digging a small trench foundation by hand?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Into sun baked clay? I think not.

I've got two more holes to go today. Not worth geting a better tool.

[Steve Firth]

[snip]

Is his name Igor?

Do you really need foundations below your bridge?

[Tim Watts]

Garlic's on special offer at Waitrose right now...

[GB]

[Ian Jackson]

In message , GB writes

used one to dig a soakaway (appx 1m square 2m deep) into ground that was probably 65% clay soil and 35% flints. I did it in stages, over the weekend.

[jgharston]

Mattock. Otherwise known as a digging axe or a chinese spade. Works wonders for trenches.

JGH

[John Rumm]

back gasping.

The little 850kg Yanmar "scoppy" machines can do a fair amount of work. IIRC they were about £60 for the day plus delivery (at £15) round here. Good if you have restricted access - they fold up small enough to drive through a door.

[John Rumm]

I find a grubbing mattock a much better digging tool than a pick-axe...

[Huge]

[The Natural Philosopher]

Useless. won't go deep and narrow. Except in a trench. These are HOLES.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Got one. We are not digging a trench though.

[Steve Firth]

I recommend these - I've had bloody hundreds of posts to set and one of these has been essential.

[Nightjar]

On 23/05/2011 16:01, RobertL wrote: ...

Birthplace: Frankenstein on my partner's passport often gets a comment from UK Border Control.

Colin Bignell

[Mark]

And a trenching shovel to remove the soil.

[Tim Downie]

The weight of the blades coupled with a hefty downwards plunge make it a = formidable digging tool. I've used mine to take out a lot of trees as = it'll even cut through smaller tree roots.

Seriously, don't diss it until you've tried one.

Tim

[dennis]

8<

Easy.

I have a cheaper wooden handled version suitable for posts about 6" square. It will break house bricks and stuff like that if you let it. It does blunt the edge though so I use a 1m SDS drill to break them if I notice them.

I have seen telephone poles put in using similar tools.

[Martin Bonner]

I have a much better post-hole borer than that, but I've never seen another one like it. It's basically an open-ended cylinder of metal about six inches diameter, and four inches high. There are then teeth projecting down and in from the bottom of the cylinder, and flaps at the bottom of the cylinder are bent slightly out (so that the hole is wider than the cylinder.

The whole lot is fastened to a stem with a large cross bar, and you can dig post-holes /amazingly/ fast with it. (Doesn't cope so well with very sandy soil).

I'd use a pick-axe to get through the first few inches of sun-baked clay though.

[RobertL]

He's nearly finished apparently, in less than a day. He's 70 years old! They are a tough lot out there.

I'm not a troll, I really am married to a woman from transilvania and her parents are here visiting us. FIL doesn't like sitting about - he likes to get out in the air and build something.

Robert

[GB]

You mean night?

[RobertL]

:-)

R