Author Topic: fencepost pounders (Read 1148 times)

redpowerd · « **on:** March 06, 2004, 05:48:13 am »

ill be slowly fencin off 40 or so tiled acres of hay as soon as its dry enough to drive on. not lookin forward to the job.
i have been pushing posts in with my loader, but dont like what the rocks do to the bucket. i repaired it and dont want to repair it again.
i dont want to buy one, so any of you weldin types build one?
id like plans, if possible.
thanks!
jon

DanG · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2004, 08:46:17 am »

Jeepers, Red! You must be EVEN cheaper than I am.

Pretty simple to make one, though. Just a piece of heavy steel pipe, with a plug welded in one end and a couple of simple handles. An old drive shaft makes a pretty good one.

redpowerd · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2004, 09:32:26 am »

great idea, but the only movement i'd like my arms to do is run the hydraulics.

i forgot to mention the hydraulics
i just thought you'd know how stinkin lazy i am

shopteacher · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2004, 09:32:38 am »

DanG,
How you get the machine to hold onto them handles and lift that driveshaft up and down?

I also have some fence to install and often thought of building a post pounder. I've seen the DOT drive guard rail post into the road berm and can't quite figure how the hammer is pulled up and let trip to come down and reapeat the cycle so quickly. Never had an opportunity to see one up close. Anybody have experience on one of these things?
I'm with you red, lazy.

redpowerd · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2004, 09:45:10 am »

i think they may use a ram to compress a spring, once the sping compresses the ram lets go. dont know, but i know a spring is involved. my neighbor has used them, time for a vist.

Tom · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2004, 10:58:38 am »

They drive pilings here with diesel.

The bottom of a cylinder is placed on the top of a pole. A bit of oil is injected into the cylinder and hammer is raised above it with the cables on a dragline. The hammer is dropped, driving the piling. The oil detonates and sends the hammer up the cylinder/tube and a fresh squirt of diesel is injected again. Every time the hammer falls it detonates the oil. To stop it you either don't inject oil or you catch the hammer with the cable.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2004, 11:05:52 am »

teach:

You can get post hole diggers for your skid stear, you can even rent them someplaces. If you hire out a post hole digger they charge you more than 40 head of cattle would be worth

shopteacher · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2004, 12:17:54 pm »

SD,
I have an auger for the Massey Fergeson, but always looking to build something new. I like the idea of taking a pointed locust post and pounding it in the ground. No back filling, just onto the next post. Ya see I just can't figure out to do with all this spare time.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2004, 12:32:55 pm »

I remember seeing this old gent in his 70's driving posts by hand into his rock lined fence. Now there's a chap from the old school of hard knox, wouldn't you say?

shopteacher · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2004, 12:45:40 pm »

Indeed I would.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2004, 01:05:18 pm »

Let's see now, Ahemmmm.

Them fanciful post drivers ain't nothin but a rubber roller, that's mashed against the back of a piece of Channel iron.
The roller is driven by the PTO and the handle thingy is spring loaded.

When the roller rotates, it picks up the channel, by friction. The channel has a cast iron weight fastened to the top. The bottom of the weight drops down upon the top of the post.

To trip the pounder, you mash on the handle and it loosens the friction drive of the rubber roller, thus, dropping the weight.

Nuttin to it. Roller bearings hold the channel into the frame that the whole deal is built around.

And that's all I got to say about that

Corley5 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2004, 01:21:01 pm »

FDH, You just decribed a Danuser brand post driver. Dad and I have one and it's quite a machine. We've driven 4" posts into our gravely soil without pointing the ends. It'll put metal highway sign posts in a couple whacks

but watch your fingers

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #12 on:** March 06, 2004, 01:37:13 pm »

Dat's Da one, Greg. Dat's Da one. Couldn't remember the name. 2 guys can wear out a 40 acre field in a couple of days, once ya get the posts laid out and the first wire strung out

redpowerd · « **Reply #13 on:** March 06, 2004, 01:48:35 pm »

i aint usin no auger! thats for ice fishin!
i want to set the corners, string the high tensle, then raise or lower it throughout the field with other posts. still goin for a neighborly visit tonight, ill get more info.
thanks

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #14 on:** March 06, 2004, 03:02:31 pm »

I wonder how good them post drivers work on hard gravelly till. Its quite a bit different than silt or sandy soil. You need a pick axe to dig below 2 feet into the subsoil. But you wouldn't be driving a post that deep unless your erecting a fence to keep deer in.

