Flag pole base mount help needed.

[69427]

I inherited a nice collapsible flag pole from my dad's estate, and am in the process of trying to make the mount for it. I want to make the pole removable, so I'm just trying to pour concrete around an 18" section of PVC pipe stuck in a deep hole. The PVC is the problem. The bottom section of the pole is 2.5" ID, which means it's 2.620" OD. Apparently PVC pipe only comes in 2 or 3 inch ID. I tried to section cut some 3" stuff to make it a smaller ID, but that ain't working very well. The pipe is just too springy and won't form a nice round shape. I then found a length of plastic conduit (2.5"!). It's obviously .120" too small in the ID, so I tried to sand it larger, but that is just too damn sloooooowwwwwwww (afterward I did some math to figure out how much material volume I'd have to sand, and decided I definitely ain't gonna spend that damn much time on that mindless method). I tried to piece together a couple lengthwise slices of the conduit to get what I would need (and eventually glue them together), but this stuff is too stiff and wants to stay the smaller ID.

Short of paying a machinist to get this conduit put in a lathe and bored out (or making this part in metal, which I could do as a last resort), anybody have any suggestions on how I can get this plastic conduit "bored out" a touch?

Thanks a bunch,
Mike

 

[mrvette]

Brake hone, small cyl hone....or if the metal is steel, depending, weld/hard solder 3 strips of metal to the needed end along side to take up your clearance.....piece of plastic pressed on the up side of it keeps too much water outta the ground pipe.....

I would use one cubic yard of concrete into the ground one yard deep, just to make damn good and sure though.....

same way I fixed my folks rural mailbox, years ago.....

:hissyfit::crutches:

 

[JeffP1167]

I inherited a nice collapsible flag pole from my dad's estate, and am in the process of trying to make the mount for it. I want to make the pole removable, so I'm just trying to pour concrete around an 18" section of PVC pipe stuck in a deep hole. The PVC is the problem. The bottom section of the pole is 2.5" ID, which means it's 2.620" OD. Apparently PVC pipe only comes in 2 or 3 inch ID. I tried to section cut some 3" stuff to make it a smaller ID, but that ain't working very well. The pipe is just too springy and won't form a nice round shape. I then found a length of plastic conduit (2.5"!). It's obviously .120" too small in the ID, so I tried to sand it larger, but that is just too damn sloooooowwwwwwww (afterward I did some math to figure out how much material volume I'd have to sand, and decided I definitely ain't gonna spend that damn much time on that mindless method). I tried to piece together a couple lengthwise slices of the conduit to get what I would need (and eventually glue them together), but this stuff is too stiff and wants to stay the smaller ID.

Short of paying a machinist to get this conduit put in a lathe and bored out (or making this part in metal, which I could do as a last resort), anybody have any suggestions on how I can get this plastic conduit "bored out" a touch?

Thanks a bunch,
Mike

What about using a drill powered hone for like small bore engines. They basically have spring mounted stones

 

[Twin_Turbo]

will take forever with a hone, instead of trying to make a large pipe smaller, why not cut a slit in the smaller pipe and use some large hose clamps to keep it from spreading too far. Then use some duct tape or whatever to close the seam

 

[mrvette]

will take forever with a hone, instead of trying to make a large pipe smaller, why not cut a slit in the smaller pipe and use some large hose clamps to keep it from spreading too far. Then use some duct tape or whatever to close the seam

:surrender: Your idea even simpler.....

:amazed:

 

[big2bird]

Just use a bigger pipe, like 6" . Set it concrete about 18" deep, maybe a 12" diameter hole. Pour the concrete. Set the pole in the sleeve, then fill the gap with sand. You can remove it anytime, and vacuum out the sand. Place a cap on it, and reset the pole anytime.
This is how the set flagpoles are set at post offices, so they can be changed if damaged. I Imagine schools are the same.

 

[69427]

will take forever with a hone, Very true. instead of trying to make a large pipe smaller, why not cut a slit in the smaller pipe and use some large hose clamps to keep it from spreading too far. Then use some duct tape or whatever to close the seam

I tried the brake hone method (out of desperation) the other day. It was an amusing though unsucessful endeavour.

I cut a slit in the conduit tube earlier in the day prior to posting, and to my additional amusement the tube closed shut even smaller. So, unless some other idea pops into my head, I'll probably go with the piece I cut the slit in, and put a thin spacer of some sort in there to get the ID I want, and then glue/seal the seam. I've had the hole dug for over a week and I'm just anxious to finish this "quick simple" project.

Thanks for your help, guys.

 

[69427]

Just use a bigger pipe, like 6" . Set it concrete about 18" deep, maybe a 12" diameter hole. Pour the concrete. Set the pole in the sleeve, then fill the gap with sand. You can remove it anytime, and vacuum out the sand. Place a cap on it, and reset the pole anytime.
This is how the set flagpoles are set at post offices, so they can be changed if damaged. I Imagine schools are the same.

I guess we were typing at the same time.

The sand thing is an interesting way of doing that. I'll confess that concept would have never entered my mind.

I'll kick that idea around.

Once again, I appreciate the suggestions.

 

[big2bird]

Just use a bigger pipe, like 6" . Set it concrete about 18" deep, maybe a 12" diameter hole. Pour the concrete. Set the pole in the sleeve, then fill the gap with sand. You can remove it anytime, and vacuum out the sand. Place a cap on it, and reset the pole anytime.
This is how the set flagpoles are set at post offices, so they can be changed if damaged. I Imagine schools are the same.

I guess we were typing at the same time.

The sand thing is an interesting way of doing that. I'll confess that concept would have never entered my mind.

I'll kick that idea around.

Once again, I appreciate the suggestions.

http://www.flagpolewarehouse.com/proddetail.php?prod=w380000

 

[mrvette]

Just use a bigger pipe, like 6" . Set it concrete about 18" deep, maybe a 12" diameter hole. Pour the concrete. Set the pole in the sleeve, then fill the gap with sand. You can remove it anytime, and vacuum out the sand. Place a cap on it, and reset the pole anytime.
This is how the set flagpoles are set at post offices, so they can be changed if damaged. I Imagine schools are the same.

I guess we were typing at the same time.

The sand thing is an interesting way of doing that. I'll confess that concept would have never entered my mind.

I'll kick that idea around.

Once again, I appreciate the suggestions.

http://www.flagpolewarehouse.com/proddetail.php?prod=w380000

:hissyfit: You know Bird, reading your first post, I thought you was nutz, but I gotta admit....so it seems you are correct....I would never have guessed......:crutches:

 

[010752]

The sand thing works really well.
Back in the 80s, we set a few huge flagpoles that were at least 75' tall at local Chevy dealerships. The flags were 50' x 30' and at the time cost around $1800 apiece.

I've since used that method to also set larger gate posts for chainlink gates, since they can get crashed into once in a while and need to be easily replaced. I just use a hose to loosen the sand and the poles come right out. I make tapered wood shims to plumb the pole first and then remove them after the sand is compacted. For those big flagpoles, the shims were left in and the top 6" was poured with concrete.

 

[Corvettes White]

Sand is how it is commonly done. George