Slugging It Out September 30, 2017, 04:07:16 pm Just an attempt to keep the Op thread straight just like my new fence. Here's my approach to the "slug" removal.First thing I did was tear down the old rotting fence. Took me about an hour. Tools on hand: Saws-All, shovel and a hammer and a good pair of leather gloves.After piling up the old fence I cleaned out the 4x4 hole in the slug nearest the one I was about to remove. I then inserted a two foot 4x4 in the hole. For the slug being removed, I dug out the side aiming toward the other slug with the new 4x4. For most of the slugs, I then dug out the side to the left or right of the one being removed (the first slug was a bit more involved). After cleaning out its 4x4 hole, I inserted a 2' 4x4.After wrapping the come-along cable around the other 4x4, I attached a tow rope to the come-along and lassoed the other 4x4. Then I began taking up the slack until the slug being removed leaned over. Like pulling a bad tooth. Then I slacked off a bit and wrapped the tow rope around the concrete neck of the "pulled" slug and tightened the cable until the slug slid out of the hole. I did two slugs a day. Repeating the process with each set of slugs along the old fence line. Phew! Takes a bit of doing, but there was no way this 64 year old man was going to shell out $50 a hole. Almost done with this section. Loosing a bit of weight and saving a ton of cash. Plus I can sit back at the next BBQ and admire all "my" work. My DW thinks I'm "amazing" and that's a plus too.Almost time for Big Bear...that's a reward in and of itself. Oh yeah, I'm gonna paint the house myself too.Here are some shots of the first slug being pulled. It was a beast. The next one wasn't much different.Kent 3 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #1 – September 30, 2017, 06:30:27 pm When considering the cost and labor of replacing the fence at my home, I was completely prepared to return to the old standard-Concrete and post holes. I'm grateful that I waited to start the project. I had purchased everything I needed to start the project. Concrete, gravel, redwood 4x4's and a post hole digger. Forget it. I found a much simpler solution.Enter the OzPost...https://youtu.be/SE3PKWU4at8Easy as one-two-three. I just refilled the post whole from the old slug. Tamped it down really well and waited a few days for the soil to compress. The result has been very satisfactory. The OzPost itself cost about $15 each in an 8 pack from Home Depot. I will never go back to concrete post setting again. Kent 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #2 – September 30, 2017, 08:05:12 pm Interesting, Kent! So when you drive the OzPost into the ground, is the wood post automatically level on all sides? I just ordered a weather station that I'm going to put on Weather Underground and will need to install a post so may give the OzPost a try.
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #3 – September 30, 2017, 09:39:53 pm I have used a few of these OZPosts, and like them, but only on small picket fences or non stressed posts. The big fence line that is subject to high wind still demands a couple of bags of quick-crete, IMO.
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #4 – September 30, 2017, 09:50:11 pm Greg, I use a two sided post level that is magnetic. I start the OzPost by sight then use the "ram/slide" to drive it into the ground a little at a time. After each ram, I place the level on the OzPost to check level and adjust as I continue. I use a loose fitting 4x4 (you may be setting galvanised pipe which the OzPost has a post for as well) and "tweek" the angle as I go. I drive the OzPost to just about ground level to keep the 4x4 post out of the moist ground.Really straight forward. The nice thing about the OzPost is that it can be removed if you want to place it elsewhere.Here are a couple of pics of the OzPost and the level I use. I purchased the OzPost ram (sliding hammer) from Home Depot because I have so many posts to set. You probably won't need it.OzPosts come in two lengths for 4x4 posts. 24" which I am using and 32" for deeper sets.Kent 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #5 – September 30, 2017, 10:20:22 pm Very interesting "post", Kent. I get high Santa Ana winds where I am, but for chain link fences for animal pens, your Oz post settings look great! I really hate digging post holes. What kind of soil do you have? Did you set them in clay? Do they pound in OK or do you have to soak the ground in advance?HD
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #6 – September 30, 2017, 10:34:00 pm Harold,I have to admit they set very easily at this point. Mainly because I set them in the soil I had just replaced after removing the slugs. Once I work my way along the side yard I will be setting in soil that is a bit tougher due to the clay I have found when laying my sod for the front yard. I really don't expect any difficulty. You can always rent an electric jack hammer for ease of installation but for me, so far, it's been a piece of cake. YouTube has several videos dealing with the OzPost. There are other "spike" type post holders on the market also. Some look distinctly like the OzPost.Good luck with your fence. Feel free to toss that ol' post hole shovel 😉Kent 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #7 – September 30, 2017, 10:46:18 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - September 30, 2017, 10:20:22 pmVery interesting "post", Kent. I get high Santa Ana winds where I am, but for chain link fences for animal pens, your Oz post settings look great! Are the animal pens to keep the turtles from escaping, Harold? 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #8 – October 01, 2017, 12:27:49 am The funny thing is that over 20 years ago, my youngest daughter wanted to know when they would be big enough to ride to school. She has her doctorate now and they are still not big enough. Maybe her kids will ride them. 2 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #9 – October 01, 2017, 01:27:52 am Kent said, "Phew! Takes a bit of doing, but there was no way this 64 year old man was going to shell out $50 a hole. Almost done with this section. Loosing a bit of weight and saving a ton of cash."This sounds like my summer spraying & whacking brush at the farm. I've been through five 16-18 kids since May (I love my Stihl chainsaw, but wanted the flexibility of young backs & the upper body strength of the Y chromosomes to heave stuff into the truck/etc.). As they sputtered out over the summer (with complaints of heat/etc.), I asked, "Are you going to let a 63 y/o woman out do you?" Apparently the answer was "yes"--they didn't quit for other/better jobs (I paid $10/hr, which is 30% above Missouri's minimum wage), they just devolved into no call-no show/gotta leave because of XYZ/"I don't wanna do this kind of work anymore." I'm on the hunt for helpers again, but school has started; I gotta say hurray! for those tackling things like this in our 6th+ decade...I certainly wasn't doing this sort of thing 20-40 years ago (though I did spend several summers mowing lawns & detassling corn in HS)."Loosing a bit of weight and saving a ton of cash" combined with pure pigheaded endurance...& channeling Helen Reddy (I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar)....along with some ibuprofen/alternating ice pack & heating pad. Those ozposts look really slick--fortunately, fence-building is not on my agenda...but the brush whacking goes on & on & on... Lynne
