07-01-2009, 01:59 AM
Oink,
As per setting the steel T post in the Lava. Over in Konafornia I've had the wonderful task of doing a great deal of decorative concrete form work. I used form pins/stakes for bracing the forms and they are 1" diameter steel pins. These could be pounded directly into the lava via sledge hammer, although I doubt they would hold well for fence use as they were not epoxied in and would give if stressed back and forth.
I would venture to say the steel post itself could be ground (use skillsaw and steel cutting blade)at the base removing the barb leaving the T bar intact. One can drill much larger holes, well over 3/4" with a roto hammer very easily into the lava and I would assume a 1.5" diameter bit would drive right through the lava like a hot knife through butter. I wouldn't use expoxy to set the post as it would prove very expensive to fill the void. I would use a mortar mix that contains only sand and no rock to set the T post within the hole. That would work very well... I guarantee it. You could also tint the mortar to match your lavas color. If the hole is just a 1/8" to 1/4" smaller or so in diameter; the hole could be filled with mortar first and the post can be pounded into place with a hand post driver into the mortar filled hole, setting it immediatly and therefore needing no set bracing. Try a couple test holes to establish the correct diameter for your T bar but a hole that's just a wee smaller than the T bar should allow for a quick easy set with a common post driver.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
As per setting the steel T post in the Lava. Over in Konafornia I've had the wonderful task of doing a great deal of decorative concrete form work. I used form pins/stakes for bracing the forms and they are 1" diameter steel pins. These could be pounded directly into the lava via sledge hammer, although I doubt they would hold well for fence use as they were not epoxied in and would give if stressed back and forth.
I would venture to say the steel post itself could be ground (use skillsaw and steel cutting blade)at the base removing the barb leaving the T bar intact. One can drill much larger holes, well over 3/4" with a roto hammer very easily into the lava and I would assume a 1.5" diameter bit would drive right through the lava like a hot knife through butter. I wouldn't use expoxy to set the post as it would prove very expensive to fill the void. I would use a mortar mix that contains only sand and no rock to set the T post within the hole. That would work very well... I guarantee it. You could also tint the mortar to match your lavas color. If the hole is just a 1/8" to 1/4" smaller or so in diameter; the hole could be filled with mortar first and the post can be pounded into place with a hand post driver into the mortar filled hole, setting it immediatly and therefore needing no set bracing. Try a couple test holes to establish the correct diameter for your T bar but a hole that's just a wee smaller than the T bar should allow for a quick easy set with a common post driver.
E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.