Build vs Buy an ADS Extender

I’ve been researching extender threads for a while and I’m undecided on what to do (build vs buy). I have a great hanging device (Bib) and I just ordered a good pump (Bathmate Hydro Extreme 9). I’ve decided it’s time to get a good ADS. I’ve observed guys using extenders seem to get very consistent gains that can sometimes surpass other methods (and it seems risk of injury is quite low compared to other means).

Over 10 years ago I attempted to build a captains wench ADS… I could try & finish it (maybe later I’ll show a picture that will show visually what’s missing). It’s mostly done, but not functional.
The Captn’s Wench: PE Device
-it might be a project to get it to a state that fulfills what I’m looking for (and what I’m looking for is probably what everyone else wants in an extender)
-I would like to invest a lot of time into passive gains with very low force over a lot of time, I think it will help my gains

What I’m looking for in an ADS:
-minimal effort to use / maintain
-not unecessarily painful (I have no foreskin / so at least that shoudln’t be an issue)
-supports lots of angles (can tie to my shoulder, below knee, to my hip, etc so I can work on stretching different angles)
-the noose builds scare me, but I don’t know if I prefer a vacum head or traction based head (I’m open to advice here)
-unlikely to injure me (or can be modified to be safe)

Other thoughts (nice to have):
-optional: it shows measurements (how far it’s extending me)
-optional: hidden — people can’t see it easily, but not a deal breaker
-it doesn’t need to be pretty (results are really what matters)

Buy:
Is the Penimaster the most popular ADS right now? I don’t think it existed 11 years ago (the start of my longest decon break ever), but it looks a little flimsy in the pictures? Are there other options I should consider? (Leluv, Apex Extender … etc) I don’t mind spending money (so maybe I’m answering my own question) but if I could build something great in an afternoon, maybe it’s not worth buying an expensive device.

Build:
Are there nice parts I could buy and easily put together & get something good enough without a huge amount of effort? I’ve seen a lot of forum entries, but often the guides are old and sometimes you can’t get the exact parts & need to find a lot of substitutes. Anyone willing to point to a link or a picture of something? As I mentioned my attempt to build a captain’s wench failed (I think I was missing some key parts).

I’m reasonably happy with my old style Total Man extender.

Thanks AndyJ. The total man extender is way more reasonably priced than most of the other options I’ve seen. It looks like it has everything too. It’s an option I’m thinking about now…

Here’s pictures of my partially complete home-made extender which I wanted to combine with my captain’s wench for comfort. I also had some springs, but never finished putting it all together (I needed some other forgotten part that I couldn’t find - -maybe it was surgical tubing).

The TM extender I have is the ring with two threaded rods, a couple of knurled nuts, and a sliding plastic crosspiece. There are several out there of similar design.

I found the loose rods flopped around a lot, so I made a crossmember out of a piece of aluminum. After torquing the nuts down, things were a lot steadier.

Uh… I used the scale to measure tension from the springs, then measured the length of the springs between the nuts and the bridge, then cut a square gage with the corners notched so each side had a different length, to use to set tension. You can also see bits of the brass sleeves I put in the bridge, so it would slide easier. Because, well, you know… whatever.

You need the cable clamps for the Wench, and a way to attach the Wench to the sled.

You don’t really need the sled with the Wench; just a crossmember to loop the Wench strap over. Might need to extend the side rods, though.

Ive been using a. Vacuum cap on my glans together with a silicone cylinder base comfort ring on the base of my dick connected with a bungie cord around my waist. I adjust the tension by adding knots to the bungie cord. Total cost about $25.

That’s how I have my ADS rigged. It’s a lot more consistent pull than trying to anchor above the calf.

AndyJ: I see, thanks. I think you’re right about what’s missing. Also, what you’ve done to the TM extender with the aluminum cross piece looks very solid / steady. I really appreciate your help lately… I’ve been making a few trips to the store, gearing up to get into PE again (a number of your ideas / suggestions made it into my shopping list).

dtwarren1942: It sounds like you’ve got a basic ADS putting tension on your unit with this rig.

Sorry if these are naive questions — keep in mind I haven’t used an ADS before (my routines 10 years ago were only manual & hanging):
-Is the lengthening strain all coming through the vacuum cap on the glans (and the bungee attached to your leg)?
-What is the purpose of the "silicone cylinder base comfort ring"? (why isn’t just the vacuum cap and the bungee cord enough?)

The vacuum cap also has a sleeve that rolls down about 1.5” onto the shaft which absorbs part of the tension. The comfort ring around the base provides something for the other end of the bungee to attach to (it doesn’t go down the leg, but surveys the same purpose as a leg strap.)

One end of the strap or bungee attaches to the anchor ring at the base of your shaft. The bungee loops around your waist and the other end attaches to the cap. You adjust tension with D rings or one of those climbing rope thingamabobs.

From the "Hanging with FIRe" Thread:

I wonder how he came up with this range (my guess is he read some academic papers). I have no idea how I can make sure my penile tissue is actually in that range. I wonder if anyone has thoughts on that?

The mentioned thread is great beacuse it provides specific advice on how to apply heat that is tied to scientific research. Note: I purchased a cheap $30 heating pad today (from a local store) and it was worthless — it couldn’t get warm enough (it felt "lukewarm" after putting it on max heat for 30 minutes). This link shows a similar cheap heating pad (it’s not the exact one I purchased, but I suspect all heating pads like this generally will not work for PE): https://www.ama … /dp/B0CBXDBVZ5/

I went back & dug into the "Hanging with FIRe" thread and spent hours trying to find the right infrared heating pad mentioned by 5.5Squared online. I found something similar on Amazon (I hope this saves someone else the trouble): "Far Infrared Heating Brace"; the heating pad dimensions are 8.66" by 5.31" (don’t confuse this with the dimensions of the brace which is much bigger). I think this size will be perfect to keep my unit warm while hanging or using an ADS:
https://www.ama … /dp/B00P7CPKDI/

AndyJ: I copied your idea of a slider, but couldn’t find a way to replicate it exactly, so I made up my own hack. I took an ID badge holder, and cut minimal slits (to keep things "tight") in the top and bottom and slid a plastic ruler through it. I observed it’s relatively stable and doesn’t slip around, but it seems to still slide easily enough (this should be good enough to help me measure my BPFSL daily to the milimeter). I also sanded down the sharp edges of the ruler so it will hurt a lot less than the wooden one I’ve been using. I found the ruler and badge holders at walmart — those parts were less than $5. I attached pictures.

Accuracy issue discovered: I just realized my wooden ruler still has the extra 1/8th inch of wood at the bottom so I’ve been underestimating all my recent measures. I wonder how many others make this same mistake.

Kyrpa links to the papers in one of his ultrasound threads. He wasn’t the first to go that route, but his threads sort of took off, so they’re pretty much the reference threads now. He has pointers to the other useful threads.

As for temperature, several guys have used urethral thermocouples to get an approximation of internal temperature. The urethra is underneath instead of in the middle, and blood circulation means the end of the shaft will always run hotter than the base if heated evenly all the way down.

With ultrasound you’re "heating from the inside." Heating from the outside isn’t as efficient; skin temperature has to be higher than internal temperature, and the discomfort level is pretty high.

Cheap and washable. What more do you need? [grin]

[raises hand] Me, for one. And I knew better. On the other hand, it really doesn’t matter since you’re primarily concerned with the difference between measurements, not the actual length.