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #10 – October 01, 2017, 11:51:02 am Lynn,For years I hired kids from the local high school wrestling team. They are strong and have good endurance. They are fundamentally poor workers since they are young and their parents haven't instilled much work ethic, but if you work with them, side-by-side, they keep at it. After a few days they decline my offer for another day of work and I get another one. Contact the high school wrestling coach. They are usually pretty enthusiastic about their athletes getting paid to do hard manual labor.Kids on the football team are strong, but had no endurance and can't do a day's work or keep up with a 64 year old man. Kids from the cross country and swim teams were generally smarter and had better endurance, but no useful strength and soft little hands. Two boys working together get about 75% of the work done that one can do by himself. They end up standing around and talking.If you feed them lunch, it is much more expensive.HD 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #11 – October 01, 2017, 01:20:36 pm "Apparently the answer was "yes"--they didn't quit for other/better jobs (I paid $10/hr, which is 30% above Missouri's minimum wage), they just devolved into no call-no show/gotta leave because of XYZ/"I don't wanna do this kind of work anymore." "Of course every generation says this same thing . . . but I think these here chickens have done come home to roost! And of course WE walked uphill all the way to/from school through three feet of snow . . . but honestly . . . "kids today"!!!Work ethic is out the window as a general rule, and attention span is shorter than the size of a quark, plus the desire to learn anything new is also missing. To say nothing of the boredom that sets in if there is not a cartoon character to shoot and kill - BAZAAAAM - on a regular basis!It's a different world now, and I'm not coping well. The weeds in my yard are winning their life's battle. Instead of an after-school job for a teen, these small tasks now must be attended to by professional landscaping services, which are very expensive. Up until a couple of years ago, I could go out and pull weeds every morning to keep them in check during the summer monsoons, but now that the ground has become so much further away from my reach, that is no longer an option.Clearly I should be fulltiming wherein Mother Nature deals with her own progeny. Virtual hugs, Judie 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #12 – October 01, 2017, 01:43:35 pm Harold, your post made me laugh because it is absolutely on point! I've met few kids, boys or girls, who had the drive, the energy, the rudimentary skills, the ability to take direction, and/or the stamina to do a physical job right and see it through. I've hired kids before for simple jobs and good money, but without diligent and unflagging supervision, there was plenty of butt time, wandering off, texting, and a bit of whining about how tired they were, but not much actual work getting done. And, what was done often had to be re-done - by me. No more kid hires; as my Mama said, "Not gonna keep a bunch of dogs and do all the barkin' myself!" 3 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #13 – October 02, 2017, 02:28:26 am Joan, Judie, & Harold--Thx--I appreciate the affirmation...thought perhaps I was just getting to be an unreasonably cranky dinosaur. I'd had only limited experience as an employer, & that was with adults (childcare for my kids/eldercare for my mom/occasional housecleaning). This has been an expensive learning curve. Harold--thx for the assessment of wrestlers vs, others...I'd thought about looking for some beefy footballers.RE: "...if you work with them, side-by-side..." Indeed...I thought seeing an old lady whacking with a chainsaw along with them would be good for building my own endurance/dropping ##s/setting an example...turned out to be another reminder about the results of "assuming" something. RE: "If you feed them lunch, it is much more expensive." My bunch seemed to be Finicky Freds who would rather spend $$ driving 12 miles (rnd trip to town)/time off the clock/high-priced fast food, than bring their lunches or eat the hot dogs & fixin's I provided. RE: "...what was done often had to be re-done - by me." Indeed, I've been taking various young men's names in vain over the course of the past few months. Joan, I like your mama's skill with a well-turned phrase. Lynne 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #14 – October 04, 2017, 07:02:14 pm Gotta a bit of time so I thought I’d do a little comparison between the concrete “slugs” I recently yanked out of the ground and the “OzPost” I’m replacing them with to secure my new fence. “Hmmm...which way do I go???”Someone is going to appreciate the lack of effort they will need to expend if they ever have to remove ol’ Ozzy. I don’t think even a high school kid would balk at lending a $10 hand.After speaking with the folks at Minwax, I decided to change direction on staining the new cedar fence and take their advice to use Thompson’s Water Seal. I’m using a clear seal and the results should be fantastic. I was not at all satisfied with the stain even though I was using a pre stain wood conditioner. Now, I’m actually excited to move on with the project.So far I’ve sealed 8’ of the 16’ of fencing I’ve set so far. Now, I will have something to compare the Thompsons to tomorrow afternoon. Sure saves a lot of work and cash. Here are some pics. The sealant is still wet so it’s a bit shinny. I hope it looks this good tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to start another section...before the rain hits.Kent 1 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #15 – October 05, 2017, 09:22:44 am When you're done with your fence, Kent . . . 2 Likes
Re: Slugging It Out Reply #16 – October 05, 2017, 11:21:08 am Greg,I have a five year plan. No rush...although this project has already been in the works for two years already. That’s what happens when you hope for a cool summer in Southern California.I’ll keep you in mind. 😜Kent 2 Likes
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