Pole/post information please

[Broadback]

I wish to get a post on which to mount 3 bird tables. Ideally I would also like arms to fit this post, the post should be about 7ft above ground. I have seen an ideal one on a near neighbours property holding a traffic mirror. Normally I would go and ask for information, but though they have been moved in for over a year no one ever sees them and there are seldom any cars about. I've tried Google to no effect, any help please? also how deep would I need to bury it in concrete to hold firm?

[Dave Liquorice]

Material? 7' above ground needs a good 2' if not 3' buried if it isn't going to fall over. A 5" square 10' tanellised(*)decent timber (few knots straight close grain) should do. See what the local builders merchants have (not the sheds or garden centers as fence posts).

Depends a bit on your soil. Hire a post hole borer and make the hole as snug as possible. In loose sandy soils that might be harder than in more solid clays. Pop the post in, fit some temporay braces/guys to hold it vertical and firmly ram/pack the soil back in around it. No need for concrete.

Even well tanellised it may well still rot off just above ground level in 5 to 10 years. That is the region where the enviroment for rot is "just right", not too wet not too dry.

(*) One of the trade names for CCA timber treatment. CCA treated timber has a green tinge.

[Jim K]

Er 5 inch square?! How big are these feckin birds?!

IMHO 3 inch will do fine.

What is it going in/on? Earth? Concrete? Patio? Will you want to move it or have you already decided the perfect spot?

Jim K

[newshound]

My local farm supplies place has round tanalised posts up to about 9 foot. I have a post thumper which is usually the quickest "manual" way. You need a stepladder in this case of course.

Postcrete is another relatively easy option if you have bored or dug a hole.

Or a 3 inch Metpost plus timber.

[Nightjar]

On 20/08/2013 16:54, Dave Liquorice wrote: ...

IME Oak is not that much more expensive but it is a lot more durable.

Colin Bignell

[Tim+]

Is Alder hard to come by? Reputedly almost rot-proof.

Tim

[Broadback]

I have decided upon a permanent position. The post will go into what is (to my mind) laughingly called gravel, a basic fairly sandy soil with pebbles between 1/4 inch and 9 inches, a b*gger to dig holes in, so I will probably end up fixing it with concrete.

[Nightjar]

No idea.

The tree certainly thrives in very wet conditions.

Colin Bignell

[Jim K]

what about a post base with a spike on? esp if 3" or 4" square - wil keep it a bit clear of the ground (rot) too?

Jim K

[Tim+]

But will rust and look manky. I wouldn't used a fixed position bird feeder myself as the amount of spilled seed and bird dropping makes a mess of my lawn. Moving the feeder weekly gives the lawn time to recover.

Tim

[Jim K]

So use a galvanised one?

How long will a post last fixed by your preferred method? Which is?

Jim K

[Jim K]

So use a galvanised one?

How long will a post last fixed by your preferred method? Which is?

Jim K

[Tim+]

It's customary to quote the relevant bits you're querying so that folk know what you're questioning.

Anyhow, I was really referring to those horrible "Metpost" things. Never seen a galvanised one but then I haven't looked in ages.

If you'd followed the thread, you know that it's not to used a "fixed" method at all but to use a moveable post that just "spears" into the lawn.

Tim

[Dave Liquorice]

I was thinking how big are the three sails that will be attached to it. Mind I do tend to over engineer things but then they last...

[Dave Liquorice]

durable.

Wire stock fence posts are traditionally chesnut in the round.

[Jim K]

If you'd followed the thread, you know that it's not to used a "fixed" method at all but to use a moveable post that just "spears" into the lawn.

Tim

Reading between the lines of your poor English -If you read the thread rather than just your own posts, you'd see the op has chosen a permanent site.... And makes no mention of moveable ?

Hope it's clear enough.

Jim K

[Jim K]

presumably "tweety bird" feeder size?

....too long? ;>)

Jim K

[Nightjar]

I have oak posts buried in the ground that are 20 years old and are as good as the day they went in.

Colin Bignell

[Huge]

Our front gate posts are ~6" square oak posts which went in in 1977. One of them is still perfectly sound. The other failed two or three years ago (rotted away at ground level) and has subsequently been replaced with a section of telegraph pole, itself from 1977, reclaimed when we had the power poles to our house replaced in order to raise the power lines so the combines could get under them. Yes, we have one square & one round gatepost, but no-one's ever noticed.

[Dave Liquorice]

3 x 12" square (3' sq foot of sail) or 3 x 18" sq (6.75 sq foot of sail).

Saves having to rebuild or repair. If no longer needed materials can be reused. B-)