Electricity pole - Cutting, splitting and using an old pole to make posts

[carbs for arbs]

Hi

 

I need timber for posts for wood shelters. Nothing fancy; it's all quite rough and ready with reclaimed materials where possible.

 

There's an old electricity pole lying in the garden which has probably been there around three years. I was thinking to cut it down into 4 pieces, and then split each of those length ways into four, giving me 16 posts. I think the post has remnants of creosote or some kind of tar stuff on it, but not much and I presume such treatment doesn't penetrate. So when (or if) I do manage to split it, what would be the best type of treatment to use on it?

 

I'll probably drive a section into the ground for stability, and presume that will need a separate or additional treatment due to ground contact. Any recommendations?

 

Obviously being a shelter, the posts will be under cover to a certain extent and should hopefully only get wet in very bad weather. But the longer they last the better.

 

Any suggestions, thoughts or opinions most welcome. Photos below.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Peasgood]

If it has been there 3 years it is probably already rotting, they don't last long lying down.

I have never done it but would expect splitting them to speed up the rotting process very fast, the only preservative/treatment worth a damn is creosote (not creocote). Can be bought in 20 litre drums from ag merchants but not cheap.

[Woodworks]

We have some old electric poles for fencing. Dont be fooled by the hint of creosote on the outside. I was sharpening some of them up and there is still so much cresote in them it left residue all over the saw and the smell was so strong it left me feeling sick and I use creoste around the farm on a regular basis and have never been effected so badly by it.

[openspaceman]

4 hours ago, Woodworks said:

We have some old electric poles for fencing. Dont be fooled by the hint of creosote on the outside. I was sharpening some of them up and there is still so much cresote in them it left residue all over the saw and the smell was so strong it left me feeling sick and I use creoste around the farm on a regular basis and have never been effected so badly by it.

Yes where it gets forced in it stays and weeps over time (this is one reason creosoted posts were so expensive they absorbed so much) but when used as posts you always see the middle rotting out over time.

[carbs for arbs]

Thanks for the replies. It will be interesting to see how it had survived and what it's like on the inside. I'm going to give splitting a go and will report back once I have, although not too sure when that'll be. 

 

Cheers

[Billhook]

Mind there is no metal in it

[Stere]

Wouldn't likw to use my saw again to cut one up creosote gummed up insides  took hrs to get saw clean afterwards

[carbs for arbs]

Hi all

 

Many thanks for the helpful replies and sorry for the late response.  

 

I don’t use chainsaws, but managed to get through it with an “in need of attention” 2 and a half foot saw I have.  Wasn’t too bad actually.  I then used axe heads/wedges and a sledge hammer to split.  Following which, I used a machete along the inside face to flatten it out so that the firewood will sit nicely against it.  I should end up with 14 “posts” when done.  The top section I’ve split into two rather than four – firstly because it was thinner (the original post tapers in), and secondly we wanted a couple of the posts to be more substantial.  

 

Visually, the creosote only seemed to have penetrated about a quarter of the way.  Perhaps it has got in further to a lesser extent, but the darkness certainly fades around a quarter in.  As for rot, there is some in the bottom section but the rest is looking pretty good.  

 

Lots of pictures below...  

 

- Do you think it is still ok to use the pieces with rot?
- Should I look to use a preservative on the inside where there’s less (or no) creosote?  Or should they be ok as is?  The corrugated roof will overhang these posts by quite a way, so they’ll only ever get rain wet when it’s driving very hard.   
- I’ll only drive them 20-30cm into the ground.  Should I use something special to protect the sections that will be in the ground (again though, they’ll be undercover mostly)?  

 

 

Thanks again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carbs for arbs]

PS - the side of each shelter will have a post at front, middle and back.  So I could use the pieces with rot as middle posts so that they are right in the shelter and totally protected from rain.

[carbs for arbs]

Seeing as it's raining and the weekend, a cheeky bump in case anyone can offer some advice...  

 

Cheers