I've wanted to try to make an extra gym for my Amazons, just for the heck of it, but didn't think anything PVC would work very well, as it's slippery.  That idea about wrapping it with sisal would solve the problem.  Great idea.  I've mentioned in posts before, I am totally non creative, and I love these tips. 

Great idea.

When I had my scarlet macaw I wrapped sisal around the front bar of a walker (the kind elderly people use). I took him outdoors on it and carried him on it while I was moving from room to room. He liked it and it was lightweight enough that I could move it easily.

Regular heavy cotton rope works well, too.

Annie

Good grief, I have 2 walkers here at the house.  I'll fool around with one of them, and see if the birds are interested.  My blue front isn't afraid of anything ~ she'd probably enjoy it. 

We only use the sisal on the uprights.  My dh uses a router to route grooves into the pvc pipe that we actually use for the "perching-on" part.  Then he sanded the grooves so that they were very smooth.  The grooves are just the right size for a talon to grip onto.  Until we figured that out, most definitely it was too slippery. 

Sand down the pvc and then wipe it with a damp cloth--should make it less slippery

 

I used to use a Dremel tool on ours. Ran it round and round and then sanded lightly so the texture stayed.

Annie

 

He drills a hole in the pipe and then threads the sisal through it -- and knots it on the inside.  The sisal is just wrapped tightly and then he does the samething at the other end -- hole in the pipe, thread the sisal and knot.

Mike bought some that has the graded grips if that makes sense... and then since mine has to stay outside I can't use rope due to

mildew.. It takes ages to bring indoors each evening the toys that can't take the humidity overnight as the rope turns colour and looks crappy.... mind you in the dishwasher they go but it means they fray all the time and I constantly am cutting and shearing threads...