removing fence posts from metpost spikes

[RichardS]

I'm in the middle of replacing one of the fences at the back. It's just a post and panel affair, but the new panels + gravel board + trellis will be quite a bit taller than the old one, so I'm having to replace the posts as well.

The existing posts are fixed using metpost spikes, and I've just spent the best part of 2 hours trying to drill, chisel and prise out the first post from it's spike - this post was pretty rotten at the bottom, but it still didnt yield particularly willingly.

Are there any tricks to getting these things our, or am I being vastly over-optimistic thinking I can remove them and leave the spikes in-situ?

I really don't want to have to re-sink the metposts 'cos that will mean carefully making sure the position and alignment are just so, and I don't see that the spikes will ever be quite as solid again after they've been removed and replaced.

[Hywel Jenkins]

IIRC, the Metpost instructions suggest burning the old post out.

[Norman Billingham]

No idea if it works, but an idea I saw somewhere is to cross drill the post just above the socket, put a steel rod through the hole and use a car jack each side to lift it out. Obviously depends on the ground eother side being hard enough for the jack not to sink, but a couple of small paving slabs would spread the load.

[RichardS]

Top tip! thanks!!!

2 posts now cleanly out of the ground (unfortunately with metposts still attached, but I can sort that out later), a few more to go.

I worry that the posts will not be quite as stable now when the metposts are hammered back in, but I think I'll hammer down some earth into the holes before trying to re-sink the spikes with the new posts.

I may also have to buy a few new spikes - there is just no way that these things are going to be voluntarily separated from the existing fenceposts!!!

[Rob Morley]

Drill a big hole down the middle then chisel the rest out.

[Chris Bacon]

That's it - you can sharpen up a spade bit with a file. Use a cold chisel, not your best bevel edged!

[Mark]

When refitting ensure that the square socket is completely clear of the ground - this way the wooden posts should not rot out at the bottom

[Pete C]

If the wood can be dried out thoroughly I'd expect it to almost drop out.

cheers, Pete.