I remember driving posts here and we always used a 6 foot long piece of drive shaft with 30 lbs of weight to make the start hole, then a 5 lb mallet to drive'r in. Never took that long to do the fencing once you had the posts laid out. We used white cedar for fencing which lasted 20 or 25 years.

shopteacher · « **Reply #15 on:** March 06, 2004, 03:41:30 pm »

Can't quite picture what your describing FDH. Does anybody know if tractor supply sell these things? Need to have a look so I can figure out what I need. I'd rather mount it on the skidsteer as I'd have to take the backhoe off the Massey to mount it there.

redpowerd · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2004, 04:35:17 pm »

the only one my gehl dealer sells is the skidsteer mounted one, and its a one man op. folds down to pinch the post. $$$
im to lazy to make enough money to spend on that one

my hayfield in question was just subsoiled 2 yrs ago. i dont need an inverted rocket launcher.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #17 on:** March 06, 2004, 04:56:22 pm »

Been tryin to draw on the puter for an hour

Did it the old fashioned way. This is a ROUGH idea of what the driver looks like. Ya hafta have some(a lot) of imagination.

There are 2 channels, both "architechural" style, rounded corners and all steel is the same thickness. One has the 3 point hook-up for the tractor. The second channel rides inside the first, and the 4 bearings hold the second channel against the back side of the first.

The rubber roller is mounted on the back side of the first channel, and is spring loaded, to keep it pushed against the second channel. That roller is driven by the PTO, via the gearbox, and raises the second channel, with the BIG weight on top of it.

There is a handle and linkage system, where you let the second channel raise as high as the roller allows, and then you push or pull the handle, releasing the roller (like a clutch) and allowing the weighted channel to drop onto the post.

I could build the thing quicker than splain it

If ya don't get the idear this time, try Google

redpowerd · « **Reply #18 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:13:46 pm »

cant read your scratchin'
how heavy is the weight and how many whacks does it take?
i could see building one without the weight, rather streching a pair of springs. and instead of a roller and pto, use a hyd ram that picks it to a certian point and trips. i want to use a 3pt, with the top link replaced with another ram for anglin corner posts.
i think i gots a plan, deadheader, i think i gots a plan!
thanks

Ed_K · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:25:58 pm »

If you have a 3pt winch, theres your power for a ram. Now all you need is an upright guide, and weight.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #20 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:29:43 pm »

Red, the driver belonged to a neighbor. He had a post set to hang the driver on when not in use. I would guess the weight at about 250 pounds. We had red clay and flint rock to drive posts into.

I saw one where the ram would push the pounding apparatus up and then the ram would "unlatch" and the weight would freefall, it worked a lot like the one I drawed, drew, sketched, scratched?

?

ANGLED corner posts?

? Splain please?

We always used the "H" style, so the frost wouldn't push 'em out?

shopteacher · « **Reply #21 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:37:32 pm »

Thanks FDH, I got the picture now. Time to start rounding up parts for that thing now.

redpowerd · « **Reply #22 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:38:03 pm »

whith them,you need to start a hole, its gotta be deeper than the frost (4-5 foot) by a couple feet. those dont move, and they save on constructin corners.

if i use the weight "and" the spring, i wont need to sharpen em!

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #23 on:** March 06, 2004, 05:55:15 pm »

Teech, the rubber roller could be made with 2 pipe flanges with Tire donuts sandwiched between 'em. Then fasten the flanges to a shaft.

I once made a lay-down belt sander, by cutting "plugs" out of a semi-truck tire sidewall, with a holesaw. Don'T use steel belted tires

Squeeze them between the flages with 4 bolts and then turn them down square and even. That would last for years.

The plate the roller is fastened to was hinged, I believe, and the handle would "tilt" the roller out, until the weight fell. Release the handle and the springs push the roller in and the weight raises. Pretty fool-proof.

