Creosote or concrete?

[Beaux Duke]

You guys have overloaded me with ideas.:scratchchin::scratchchin:

The creosote posts in use now were recycled from the local utility company. I have no idea how old they are. I did notice over the years that they gradually shrunk in diameter. Originally I had a perfect fit. The gate latched solidly every time. After a few years I had to pull the bracket off the post and mount a 2x4 behind it to get the gate to latch. Eventually I had to add a second 2x4. I now just use a chain and hook because the latch does not even touch. I should have put a cap on top to prevent rain absorption. The treated wood does last but the latch and the 2x4 expansion blocks sort of look like the 3 Stooges put it up.

The Sonotube sounds good but voids worry me. My luck I would bump it with the ZTR and break it off at ground level. A 3 sided frame sounds like some thing I could handle. Water is definitely an issue here.

I friend suggested I paint whatever material I end up using with truck bed liner.
Concrete filled steel posts are an option I did not think of.
Eddie, your post/light combo looks great but it is way past my pay grade

 

[fried1765]

You can buy concrete filled pipes at the lumber yard, they are called lolli columns. Just weld on some pins for hinges.

Nope!
Not "lolli" columns !

LALLY ...... columns !

 

[fried1765]

You guys have overloaded me with ideas.:scratchchin::scratchchin:

The creosote posts in use now were recycled from the local utility company. I have no idea how old they are. I did notice over the years that they gradually shrunk in diameter. Originally I had a perfect fit. The gate latched solidly every time. After a few years I had to pull the bracket off the post and mount a 2x4 behind it to get the gate to latch. Eventually I had to add a second 2x4. I now just use a chain and hook because the latch does not even touch. I should have put a cap on top to prevent rain absorption. The treated wood does last but the latch and the 2x4 expansion blocks sort of look like the 3 Stooges put it up.

The Sonotube sounds good but voids worry me. My luck I would bump it with the ZTR and break it off at ground level. A 3 sided frame sounds like some thing I could handle. Water is definitely an issue here.

I friend suggested I paint whatever material I end up using with truck bed liner.
Concrete filled steel posts are an option I did not think of.
Eddie, your post/light combo looks great but it is way past my pay grade

Sonotubes will not have voids if you fill them correctly.
The best way is to use a concrete vibrator, if you can borrow one.
(you may borrow mine if you promise to bring it back clean).
The simplest way is to just tap the side of the sonotube with a piece of 2x4, or a hammer, as you pour.
Try to pour the entire tube with one batch if possible, and be certain to include a small rebar reinforcing cage.
It absolutely will not break off, no matter what machine you hit it with, if you use a rebar cage.

 

[Egon]

Sonotubes will not have voids if you fill them correctly.
The best way is to use a concrete vibrator, if you can borrow one.
(you may borrow mine if you promise to bring it back clean).
The simplest way is to just tap the side of the sonotube with a piece of 2x4, or a hammer, as you pour.
Try to pour the entire tube with one batch if possible, and be certain to include a small rebar reinforcing cage.
It absolutely will not break off, no matter what machine you hit it with, if you use a rebar cage.

Well said. There are a lot of sona tube filled concret posts out there.

 

[Mace Canute]

How about a street light standard that's been damaged? Usually they are severely damaged at the bottom but still have a quite serviceable section above the base. Cut it to length, weld a base on it so it won't sink into the ground and bury it but make sure the buried portion is well coated with a good water proof paint or an epoxy coating.

 

[TomSeller]

I made some crude forms with 2x8s to make concrete posts that I use as corner and end posts. I make them with groves to hold the barb wire and through PVC tubes for X brace wires. You could put in gate hinges or through tubes to bolt later. Or whatever. I use 4 pieces of 3/8 rebar set in about 2". I set them in place with my backhoe. I estimate they weigh nearly 500 lbs each so you need to think it through if you are making these in forms. Doing them my way you don't need to worry about vibrating the air out so much. I just use a shovel to jab out the air. My forms make 5 posts at a time which is about 30 sacks of 90 lb concrete.

 

[s219]

I've seen videos where people use an air chisel or impact wrench or vibrating drill to vibrate concrete for simple stuff like posts/etc, and it seems to work well. Just push it against the form in a few spots and buzz it for a while. Wouldn't build bridge supports but for simple stiff it would be fine and give you a little extra insurance against voids/etc. I remember one video from a guy who casts garden art out of concrete, where having a smooth finish against the form is critical, and vibrating it with an air chisel produced perfect results.

 

[Egon]

Very very nice.

 

[tcreeley]

I'd consider the weight of the gate before deciding on the depth of your post in the ground. 2' feet seems shallow to me. I'd be tempted to go at least 4'. I'd think you'd want as much mass below ground as you have above ground in the weight of the post and gate combined.
Interesting project. I like the steel posts that are filled with cement.

 

[fishheadbob]

Someone suggested railroad ties which are usually locust, someone else said osage orange. Both are excellent rot resistant hardwoods which will last nearly forever, they're fence post lumber, but who knows how you ever find milled locust or osage orange. Consider asking a local sawmill if they have access to that stuff.
I'm thinking sonotubes are the way to go . Even Home Depots and Lowes stock sizes of adapter plates to mount wooden posts onto sonotube/concrete bases, but I'd also use pt posts on top of the concrete.