If I did it again, I'd use 7/8 hex for my couplings. Guys at work knurled theirs for extra grip. I'm not very good on a lathe so I left mine smooth. I might primer them or not. It's just rust anyway, which might give me more grip. I'll antisieze the setscrews so they'll come apart when I need to. If you buy the components, it's 13 bucks per coupling. 13×2 couplings (male and female), 13 for the tip and 10 for a plastic handle. Now you see why I made mine. That's another 100 for hardware for 2 12ft poles.