How to cut metal pole

Andy wrote: (clip)Any advice on how to go about it ? ^^^^^^^^^^ Oxy-acetylene cutting torch. Drill a hole just where it comes out of the concrete imbedment, to make it easy to start the cut. Afterwards, grind it off smooth and fill with concrete. The cutting part should take, maybe, two minutes. Maybe someone in your area with a torch will offer to help. Where are you?

The cheapest and fastest method for you will probably be to get a

41/2" gr> I need to cut a steel pole. It is the pole of an inground basketball

A few ways:

Ideally, with a cutting torch. Blow a starter hole, and jump back in case it has water in it. Cut as low as you can. Maybe take a chisel and cut down an inch or so under the level of the street. Backfill with concrete.

Hand grinder. Hack saw. Sawzall. Circle saw with metal cutting blade.

Cutting with the means that will leave metal above ground, cut the stump vertically several times so that you can fold pieces inward and downward. Use large hammer to bend them over. Imagine banana peels, but going inward into the hole.

Whatever you do, have one or two people with ropes to pull the thing the way you want it to fall.

Good luck. Not a big project, but an interesting one where you have to be paying attention.

Steve

1) Rent a pipe cutter. Cut as low to the ground as possible. Smash the remaining stub down with a sledge. Or... 2) Get a shovel and dig around and below the concrete, it probably has no more than one bag of concrete. Use the pole as a big lever to drag the thing out of the ground, it won't be as hard as you think. Call the city to haul the thing away.

Vaughn

My personal preference is 3 wraps of 200gr primacord, but you could use a cutting torch, or at worst, tie a rope to the top of it, after wetting the ground around it for a day or two, then seeing if it will simply pull out of the ground, by pulling it over.

A hacksaw and some GOOD blades might be a good thing, depending on how much concrete flowed up into the pipe w hen it was installed.

Another question..is it on or off your property line? If its off your property line, and not yours..seems to be the city's problem..they can cut if down in very short order. If its inside your property line..why are the trucks driving on your property?

A shovel and a sledge hammer works fine, but takes a while. If you cannot come up with the tools such as a hacksaw or cutting torch, try as I said, wetting the soil well, with a hose trickling on it for a few days, then pulling it over with a rope tied to the top. Most posts of this nature are not generally in very deep. If the ground is wet, they generally topple over like a wind blown tree, roots and all.

Gunner

Tell the city it's on their property, bring in a backhoe or Hiab and yank it out.

A pressure washer, or even a hosepipe with a tightly focussed spray nozzle may be of great use in freeing the concrete base from the ground.

LOL. Good point. Missed that one!

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

Man oh man that's extreme. I've cut hundreds of steel objects off that were imbedded in concrete and lived to cut another day. Mostly anchors, some pipe, wide flanges ect. An inexperienced type could direct enough heat into the concrete to pop a few pieces out, but that is how we learn not to do it!

JTMcC.

Make sure you have enough beer, too.

Steve ;-)

clare wrote: Do NOT use a torch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The concrete will blast away something awfull. ^^^^^^^^^^^ I think NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you turn the torch directly onto the concrete, you will surely get some flaking and popping, but if you direct the flame to the inside of the pole, through a hole, as I suggested, you will not have this problem at all. The trick is to get someone with a torch to come help you. If you have to hire a professional, with a truck full of equipment, then it could be fairly expensive. In that case I would resort to a Sawzall, or just follow the legal counsel of several others in this thread, and let the city take care of it.

If the concrete contains that special expanding re-bar that is evidently used in Texas freeways, this could be a whole nother story. :-)

I agree with Jim, If it is not on your property then, and you did not put it in, then it is not your problem. If it is on your property, then it is still not your problem because it's on your property.

Of course this assumes there are no "laws" that are interfering with common sense.

Vince

P.S. I also agree with the cutt> >

Andy, A cutting torch might work but you might want to check to make sure the pole is not concrete filled. When I installed on of these years ago I filled the pole with concrete, made a real solid instalation but hard to remove. :-) Paul

Destructo Saw. Great tool.

Gary

Hell, tell the local scrap guy he can have it if he cuts it down. I'd use a torch.

ahhh, Joel ur absolutely right, i'm slipping. :)

I like the drilling of holes myself - more people have drills.

Start with a smaller size drill - center of the drill doesn't drill well. Then work up.

Be at the bottom - or close - and then use a "Cold" chisel and a 2 pound hammer to cut from one hole through the pipe to the other. From inside of the hole to the next inside that is.

The metal chisel is a prime instrument for this - saws are fine if one is handy.

Alternate - call a welding company - explain the task Set the specs!!! - get a bid.

Martin

Since trucks are hitting it.....I suggest posting a sign which indicates the width of the road is two feet wider than it really is......next truck through ought to take it down!!

Bruce