On Fri, 07 May 2010 02:45:43 +0100, Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Thu, 6 May 2010 23:01:12 +0100, geoff wrote:

In message , The Medway Handyman
writes
http://www.postsaver.co.uk/

No idea on price - and no stockist near me.


OK until water gets in (which it will) and the post is permanently damp
and then rots away like a good 'un

The only satisfactory long-term protection process for timber is
complete fungal treatment.
Telegraph poles, for instance, are supposed to last at least 20 years
- quite a few have lasted much longer than this. Although numerous
treatment processes have been tried over the decades, the best (and
probably the cheapest) has always been proper creosote, not just
brushed on to the poles, but pressure/vacuum 'applied', hot, so that
it gets right into the cellular core of the pole.


Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

On Fri, 07 May 2010 09:41:25 +0100, Bruce wrote:

Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

Can't say I've ever noticed that, at least not above ground. Spiral
marks from them being turned yes but not saw cuts along the length. I
have a feeling such cuts would weaken the pole anyway.

Poles are vacuum treated, ie placed in a container, the air is pumped
out which draws air and some moisture out of the timber. Then the
treatment fluid is introduced followed by return to atmospheric
pressure. The air then pushes the treatment much further into the
timber if not all the way to the core. Unlike normal dipping or
exterior application which really only gets to the top few mm. I
can't see a real reason for requiring cuts.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Fri, 07 May 2010 09:51:56 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Fri, 07 May 2010 09:41:25 +0100, Bruce wrote:

Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

Can't say I've ever noticed that, at least not above ground. Spiral
marks from them being turned yes but not saw cuts along the length. I
have a feeling such cuts would weaken the pole anyway.

Poles are vacuum treated, ie placed in a container, the air is pumped
out which draws air and some moisture out of the timber. Then the
treatment fluid is introduced followed by return to atmospheric
pressure. The air then pushes the treatment much further into the
timber if not all the way to the core. Unlike normal dipping or
exterior application which really only gets to the top few mm. I
can't see a real reason for requiring cuts.


I'm sorry, I got my wires crossed. It was in a marine application,
not for telegraph poles. Too little sleep. ;-)

Bruce wrote:

snip

Telegraph poles, for instance, are supposed to last at least 20 years
- quite a few have lasted much longer than this. Although numerous
treatment processes have been tried over the decades, the best (and
probably the cheapest) has always been proper creosote, not just
brushed on to the poles, but pressure/vacuum 'applied', hot, so that
it gets right into the cellular core of the pole.

Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

Didn't notice that when I cut up a discarded telegraph pole last year.
What I did notice however was that the visible discolouration got got
nowhere near the the centre of the pole.

I need another section so I will take a closer look when I return to the
remains.

On Fri, 07 May 2010 09:41:25 +0100, Bruce
wrote:

On Fri, 07 May 2010 02:45:43 +0100, Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Thu, 6 May 2010 23:01:12 +0100, geoff wrote:

In message , The Medway Handyman
writes
http://www.postsaver.co.uk/

No idea on price - and no stockist near me.


OK until water gets in (which it will) and the post is permanently damp
and then rots away like a good 'un

The only satisfactory long-term protection process for timber is
complete fungal treatment.
Telegraph poles, for instance, are supposed to last at least 20 years
- quite a few have lasted much longer than this. Although numerous
treatment processes have been tried over the decades, the best (and
probably the cheapest) has always been proper creosote, not just
brushed on to the poles, but pressure/vacuum 'applied', hot, so that
it gets right into the cellular core of the pole.


Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

I've never seen them amongst the hundreds of poles I've had dealings
with.

--
Frank Erskine

Frank Erskine wrote:


I've never seen them amongst the hundreds of poles I've had dealings
with.

What were they? Plumbers, plasterers?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Fri, 07 May 2010 09:41:25 +0100, Bruce wrote:

On Fri, 07 May 2010 02:45:43 +0100, Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Thu, 6 May 2010 23:01:12 +0100, geoff wrote:

In message , The Medway Handyman
writes
http://www.postsaver.co.uk/

No idea on price - and no stockist near me.


