telephone pole question

[firefighter jim]

Doing a little project outside involving a chunk of telephone pole. After cutting pole, do I need to dress the cut ends with anything? ie. paint, tar, etc. I know they are creosoted on the outside. Thanks in advance, Jim

 

[Treemonkey1000]

If you are going to stuff it back into the ground that get's wet then I would. Unless you are filling the bottom of the hole with cement. Even a good thick coat of paint on the butt end helps.

 

[kennyd]

Having worked for a large telephone company for just shy of 22 years now, I can assure you they don't do anything other then cut them on an angle or to a slight inverted V like ^ so water and snow won't stand on the tops.

 

[two_bit_score]

Doing a little project outside involving a chunk of telephone pole. After cutting pole, do I need to dress the cut ends with anything? ie. paint, tar, etc. I know they are creosoted on the outside. Thanks in advance, Jim

Probably nothing really needed but a little anchor seal couldn't hiurt.

 

[wv cabin]

I have worked as a lineman for our local power company for 20 years and I agree with kennyd, just taper the top of the pole so that water wont lay on it and you will be fine. the pole treatment is not just on the outside it is soaked through the whole pole.

 

[kebo]

We usually find an old coffee can or metal bucket that fits over the top of the pole. Slide it down onto the top of the pole, and secure in place with a couple of screws on the side (down near the bottom of the can). If you want to, you can paint the can/bucket black or brown to sort of match the pole.

 

[studor]

I have some old chunks of telephone pole as anchor points for a dock -- they have been there a long time and I am sure that the poles they came from were used for a long time before they were cut up for the dock posts. Probably considered toxic waste these days I would just stick them in the ground

 

[kennyd]

I have some old chunks of telephone pole as anchor points for a dock -- they have been there a long time and I am sure that the poles they came from were used for a long time before they were cut up for the dock posts. Probably considered toxic waste these days I would just stick them in the ground

We used to donate broken poles to communities to build playgrounds with...now they are considered hazardous materials and we have to pay good $$$ to get rid of them.

 

[kennyd]

We usually find an old coffee can or metal bucket that fits over the top of the pole. Slide it down onto the top of the pole, and secure in place with a couple of screws on the side (down near the bottom of the can). If you want to, you can paint the can/bucket black or brown to sort of match the pole.

That's funny, I have NEVER seen a telephone or power pole with a coffee can screwed to the top of it

 

[Bird]

We used to donate broken poles to communities to build playgrounds with...now they are considered hazardous materials and we have to pay good $$$ to get rid of them.

I'd never thought about a utility company paying to get rid of used poles. A few years ago, my brother bought a couple from our electric co-op and I went and loaded them on a trailer for him with my Kubota and I think he paid a dollar a foot for a couple of 30' poles.

 

[Low Bucket]

I've never seen a telephone or electric pole small enough for a coffee can to fit over.

I agree with the others on cutting the top.- ^

 

[JB4310]

I have worked as a lineman for our local power company for 20 years and I agree with kennyd, just taper the top of the pole so that water wont lay on it and you will be fine. the pole treatment is not just on the outside it is soaked through the whole pole.

Yup, I've got one on my property that was put in in 1936 it just holds the wires to my house, it's pretty dry looking now but still standing strong. they must saturate them pretty good.

 

[Kernopelli]

Gotta go with kenndD and WV Cabin on this...I wouldn't worry about it. The original bridge to the island on our pond is still quite sound and everything but the decking was made in 1983 from used phone poles. The piers have been mostly submerged and the rest have (mostly) sat above water level with the ends resting on footers made from poles. Everything made from the poles are as good today as they were when it was built. Old poles are like gold in this area but if I can ever get my hands on some, I am going to use them to build another bridge to the other side of the pond.

 

[Eagleview]

For strainer posts , I simply cut a piece of Galvanised Iron in a circle about an inch bigger than the post . Cut some slots around the edge with tin snips and then hammer over . It not only protects the post but looks better as well . Unless they are Pine poles , Creosote or CCA only treats the sap wood as the heart wood is not porous . To help posts live longer and look better , simply upturn your engine oil filter on top (discard when empty). The oil will help keep the ants at bay and a Black post always looks better .

 

[Western]

I've always cut mine at an angle at the top also, (any wood post) If I add anything it is used oil or seal coat, you can get the pavement coat, "runway grade" at lowes. Usually the poles I get are so weathered you can put pennies in the cracks that's the only time I bother using anything.

I was wondering what you guy's familiar with tel. poles thought about using ,say, 2" cut boards for a vehicle bridge top? versus the cost and added weight of concrete.

 

[kennyd]

I was wondering what you guy's familiar with tel. poles thought about using ,say, 2" cut boards for a vehicle bridge top? versus the cost and added weight of concrete.

Do you mean having them sawn into 2" boards? Should work fine if you can find somebody to do it. With all the nails, staples and creosote in a old pole I doubt a mill would be willing to do it.

Most poles are made from SYP (southern yellow pine) or spruce.

 

[Duffster]

. To help posts live longer and look better , simply upturn your engine oil filter on top (discard when empty). The oil will help keep the ants at bay and a Black post always looks better .

Good idea.

 

[Kfbeal]

To help posts live longer and look better , simply upturn your engine oil filter on top (discard when empty). The oil will help keep the ants at bay and a Black post always looks better .

What would the EPA say about that? We normally cut at angles. Years ago I always saw flat pieces of sheet metal on top rolled over the edges. Sometimes lead sheets. I see a lot of black tar on top of poles around here.

 

[manganos]

I'm an engineer for "THE" telephone company We don't even cap our poles around here most of the time. The older creosote poles are toxic and now we used green poles. I remember climbing the green poles with gaffs and it sucked to say the least. The gaffs don't penetrate like the ol' creosote poles. Don't worry about the ends as they will probably outlast you. To check the pole hit them with a hammer and see if they sound hollow. Also stick a screwdriver in them at the base and see if they are rotted on the inside. Other then that put them in the ground

 

[etcallhome]

I'll agree with manganos Hated to hook the green poles I'm glad and thankful I only had to climb them about 3 yrs till I went to maint. on our eqpt in Opr Serv, Bus ofc and CO.
Someone said about not seeing a pole small enough to put coffee can on .We had several out in the country that wasn't much bigger than a 4x4 post at top of a 20' pole . Cannot remember the Class # of pole but would Scare the S--- out of you.