zoothorn Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Hi chaps- anyone tell me how the dickens these vertical pillars I came across would have been put in? Ive put in smaller 2.5" diameter posts, with a 2-handle heavy tonker, in a line, sleepers behind/ as a low border retaining 'barrier'. But I need to get a line of bigger posts in, with this nice dune walkway as a rough guide, either for a bigger retaining wall.. or a walkway. Are there any 'landscape architects' on here (if such a job exists, or nearest to it) who could help me I wonder? I've a tricky gdn slope which has eluded me as to a solution, for 2 years since Ive bought the house, & now I must crack on & .. & do something: the area of gdn is unuseable as it is due to the slope. (pic 3). thanks- zoot schmooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 umm, isn't it simple, dig a hole (fence post digger) or auger (fence post auger) it to the required depth. Put the post in the hole, making sure its vertical, then fill the surrounding area with concrete. As for the depth and surrounding concrete size it depends on how strong it needs to be (i can't help with that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Post hole borer with a 6” auger that’s probably been taken down 2ft or more. Drop the post in and backfill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Fill the hole with postcrete is my favourite, pour in dry in stages and pour a bit of water in. Sets very quickly so make sure the posts stay vertical. If it's not too stony you should be able to dig that by hand, As an extra measure, if you buy pointed end posts you can dig as far as you can reach, then hammer the point in a bit further to get the post deeper into the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 (edited) Three methods to put In post and rail fencing posts: 1) A post hole borer: Have to back fill. 2) A post rammer/driver: You use a large pry bar with a pointed end to get the hole started then hammer in pointed posts. 3) Get a farmer to push them in using the bucket on a digger or similar. Use batten cut to length so they re all pushed to same depth. Edited May 23, 2019 by Temp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Man up, hand job. How easy is the soil to dig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 (edited) Digging is by hand, perhaps using the various tools of the fencing trade such as specialist narrow hole diggers, which are not expensive. Or by a machine. Given that it is next to a watercourse, you need to think carefully about how you will protect it from rot. As ever I would be putting Post savers on any kind of wooden post, maybe all the way down here. To keep them upright you use either bricks in the hole as wedges, or a pair of temporary braces at right angles. Personally I would be concreting in galvanised scaffolding poles with a scaffold foot, using posts with a guarantee, or using concrete fence repair spurs for that situation. This will be easier and more fun with 2 people. I would be putting them in 27-30” deep, but that may be too far in some opinions. Ferdinand Edited May 23, 2019 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 2nd hand telegraph poles in this sort of situation tend to last decades as they are soaked in creosote... Check ebay for them - not expensive and anything under 10ft you could move with two people. Just hire a post hole machine for a day and get a 10" auger on it get them as deep as possible. Bag of postmix in each but may not even need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 (edited) IMO post hole auger machine means a biggish one, ideally tracked or on wheels or on a digger. Not hand held unless you feel strong and rooted, and have a similar friend, preferably Geoff Capes. The hand held ones are beasts. Ferdinand Edited May 23, 2019 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 10 minutes ago, Ferdinand said: The hand held ones are beasts. Bad enough on flat ground. Even with a tractor mounted, pto driven auger the driver might not want to risk that slope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamSee Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 (edited) Hmm.....is that sand that your trying to put the post in to? If so digging is actually going to be really easy / difficult. It just in one of of pictures it looks looks like sand, but that could be just be the photo. If it is, I can see why your asking. Edited May 23, 2019 by AdamSee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 4 minutes ago, Ferdinand said: IMO post hole auger machine means a biggish one, ideally tracked or on wheels or on a digger. Not hand held unless you feel strong and rooted, and have a similar friend, preferably Geoff Capes. The hand held ones are beasts. Ferdinand The trick is to go slow and get the double handed ones - I've done 4ft deep at over 12" with a double handed borer and as long as you take it steady you will be fine. That location, you won't get a tractor based auger in, or want to as it will trash the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoothorn Posted May 23, 2019 Author Share Posted May 23, 2019 8 minutes ago, Ferdinand said: IMO post hole auger machine means a biggish one, ideally tracked or on wheels or on a digger. Not hand held unless you feel strong and rooted, and have a similar friend, preferably Geoff Capes. The hand held ones are beasts. Ferdinand Ive googled post hole machines & augers (is the auger the "bit" ie the attatchment business end?).. & if you're right Ferdinand, having no help & never using one maybe I'm going to struggle if they're heavy things. I'm not used to 2-stroke petrol things too.. a strimmer was a n'mare to get working. So back to the dune walkway & how it the vertical posts likely put in. Considering walkways were approx 300m away from the nearest vehicle access, well into dunes, does this rule out any methods (likle for eg use of a digger to help can be ruled out/ nature reserve etc)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I have one of the cheapo hand augers, like this: