went the part/antenna.

This means I can unthread this from a pipe, flip it around, and thread it back into the pipe, and I have an outside antenna that can be staked to the ground via the pipe, or return it internally to the pipe to protect it in storage.
 

Now I have a functional storage for the antenna that also doubles as a riser!