Another power pole question?

woodhick · December 10, 2006, 10:08:23 PM

Ok, I know I shouldn't be thinking of doing this but here it goes. I have some power poles that I was planning on cutting down to 6"x6" timbers for post on a tractor shed. I have read most of everbodys warnings about this and will be carfull. My question is has anyone done this only to find the post won't last! A local guy told me he had some poles split for fence posts and they did not last no time. He beleives it was because the heart was exposed and that area gets very little treatment. I beleive I have enough of the salt treated poles so I won't have to mess with the creosote ones. I was going to box the heart but don't want to go through the trouble if post won't last. Thanks.

Furby · December 10, 2006, 10:09:59 PM

Why not leave them round?

brdmkr · December 10, 2006, 10:12:18 PM

Quote from: Furby on December 10, 2006, 10:09:59 PM
Why not leave them round?

My thought as well. I have 14 that I hope to use for a tractor shed. I'm just leaving them round.

Tom · December 10, 2006, 10:14:01 PM

Pressure treatment won't penetrate the heartwood. If you expose the heartwood, you are dependent on the natural resistance to decay of the wood. It is recommended that you treat the exposed heart of bucked poles with penta or some other "paint-on" chemical to protect the exposed wood.

woodhick · December 10, 2006, 10:41:36 PM

I could leave them round, just thought it would be easier to attach side purlins and headers to a square instead of a round.

sawmilllawyer · December 10, 2006, 10:46:11 PM

For what it's worth I leave them round and notch out the places for the purlins. But I,m new and that's just my two cents.

logwalker · December 10, 2006, 10:49:57 PM

There are manufactured plates just for that purpose. Flat on one side and radiused on other. They have a bunch of short spikes for a stong interface. Check with building supply.

brdmkr · December 10, 2006, 11:06:34 PM

Well Hello, Sawmilllawyer! Welcome to the forum!

Dana · December 11, 2006, 06:11:15 AM

Square up the above ground part of the pole and leave the below grade part round.

Jeff · December 11, 2006, 07:26:13 AM

I have a power pole question as well. Where do you guys find them? I may need some in the future. Not for sawing but for piers.

Kevin · December 11, 2006, 08:02:01 AM

After you put utility poles in the lake for piers can I come visit you in Marquette? :D

...or is this for dry land construction?

Jeff · December 11, 2006, 08:18:00 AM

Dry land

mike_van · December 11, 2006, 09:08:30 AM

Sometimes Jeff we'd be out pulling them, people would stop, we'd give them away when we could. Either local power or phone company, you could ask there. Here in Ct., NU said no more give-aways, poles are haz. waste now - we had to bring them back to the yard, saw 'em into 4 - 6 ft lengths, [new guys got stuck doing this] and load into a dumpster. Company was worried about giving away haz. waste, liability, all that.

Tom · December 11, 2006, 09:11:54 AM

The Power company here has consolidation yards where they take the poles and sell them for a dollar a foot or whatever they can get. Sometimes you can get them from the side of the road as they are being pulled.

ely · December 11, 2006, 09:15:25 AM

jeffb, if you want to come to okla. i can hook you up wih some of them. probably a little far though. we have to get rid of them when we change a pole out of the line, so i usually take them home with me.

scsmith42 · December 11, 2006, 10:06:55 AM

Re round versus square, I have built several farm buildings from the round poles. Typically I will auger and set the posts (not backfilling yet), alinging them as straight as possible. Next, I'll set a few 2 x 4 temporary braces to hold them in rough alignment.

Since the posts are usually tapered, when I set them in the holes I align them so that portion of the post that corresponds to the the outer side(s) of the building are in line and vertical, and once everything is lined up I'll either pour sacrete around the post or backfill with dirt, compacting every 4" or so. If I'm using sacrete, I do this after all of the top plates are installed. With dirt, I'll backfill before setting the plates, as I can move the top of the posts around some in the dirt.