OK until water gets in (which it will) and the post is permanently damp
and then rots away like a good 'un

The only satisfactory long-term protection process for timber is
complete fungal treatment.
Telegraph poles, for instance, are supposed to last at least 20 years
- quite a few have lasted much longer than this. Although numerous
treatment processes have been tried over the decades, the best (and
probably the cheapest) has always been proper creosote, not just
brushed on to the poles, but pressure/vacuum 'applied', hot, so that
it gets right into the cellular core of the pole.


Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts

I don't think so!

--
The Wanderer

The older I get the better I used to be!

Bruce wrote:
On Fri, 07 May 2010 02:45:43 +0100, Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Thu, 6 May 2010 23:01:12 +0100, geoff wrote:

In message , The Medway
Handyman writes
http://www.postsaver.co.uk/

No idea on price - and no stockist near me.


OK until water gets in (which it will) and the post is permanently
damp and then rots away like a good 'un

The only satisfactory long-term protection process for timber is
complete fungal treatment.
Telegraph poles, for instance, are supposed to last at least 20 years

As a BT cable jointer who has to climb these things regularly, I can say
that some in our area are over 40 years old and still as good as the day
they were installed.

- quite a few have lasted much longer than this. Although numerous
treatment processes have been tried over the decades, the best (and
probably the cheapest) has always been proper creosote, not just
brushed on to the poles, but pressure/vacuum 'applied', hot, so that
it gets right into the cellular core of the pole.


Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

Having worked in conjunction with the PEU (Pole Erection Unit) guys on many
ocassions, I can categorically say that that is utter rubbish - they have no
saw cuts anywhere.

On 7 May, 09:41, Bruce wrote:
On Fri, 07 May 2010 02:45:43 +0100, Frank Erskine



wrote:
On Thu, 6 May 2010 23:01:12 +0100, geoff wrote:

In message , The Medway Handyman
writes
http://www.postsaver.co.uk/

No idea on price - and no stockist near me.

OK until water gets in (which it will) and the post is permanently damp
and then rots away like a good 'un

The only satisfactory long-term protection process for timber is
complete fungal treatment.
Telegraph poles, for instance, are supposed to last at least 20 years
- quite a few have lasted much longer than this. Although numerous
treatment processes have been tried over the decades, the best (and
probably the cheapest) has always been proper creosote, not just
brushed on to the poles, but pressure/vacuum 'applied', hot, so that
it gets right into the cellular core of the pole.

Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.

eh? I've never seen any - and there's plenty of retired poles in use
around here....
JimK

"Bruce" wrote in message
...


Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.


One other fundamental addition to the poles is the metal 'cap' which
prevents water penetrating the end grain.
many posts start splitting at top due to water getting into end grain ...

On Fri, 7 May 2010 14:12:17 +0100, Rick Hughes wrote:

"Bruce" wrote in message
...


Telegraph poles also have multiple longitudinal saw cuts around their
perimeter to enable the preservative to penetrate further.


One other fundamental addition to the poles is the metal 'cap' which
prevents water penetrating the end grain.
many posts start splitting at top due to water getting into end grain ...

Went out decades ago.....

For them as may be interested, BBH are a major supplier of wood poles.

http://www.bbhpreservingwood.co.uk/


--
The Wanderer

Everyone brings happiness.
Some as they arrive, others as they leave.

The Wanderer wrote:

For them as may be interested, BBH are a major supplier of wood poles.

http://www.bbhpreservingwood.co.uk/

There's always plenty of creosote fumes coming off huge stacks of poles
on the outskirts of Boston

http://tinyurl.com/poles-streetview

http://www.caldersandgrandidge.com

In article ,
"Rick Hughes" writes:

One other fundamental addition to the poles is the metal 'cap' which
prevents water penetrating the end grain.

The ones around my parents, which are at least 55 years old and still
look fine, used to have rather ornate giant onion-shaped caps. About
20 years ago, BT came round and took all the caps off. My guess is that
one had fallen off somewhere and they decided the liability was too
high. I imagine they were a very heavy lump of cast iron.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]