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On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 13:25:40 -0700, "Ook" Ook Don't send me any
freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the Don't send me any freakin'
spam wrote:

This is a somewhat different topic from my fence thread. I'm going to be
mixing concrete soon for setting fence posts. Any advice on how to mix it,
what goes in the mix, where to get the stuff from? Or any good websites on
this topic?

Are you sure you really need any concrete?
I have some wind break fences that lived through 2 hurricanes and a
half dozen close calls and they are just 4x4s in tamped dirt holes. If
you use a 2x2 and tamp the dirt back in around the post on 3 or 4"
"lifts" they get real solid right away and immovable in a year or two.
I made a nice tool with the 2x2 by knocking the corners off with a
hatchet (rounding off about 6" of it) and wrapping the "handle" part
in hockey tape.

The above poster is absolutely correct. Better yet, get some inexpensive
'pea' gravel or similar product. Place the post in the hole and while
slowly pouring the gravel around the post, give the post a small wiggle in
each direction.
Advantages:
1) Absolutely solid post. Evey time the post moves just a little the
gravel drops down and gets tighter.
2) Posts do not rot at the ground line. Concreted posts are guaranteed to
rot right at the top of concrete. The water cannot drain away. Most posts
are rotted out within 8-10 years. At that point you have to get heavy
equipment to pull out the concrete slug along with expensive trips to the
dump for disposal.
3) Gravel is a lot cheaper and less labor intensive than concrete.

BTW, I've set tall regulation basketball posts with gravel only. Absolutely
solid with no rocking whatsoever.

Ivan Vegvary