Telephone Poles

PILOON · Mar 10, 2015

30 years ago I asked for an got 2 days later 12 telephone poles to make a shelter for our association corn roast/ party site.
I asked for the thinnest ones they had on hand.
We built a 16' X 24' framework and cut short pieces to brace the 4 legs at 45 deg
The roof was 2 x 4's 12 ft long and rigged to have 3 ' of overhang both sides.
Local lumber yard donated the 2 x 4's and tin for roofing.

Generally that structure supports 4 ft of snow on the roof every winter without complaining.
Always fearing taxation and city ordnance problems we actually used 2 poles as the base with flat spots to mount the 'legs' or 4 corner posts
To further suggest portability we tapered the base at the ends to suggest the whole thing was skidded.

PILOON · Mar 10, 2015

LOL, around me they better not leave the discarded poles lay about very long.
I start a split with the chain saw, drive a wedge (or wedges as req'd) and create split rail decorative fencing.
My three properties all sported nice sections that really create a nice setting for gardens, embankment protection and corner property markers.

Old split rail sections are fetching $15. and up per rail length and highly sought after by landscape designers.
To create a nice effect 3 rails per section is best.
Mine are free for a bit of labor and it normally goes all grey within 2 years and looks just like the real thing.

PS, cedar splits very easily!

Rustyiron · Mar 10, 2015

mark02tj said:
My primary question is this - can a utility pole be safely used as a cross-beam (right terminology?) for my picnic shelter? In other words, can I lay one horizontally across the uprights and use it as support for the roof structure? Or are these only designed to be used vertically? I do know that I'd have to take into account the taper of the pole.
THANKS!!

Off hand, for my idea of a "picnic shelter" say 20X30, I'd answer yes. Just keep your vertical post spacing under about 8' to be safe. Old pole's usually leach out most of the creosote over the years. I wouldn't eat off them but wouldn't worry about it for your use. I don't think the new poles are allowed to use it.

PILOON · Mar 10, 2015

Forget about the diameter, think of that pole as a 2-3" plank sliced down center.
Otherwise said a 12" pole will be as good or better than a 3 x 12 beam.
3 x 12 on 16 ft span will probably do just fine, over that add a leg center.
3 ft overhang at ends, I'd say no problem. 4 ft with short 45 deg brace OK.

Have fun, good luck.
Hey, 3 guys, chain saw, case of suds 1/2 day and you have your picnic shelter. (that was about our time to build)
well, maybe we had a couple more guys.

woodchipper · Mar 11, 2015

As the pole will be cut, the heart of the pole will tell you if it is damaged, or still sound. Have a feel with a blunt object. Try to know what speicy it is, as their strength (load rating) will vary. Ie: southern yellow pine-douglas fur-ponderosa pine, etc.
For your project, I would not hesitate to consider such poles to be a good avenue. As long as the span is per chart you are good to go. I would suggest that you look at proper log joint techniques to assemble your structure.

mark02tj · Mar 11, 2015

THANKS for all the responses!!

I think I'm going to go ahead and see how many of these I can get. If nothing else, I can stack them somewhere out of the way until I'm ready to use them. I have a buddy that works for the utility, so I'm going to drop him an email this morning to see if he knows what the "pole selling policy" is.

gordyy · Mar 11, 2015

I used 2 poles about 20 years ago to move a 2 1/2 stall garage lifted garage screwed 2X10 that I had laying around to wall studs backed in the trailer cut the poles to fit between the exposed inner area of the siding set the garage on them and drove the garage 6 miles to the new home. Replaced rotten sill plates and rotten lower studs were sistered back in then jacked up set down and drilled some new anchors into the concrete. Am sure it wasn't legal probably was way more weight than old poles should support but it sure worked good.

mark02tj · Mar 12, 2015

Quick Update - I was on my way home yesterday and saw a couple of the utility workers digging a new hole next to an old pole. Funny thing was that a lot of the digging looked to be by hand as they were only a foot or two away from the old pole. Due to rain and melting snow, the hole was full of water and they were having to scoop it out.

Anyway, the pole replacement project is being paid for by TimeWarner Cable. They are upgrading the cable around here and putting in "bigger cable lines". So the guys doing the work are doing it for the electric company who is being paid by TimeWarner. These guys are putting in the new poles and then moving the electric from the old pole to the new pole. Then they're cutting the top of the old pole down to the level where the cable (and maybe phone) are attached so that becomes the "top" of the old pole. At some point, TimeWarner will come along and move the cable service to the new poles. That could be 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 years! Once TimeWarner has moved their stuff, the power company will come along and remove the old poles. Who knows when that will be.

In the meantime, these guys are bringing the "tops" over to my place. These will be anywhere from 8-12 long. I'm going to use these for fence posts along the south edge of my property where the next door neighbor seems to be getting closer and closer to the property line. The foreman told me that the newly shortened poles will be too short for the electric company to use so it won't be a problem for them to give those to me as well - once they start removing them. They already dropped one top off yesterday afternoon.

John Dougherty · Mar 13, 2015

Mark, be sure you're not stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime. By that I mean sometimes adapting something that is free can cost you. This advice comes from experience, but good luck!