A flagpole made from wood

[keegs]

Back in the day, flagpoles were made almost exclusively from wood. I imagine a suitably straight tree was selected and felled from which a flagpole was fashioned. I'm thinking it may still be done this way by the boy scouts.

Has anyone ever done this? If so, what kind of wood did you use? How did you fabricate the flagpole? What kind of preservative if any did you use?

 

[czechsonofagun]

We done it for boy scouts every summer. It was little bit more complicated, since we were "Marine" scouts - it is a copy of a mast. But we used straight fraizer fir for it.

 

[biggerten]

Back in the day, flagpoles were made almost exclusively from wood. I imagine a suitably straight tree was selected and felled from which a flagpole was fashioned. I'm thinking it may still be done this way by the boy scouts.

Has anyone ever done this? If so, what kind of wood did you use? How did you fabricate the flagpole? What kind of preservative if any did you use?

We did this with a fir. We cemented in a couple of 4x4's, leaving about 3' out of the ground. The fir pole went between them, with a couple pieces of all thread through the 4x4's and the pole, one down low, one higher. That way, we could remove the lower one and rotate the pole down for painting.

 

[Egon]

Faux Birds Mouth Mast - by Andrew Linn


I have never done this but Birdsmouth Mast's built in wood may also be used for a flagpole.

The INTERNET has lots of hits on Birdsmouth Mast's.

 

[smstonypoint]

I believe I am correct in remembering that Norm built a flagpole on one of his New Yankee Workshop episodes.

 

[dave1949]

I believe I am correct in remembering that Norm built a flagpole on one of his New Yankee Workshop episodes.

Yes, he did. I don't recall the details, but I assure you he didn't just stand up a straight fir tree I think it was a lamination, also could be pivoted.
Dave.

 

[nickel plate]

I made a 30' mast for one of my sailboats and it was a laminated boxbeam construction. once out of the clamps it was then round edged shaped. An extreme amount of work-since then I switched over to aluminum on future boats. You have to do it once to appreciate the effort involved.
Using a solid tree trunk for a flagpole might work but quite possibly might twist some due to the usage of the heart center of the log which is the most volatile part of the log. Out here, I would attempt to use Lodgepole Pine. A lot of commercial fisherman use Lodgepole for their 24'/30' outriggers. Do however use only seasoned air dried cants as they will by then show signs of any early twisting.

 

[gwjd]

yea boy scouts do it all the time i have lots of pics ut dont know how to load them.

dig a hole like 4feet deep put a piece of culvert in and let the first 4 feet in the ground, then compact gravel around it will not last for ever but trees are easy enough to come buy.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Good trick is to put two posts in the ground - 3 feet under and 3 feet above and use two big bolts to hinge the flagpole. Makes dropping it much easier task.

 

[keegs]

Thanks for all the suggestions gents. My guess is there may be warping issues using just a felled tree. It would seem to me that Egon's plan could produce something with strength, length and a more cylindrical shape although I'd imagine a solid core at the base would be good. I did look up the NYWS segment on building a wooden flagpole. The website has the plans for $10.99 I think it was.

We fly the flag on a steel flagpole here in Jersey. I was looking for some ideas for the Maine place.

Thanks again. :thumbsup: