This mast is smooth all the way, no cams, locks, etc. The tubes
must
be "slightly" tapered such that as you pull one out of the other it
locks in place by sheer friction.

After stuffing myself with a near-terminally fattening ice cream, I
realized that we may be talking about two different types of masts.
I'm thinking of a telescoping mast, where each smaller section fits
inside a somewhat larger diameter section. Kinda like a telescoping
metal whip antenna (i.e. rabbit ears). However, there are also masts
made of equal diameter tubing, with some sort of coupler at the ends.
Your initial posting clearly said "telescoping" but I'm wondering how
one makes a self supporting telescoping mast without an internal or
external locking mechanism.

Which type to you have?


Very cheap plain fiberglass tubes, slightly tapered so that as an
inner tube is pulled up in its outer tube, the taper reaches a point of
great friction. Incidently, the tubes on the outside are all coated
glossy smooth except for a couple inches at the bottom where the inner
and outer tubes meet.... raw fiberglass has great friction coeficient,
apparently.

Also, I suspect my problem is that the extended mast was left out in
the rain a week when it rained a bit and water got in the joints causing
swelling?

There is no make / model number on this. Its a cheap generic made-in-
China flag banner pole for RVers, etc.

I managed to loosen one of the frozen connections, but the two
others, one of which I tried the lubricant are yet to be unfrozen.

I have a strong feeling that the use of those rubber type wrenchs
would simply apply enough torque to the tubes to fracture them.

I am letting the stuck sections sit in my garage in hopes that
eventually they will dry out on the inside and then perhaps I can get
them unstuck with further application of hand pressure.

I may stuff myself with terminally fattening ice cream, too, while
waiting..... :^)

My thanks to all who have provided suggestions, etc.

Ed K7AAT