No I wasn't; I'm lying.
But I do want an 'ole dug, for a washing line pole. A big, heavy, iron scaffold pole that wants going into the earth about two feet. What's the best way to dig a scaffold pole 'ole? I did read about someone using water from a hose pipe to dig a pole into the ground but it was lacking detail.
Any suggestions? What about a scaffold pole-sized drill bit? Is that feasible?
Si
Well, a couple of weeks ago I thumped a two foot length of scaffold pole into our orchard for the wifes washing spinner thing by simply hitting it with a 14 lb sledge hammer. No issues and entirely satisfactory.
AWEM
3ft piece of scaffold pole,get the grinder on the end ie sharpen it up good style like.
Wack the pole inta ground with a good ole lump hammer,wack it in a 1ft and pull it out,clear the earth out of the pole and in the hole if its left some behind,wack the pole into the ground another foot then pull out as before. Get big pole and stand on a tall ladder and give it a few wacks into the ground then get some wood about a foot and wack about three of em around the side of the pole into the ground so none are sticking out of ground.
Done. ;-)
Hah! but e's pole is bigger than yours by about another 5ft to 6ft.?
The water technique came up in a discussion over lunch at work only yesterday. Connect the water supply to the free end of the pipe in a leak free, pressure tight manner. Turn on the water with a low flow rate and push the pipe into the ground. The water washes to soil way at the end of the pipe and the mud slurry forms a lubricant for the outside of the pipe. Too much water and the hole is made too big. hth Bob
Is this a washing line pole or the pole for what I see is called a "Rotary Airer" !
If it's for a line, I have my doubts that just thumping it into the ground will give sturdy enough structure to withstand the sideways pull of the washing on the line. That does require a reasonably massive weight and the traditional solution was to dig a fairly large hole and fill it with crude concrete with the said pole in the middle of it. The ones I took out of my garden were nominal spheres and from memory must have been at least 30 inches in diameter
For the rotary line, the solution is not that much different but the hole is considerably smaller - an ordinary plastic bucket sunk in the ground and again filled with concrete with the sleeve for the pole in the middle.
Rob
Correct. My pole is ~10' in its socks. I'm not wielding my big 'ammer on the top rung of a ladder. Right next to the greenhouse too!
Si
A proper washing line, so I too doubt thumping it in will work unless I hire a crane to hang off, or a nellycopter. I like the idea of using a smaller pointy piece of pole to make a hole in stages but I haven't got a piece and it *will* get stuck, but for the sheer potential entertainment factor it has to Bob's instruction on the hose pipe method. This will be tried first. You can tell I have faith by the "first".
Si
1 Obtain a shorter piece of same dia scaff pole. 2 Using percussive action from a sledge 'ammer knock the short bit into the ground to the depth required, wobble pole a bit as you go so facilitate removal. This is a Saturday job. NOTE....ENSURE UPRIGHTYNESS WITH LEVEL 3 Remove short length and fill 'ole with slurry of wet cement. (6 to 1 mix) to within a 3rd depth of the top of 'ole 4 Put full length pole into 'ole pressing/pulling down on pole with much bellyforce as possible. (Assistance from a fat bastard will help) NOTE....ENSURE UPRIGHTYNESS WITH LEVEL AGAIN. 5 Await much dryness of the mix while having a few beers and a Sunday roast. 6 Next day (or maybe 3) test the structure for soundness by leaning on said pole while holding can of beer in hand. Observe spillage.
IF no spillage then job done......Get SWMBO to hang washing on line and test for stability.
If spillage .................. you cocked it up between 3 to 5 above somewhere.
Should you NOT observe the MUCH UPRIGHTYNESS part ANYWHERE..............You
*WILL* be ridiculed by all and sundry because of your inability when sober to sort out a simple task of having a line pole vertical.
Dig a hole 3 foot deep and 3 foot wide, put pole in middle and put ready mix concrete around it. Let the ground moisture make it go off. It would be better if you could get an aluminium pole though.
Dave
Its piddly washing line pole not a 20' lattice mast!
If the OP can get 2' of his 10' pole (oh er missus) into the ground then it's not going anywhere quickly. Indeed it's more likely to fail by bending at ground level than unearthing.
You can FRO with your big holes. That is not happening. I'm having to lift a patio slab out as it is - I don't want to be taking four out!
Si
RAOTFLMAO. Took me a few seconds BISWYM :-)
Dave
I like the cut of your jib, young RW, and plan to follow your suggestion to the letter - as soon as I've tried the hose pipe method. Just because I want to, and I can for it is my pole. I'm seeing all sorts of things going wrong, most involving me getting very wet.
Si
What you need is a shorter piece of tube, preferably with the lower end blocked and pointy, that the pole will fit into and whack that into the ground. As tubes are generally made in sizes such that one will fit into the next size up it shouldn't be hard to find a suitable bit. Local scrap dealer?
Just a thought, how about a wet tee shirt competition between you and the wife? Might get warm later ;-)
Dave
I suspect you are not planning to put the pole in deep enough. I would expect to need to bury about 1/3 of the length, rather than just 1/4. As for putting it up, a Bobcat with a post hole borer would be fun and you would get a nice large hole around the post you could fill with concrete for extra stability.
Colin Bignell
I am going to commit the usua;l crime of saying 'why'?
If it has any lateral load on it, 2' is useless.
If it doesn't, why put it in the ground at all?
A bulb corer will get you dwon a foot anyway. Then use it again.
Or a spade.
No worries mate if. You dont the pole will, when it falls over.
Some of us know what we are talking about.
I remember my father making a 3ft hole about 2' dianpmeter and setting ours on concrete.
Within a year it was about 20 degrees of the vertical.
Eventually it was tied to an apple tree that was high enough.
Remember a washing line is the reverse principle to a scissor jack. You can multiply the weight of washing by a fairly large factor in terms of the lateral thrust on the line top.
It wont fall over, but it will creep gently degree by degree till it looks like a dead elephants dick.
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