https://www.toolstation.com/draper-fence-post-auger/p75571 Hard work, and a bit slow, but it does a reasonable job at drilling post holes. I've put in around a dozen posts with it, using this to drill the rough hole, then banging the post in and filling with a bit of postcrete. As @Ferdinand has suggested, using post saver sleeves is a good idea, as posts always seem to rot right at the junction between soil and air, and these sleeves seem to prevent that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoothorn Posted May 23, 2019 Author Share Posted May 23, 2019 5 minutes ago, AdamSee said: Hmm.....is that sand that your trying to put the post in to? If so digging is actually going to be really easy / difficult. It just in one of of pictures it looks looks like sand, but that could be just be the photo. If it is, I can see why your asking. No the 1st 2 pics are a walkway I saw. It is in sand dunes well away from vehicle access (& a nature reserve too- maybe ruling out anything noisy). I was using this as a possible idea to copy, at the edge of the slope area on my garden (3rd pic). As you can see I have a dreadful slope making everything I can think of (in lieu of how to make it useable like how to to adapt it, how to shape it, or how to add to it) impossible -for me- to get any idea, let alone the best idea. Ive spent years thinking on it, but I haven't the knowledge to know what to do. I see this dune walkway & its yet another possible plan. Its the best thing I can think of.. but tbh I've still no idea. This is why I was ideally asking if there is any sort of 'architectural landscaper gardener' (or anything/ anyone in this sort of vein) who might be able to help with what I could do with this wretched slope. The RHS edge of picture frame (3rd pic) the ground goes steeply up/ a bank ontop of which a hedge > then a small road: so you see I only have, as it is, a matter of mere 3m flat area width.. until it slopes hugely down to a brook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 After reading this and knowing I have to put in about 50 posts I bought this, purely as a punt, connected to a torquey SDS machine it may work (but I am not holding my breath) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 You can either dig a hole and sink a post or dig a hole concrete it then have a post sit on top. If you sink the post then you need to measure and measure and measure and use string if you have a line of posts so they will be inline. If the post is sitting on the concrete pad then you will be able to move it slightly which will help lining them up. Once your frame is constructed it will rely on its weight to keep it place. Or when finished a few L shape brackets fixed to the posts and pad will stop it moving. And like in your pic above use bolts to fix the posts to the joists, not nails or screws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Might help: https://www.familyhandyman.com/garden-structures/garden-paths/how-to-build-a-wooden-boardwalk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 41 minutes ago, Declan52 said: If you sink the post then you need to measure and measure and measure and use string if you have a line of posts so they will be inline. Or you leave the posts over length and cut off later to the same height using a laser at dusk etc to mark them all. I'd be digging a test hole this weekend on that slope, by hand, to see what the ground conditions are like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 How about using railway sleepers? Plenty of surplus around your neck of the woods. Two in the ground as posts etc. http://www.railwaysleepers.com/railway-sleepers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 (edited) @zoothorn What is the height difference between the flat area outside your door and the water level? Edited May 23, 2019 by PeterStarck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 When I had some fence posts to put in, I just pushed them in with the digger. I took a trusting volunteer to stand there and hold them upright while I swung the bucket round........ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoothorn Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 Thanks for replies. Useful ideas, I will YTube to get actual how its done. I still want to know how the chap might have done these dune walkway uprights. If I rule out a digger shunting in (too far away/ nature resrve too), rule out motor-auger (noise & heavy ass thing to take 300m to site), rule out concreting (surely sand would just fill making you go mental). So.. hammered them in? but I can't see any sign of tops being whacked. Anyway if anyone has any -other- ideas about what to do with this fkn slope. Surely my idea of a walkway can't be the best idea. 13 hours ago, ProDave said: When I had some fence posts to put in, I just pushed them in with the digger. I took a trusting volunteer to stand there and hold them upright while I swung the bucket round........ But in order to get a digger in, it needs to cross my lawn- doesn't that fk it up tho? Its also such a huge curve of a slope, with such minimal 'flat top'/ workable area.. I'm not sure anyone would want to get a digger on it, but I could ask my nice n'bor who has one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoothorn Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 14 hours ago, PeterStarck said: @zoothorn What is the height difference between the flat area outside your door and the water level? Well its about 3m maybe 3.5m. The property is a looooong thin strip you see. The brook is down one long side (border to n'bor). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 As above, a hand auger or post hole digger will make the holes OK, as long as the ground isn't too rocky. I prefer the hand auger; the chap that put in some of our fencing preferred to use a post hole digger. Both needed a pry bar occasionally to shift stones. A post hole digger looks like this: And a hand auger looks like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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