Corley5 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 06, 2004, 07:04:34 pm »

http://www.danuser.com/products/hydraulic_postdriver/bmdh.htm

This is the model we've got. We paid $300.00 at an auction a few years back and it paid for itself in no time. They also make a PTO powered one

redpowerd · « **Reply #25 on:** March 06, 2004, 07:27:52 pm »

thanks for the link.

i like them rubber rollers, nice thinkin
it is pretty simple, cept for the motor/gearbox, thats where ill need to spend. guess you could use a 10 speed bike

'spose 250#s wouldnt take long to drive'm
make the head into a deadblow.

redpowerd · « **Reply #26 on:** March 06, 2004, 07:29:33 pm »

how much longer is the inside channel than the outside?

Duane_Moore · « **Reply #27 on:** March 06, 2004, 08:16:38 pm »

mite try - Kencove Farm Fence - Blairsville, PA. Duh---Duane

Corley5 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 06, 2004, 08:23:20 pm »

I'd have to shovel snow to find ours as of yet. It's at the end of the barn with a blue tarp over it. We use ours in gravel glacial till without a problem.

Ianab · « **Reply #29 on:** March 06, 2004, 11:41:04 pm »

Best thing we found for driving fence posts was a 20 ton excavator. Not that I ever had one, but any time we hired one to do track maintainance etc we would lay out another fence line before hand and pay another hours rental to get the digger to just push em in with the bucket.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #30 on:** March 07, 2004, 03:23:34 am »

Red, not exactly sure. Here's a ballpark on how to figure what ya need.

Use Corley's link to see what the thing looks like. They are pretty simple.

If the post is to be left at 5 feet above ground, the bottom of the channel that slides should just about hit the ground when the post is at the set height. You don't want the driver channel to get so low, that the roller won't lift it back up OR get below the guide bearings so it tilts out and might break the lower bearing guides. I'm guessing that the 3 point lift arms are about knee high when operating the driver on level ground.

That would allow raising the driver for longer posts with the 3 point arms.

If my memory isn't completely gone, the top of the guide channel would be about seven feet off the ground at the same working level. That would make the guide channel about 6 feet long, maybe.

The pounding channel would be a little longer, to allow for the big weight. It was about 10" thick, I believe??? Getting the rubber friction drive roller in the right place will take a little figuring. It will be about 1/3rd way up, I would guess??? Remember the height of the post on level ground I mentioned . That would get the roller in about the right place.

I can't remember how the driven channel is held in place while moving from post to post. Probably need a worm drive gearbox. That would become a brake for the roller when you disengage the PTO. I'm pretty sure there is a pin that goes through the two channels to hold them together in storage???

There HAS to be a drawing on the "net", if ya just knew how to do a good search. THAT, I ain't good at

redpowerd · « **Reply #31 on:** March 07, 2004, 07:55:57 am »

wonderin what keeps the weight from foldin over when at full lenghth and poundin me into the ground!

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #32 on:** March 07, 2004, 10:01:02 am »

Those channels are about 10" or 12" wide and ¼" thick.

Furby · « **Reply #33 on:** March 22, 2004, 02:57:56 pm »

This is a little bit different then what you all are working out right now, but I saw a really nice homemade well/post driver at an auction the other day. It sold for $450.
It was a single axle utility trailer with jacks on the front, out riggers with jacks on the back. They had a mast that you swung up into the upright position and then pin a couple of braces in place. There was a ladder built into the mast, in case you needed to get to the top. On the trailer was a small engine with gear box attached to a homemade capstan. At the top of the mast was a wheel hub and rim that a rope ran over and down to the weight.
It was a really well made and thought out rig, kind of just a copy of the big boys.

wiam · « **Reply #34 on:** March 22, 2004, 06:02:04 pm »

I can explain the truck mounted drivers(like DOT). I run one like it for a living in the summer for a private contractor. The hammer(1500lbs) is lifted up inside of a frame that it slides in by a hydraulic cylinder(single acting) and a series of pulleys. The hammer is dropped by pushing the lever and the weight of the hammer and gravity is what drives the post. How hard you hit the post depends on how high you lift the hammer. There is a steel head that goes over the post that slides in the same frame. This has a poly cap to deaden sound. The head keeps the top of the post from getting beat up.

William

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Author Topic: fencepost pounders (Read 1148 times)