I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a pry
bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:50:18 -0500, Karl Townsend wrote:

I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a pry
bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?


Is the hoop one piece?

If the bit in the ground can be seperated, make a fitting to allow water to
be pumped down the pipe.

Otherwise, for your clamp idea, get some bicycle quick-release skewers.
They make them for both wheels (about 5" long) and seatpins (about 1 1/2"
long. the latter would work, drill & tap 5mm for the fixed side, or drill
a pin (for each skewer) and set that crossways in the fixed side; lets you
make slots in the free side so getting the clamp on & off is easier. Use
as many skewers as you need to grab hold of the pipe.

The skewers with a steel internal cam are much better than those with an
aluminium external one.

On Oct 11, 6:50*am, "Karl Townsend"
wrote:
I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a pry
bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?

You are probably already working at pulling the tubing, but here would
be my choice.

I would make the whole device out of 2X4 wood. Bolt two pieces
together on the 4 inch sides, then drill a 2" hole centered where the
sides meet. Then line the hole with layers of rubber inner tube
material so it is well compressed when the blocks are clamped around
the tube. Then use your lifter on the block.

Paul

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a
pry
bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?



How deep are the tubes in the ground?

What kind of soil?

My thought would be to use a shovel and pry up from the bottom if it is not
too deep and the soil is not hard pan.

Another alternative would be to use a tubing cutter to lop off the tubes,
and then make short sections to replace the ends. A circumstance that this
might be your best bet is if the ends of the tubes are set into concrete
below ground level.

Not sure if these ideas are any better so they are submitted for what there
worth.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

On Oct 11, 9:50*am, "Karl Townsend"
wrote:
I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a pry
bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?

Some ideas:

* On Mar. 4th, Winston described modifying a hydraulic lift table to
do a similar job: http://tinyurl.com/ylcwvv8

* There are some designs of “fence post pullers” described on the web.

* If the supports disassemble in sections, you might have access to
the inside of the conduit to allow you to put a chain inside it with
an expanding anchor (or plug) and be able to pull it out with a
backhoe.

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.

Back hoe?

Shovel?

I know just what to pull it with....

A ham friend [long dead] was friends with a rather famous ham, Sam Harris
[W1FZJ] who went on to do multiple firsts. Sandy needed a tower pulled
out; and Sam said he'd found the right tool in the weeds along the road.

It was a streetcar jack..... and the tower was no challenge.

I agree the blocks lined with tube approach. I'd glue the rubber
in.

But I'd suggest you use bolts sized so you could use a air rachet or
small impact wrench to install remove the bolts. If wood; weld the
needed nut to a scrap so you can screw it to the wood. That way it's
a 2 hand, not 3 hand, job.

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Use a fence post puller
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...70_13224_13224
with the jaws replaced by some aluminum blocks bored to the diameter of
the conduit. Bore the hole, saw in half, bolt to the puller.

Karl Townsend wrote:
I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a pry
bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?

Thanks, everybody, for all the suggestions.

My best idea, right now, is to waste an old vice grip welding clamp and
replace the jaws with pipe clamp. Then I'll make this northern tool lever
suggestion out of a couple scraps of tubing.

I won't build till Tuesday, so I got a couple days to sleep on it.

Karl

On Oct 11, 7:24*pm, "Karl Townsend"
wrote:
Thanks, everybody, for all the suggestions.

My best idea, right now, is to waste an old vice grip welding clamp and
replace the jaws with pipe clamp. Then I'll make this northern tool lever
suggestion out of a couple scraps of tubing.

I won't build till Tuesday, so I got a couple days to sleep on it.

Karl

I came up with some ideas based on the clamps used on the tubing used
in the oil fields. But way too complicated to build for pulling just
50 tubes.

So instead suggest you use something which has no metalworking
content.

Consider making a loop of rope or webbing. Tie a prussic knot around
the tubing. Pull with a Farm jack or a long ram hydraulic jack. Tying
a Prussic knot will take less time than bolting some blocks
together. I pulled about 4 feet of 1/2 inch rebar out of the ground
using this method.

Use Google to see what a Prussic knot is.

Dan

Consider making a loop of rope or webbing. Tie a prussic knot around
the tubing. Pull with a Farm jack or a long ram hydraulic jack. Tying
a Prussic knot will take less time than bolting some blocks
together. I pulled about 4 feet of 1/2 inch rebar out of the ground
using this method.

Use Google to see what a Prussic knot is.



Now, there's a GOOD idea. I didn't know of this knot. I'll try this first.
I'll be bummed if it don't work, cause the unit is 40 miles away. Here's a u
tube of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDU4sSkXrIM

Karl

On Oct 11, 11:33*pm, "Karl Townsend"
Now, there's a GOOD idea. I didn't know of this knot. I'll try this first..
I'll be bummed if it don't work, cause the unit is 40 miles away.
Karl


I am pretty sure it will work for you. With it forty miles away, you
might want to drive some tubing into the ground and try it out before
you go. I used a short piece of 2 by 4 under the jack to keep the
jack from sinking into the ground. Would have worked better with two
pieces of 2 by 4 so the jack could be more centered next to the rebar
that I was pulling.

I used to go caving in Alabama, which is where I learned about Prussic
knots.

Dan

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
I'm probably buying a used high tunnel or greenhouse this week...

The hoops are made of tubing and the ends have been drove in the ground.
Pulling these out without crushing will be a trick. I've got to do it 50
times. Worth making some sort of contraption. I know the O.D. is nominally
1.6" but not sure of exact number.

I could drill the O.D. between two steel blocks and then use 1/4" bolts to
clamp together. Then a loop of light chain to go around a long 2x4 for a
pry bar. This would work but it would be slow.

Better ideas?




Karl, if your pipe is unattached to the hoop, you can easily twist it out of
the ground. Simply take a long pipe wrench, hook it on to the pipe, rotate
the pipe in the ground while you are pulling up on the handle. If you pull
upward on the very end of the pipe wrench, it will wedge and not pull off of
the pipe. To save your back, install the pipe wrench about 3-4 inches below
where your hands normally hang. This way your torso can be vertical (you're
not bent over), your knees slightly bent and you can lift with your legs. I
have pulled 12 feet of imbedded ground rod using this method. Pulled
thousands of rebar (property corners) which are more difficult due to the
deformations.

Ivan Vegvary