At the top of the posts, I notch them where the top plate attaches. To do this, set up a laser and cut the tops to the same level, then run a string across the line of posts to guide my vertical chainsaw cuts, and use the laser to determine the depth of the cut. I typically will cut the notch so that the plate sets fully into the side of the post, and usually about 4". The depth of the notch is usually about 2/3 of the depth of the plate down. (as a for instance, if I'm using 4 x 10 plates, the notch will be cut 4" into the side of the pole, and about 8" down from the top.) I'll leave about 2" of the plate extending above the top of the post. The plates are usually anything between doubled 2 by 6's to 4 x 12's - depending upon the span and loading. I like to build a long length of the plate on the ground and then set it in place as one unit, bolting it to the top of the posts with a pair of 1/2" all-thread fasteners. I've set plates up to 40' in length by this method. If I have a run longer than I can set as one piece, I'll align the ends of the plate above a large post, and take a heavy piece of angle iron (such as 4" x 6" angle) and place it under the two plates for support. The attachment bolts will go through the angle iron, plate and post to lock it all together.

Because the top diameter of the poles will vary, some poles may be notched deeper than others. The main thing is for the notches to be in line with the string so that your installed plate is straight.

Plates are best installed to the outside of the posts, rather than the inside. This aligns your plates with your siding, as long as you slab a nailer onto the outside of the plate that's equal to the thickness of your purloins.

Purloins are nailed to the outside of the posts for supporting the siding (usually board and batten), and because of the installation methods all outer walls are straight and true.

Beats the heck out of dealing with the creosote residue on the sawmill; the amount coming from the chainsaw cuts is bad enough.

For an aerial work platform, I built my first pole barns by using my tractor bucket as a work platform, with a remote control that I built that let me run the bucket up and down from the bucket. Later I used baskets attached to bucket forks - same concept as before.

Eventually I picked up a used JLG manlift - what a great tool! It lets me set the posts as well as doing all of the aerial work with ease.

TexasTimbers · December 11, 2006, 10:16:59 AM

I don't know about your co-ops there, but my electric co-op sells everything at cost to their members. i buy all my heavy conductors and telephone poles through them.
Although I haven't built one in a few years, there for about 3 years everytime I turned around i was having to build a dock and/or pier for someone. I got the poles pretty cheap and they were new, straight, and I got to pick the lengths I wanted that way.
If you have a co-op, they are non-profit and will most likely do the same for you.

Furby · December 11, 2006, 11:47:31 AM

I don't think I've seen a pole "pulled" around here in many, many years.
They always take them down in pieces, 3' or so and leave the butt end in the ground.
Having said that, I do know where there is a pile of poles at a substation near here Jeff. ;)

Jeff · December 11, 2006, 12:38:47 PM

Furby, check em out if you would. I only need em 8 foot gives me 5 in the ground and 3 above. The bigger the better.

farmerdoug · December 11, 2006, 01:08:32 PM

How many are you looking for Jeff?

DTE use to sell them here but I have to check as they may still sell them. It has been a few years since I was there.

Farmerdoug

rebocardo · December 11, 2006, 04:32:34 PM

I met a WWII pilot that built his garage/shed from scrap material after the war. He left his telephone poles round and put the (steel) joists on the flat tops for the roof. He did not seem to have a problem hanging stuff from the poles either. So, I would vote for leaving them round as they survived decades in GA termite terrority in a fairly damp area with no problems.

4woody · December 11, 2006, 04:37:08 PM

I woud put tar on what will be in the ground

mike_van · December 11, 2006, 07:04:07 PM

Most all our poles that rotted went right at ground level, they get air & are wet most of the time. Thats the area that need the extra rot resistance. Some years ago i made a retaining wall out of poles, worst place you can put them. They get air on the front, and the backside are wet all the time from the dirt. 10 years, the poles were rotting, loaded with big black ants, ripped it all out and put stone in.

Jeff · December 11, 2006, 07:16:24 PM

It depends on weather about 15 different things align with the appropriate stars on whether and when I need them. I'm not sure how many yet as I have not done any cypherin, but probably in the range of 24 ta 36 off the top of my bean.

limbrat · December 11, 2006, 07:56:42 PM

If there is a bridge going in around you somewere ask them about the pile cut offs. There a little newer than maw bell rejects and they drive them tip first so the butts are left over.