First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold. When I've done the fence
post, it's going to be a sturdy washing line next.

Okay, time to check the forecast!

MM

On 05/11/2014 14:16, MM wrote:
First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold. When I've done the fence
post, it's going to be a sturdy washing line next.

Okay, time to check the forecast!

MM


Just chuck some insulation on top, old rags, bubble wrap...

On 05/11/14 14:16, MM wrote:
First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

If you use damp, not wet mix rammed in, and you cover the top with some
soil a frost won't get near the postmix, let alone hurt it.

It's takes a lot of sustained cold to make "below ground" actually
freeze - certainly more than a night's frost.

You'll be OK

On Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:18:56 +0000, Tim Watts
wrote:

On 05/11/14 14:16, MM wrote:
First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

If you use damp, not wet mix rammed in, and you cover the top with some
soil a frost won't get near the postmix, let alone hurt it.

It's takes a lot of sustained cold to make "below ground" actually
freeze - certainly more than a night's frost.

You'll be OK

Thanks for all the replies on this topic. I thought it would actually
be a much more difficult task, but it wasn't. Might be harder if one
had very stony ground to get through. I would certainly attempt the
same job again. I've been putting this one off for months because I
thought it wouldn't be straightforward, never having put in any kind
of fence. The 4" fence post (8 foot) was £13.33 including VAT.

MM

On Wednesday, 5 November 2014 14:16:43 UTC, MM wrote:
First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold. When I've done the fence
post, it's going to be a sturdy washing line next.

Okay, time to check the forecast!

MM

The last two times I've used one was to dig a grave for a cat.
They are amazing considering how simple they actually are.

whisky-dave wrote:

MM wrote:

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold

The last two times I've used one was to dig a grave for a cat.

Tail or nose down?

On 05/11/2014 16:59, Andy Burns wrote:
whisky-dave wrote:

MM wrote:

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold

The last two times I've used one was to dig a grave for a cat.

Tail or nose down?


What's wrong with using the food recycling bin?

On Wednesday, 5 November 2014 16:59:32 UTC, Andy Burns wrote:
whisky-dave wrote:

MM wrote:

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold

The last two times I've used one was to dig a grave for a cat.

Tail or nose down?

Same as a human sort of laid out in a box.

On 05/11/2014 14:16, MM wrote:
First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.


Was that the sort which has two curved spades hinged together, or the
corkscrew type?

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.


As others have said, don't worry about it - it won't freeze below ground
level unless the temperature remains below freezing for a long sustained
period.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On Wednesday, 5 November 2014 17:35:00 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
On 05/11/2014 14:16, MM wrote:
Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

As others have said, don't worry about it - it won't freeze below ground
level unless the temperature remains below freezing for a long sustained
period.

By which time the concrete will have set, and will be frost proof.

On 05/11/2014 17:01, whisky-dave wrote:
On Wednesday, 5 November 2014 16:59:32 UTC, Andy Burns wrote:
whisky-dave wrote:

MM wrote:

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold

The last two times I've used one was to dig a grave for a cat.

Tail or nose down?

Same as a human sort of laid out in a box.

Can't have been a very large cat then!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Yes its cold, but the earth is still pretty warm so some top insulation
should be enough.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Dennis@home" wrote in message
eb.com...
On 05/11/2014 14:16, MM wrote:
First time I've used one and it couldn't be easier. I had a 2ft deep
hole in 20 minutes, with little effort. However, no stones at all.

Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

The post shovel is worth its weight in gold. When I've done the fence
post, it's going to be a sturdy washing line next.

Okay, time to check the forecast!

MM


Just chuck some insulation on top, old rags, bubble wrap...

On Wed, 5 Nov 2014 10:15:05 -0800 (PST), Martin Bonner
wrote:

On Wednesday, 5 November 2014 17:35:00 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
On 05/11/2014 14:16, MM wrote:
Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

As others have said, don't worry about it - it won't freeze below ground
level unless the temperature remains below freezing for a long sustained
period.

By which time the concrete will have set, and will be frost proof.

It does seem to be taking an age to "go off". I tested the top of the
sand/cement/pea gravel mix this morning and it appears just as loose
as when I filled the hole yesterday afternoon. Maybe I should have
used more cement? But I stuck to the 8:1 proportion recommended.

Worst comes to the worst, I'll suck out the gravel with a vacuum
cleaner and use PostCrete instead.

MM

On 06/11/14 10:12, MM wrote:
On Wed, 5 Nov 2014 10:15:05 -0800 (PST), Martin Bonner
wrote:

On Wednesday, 5 November 2014 17:35:00 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
On 05/11/2014 14:16, MM wrote:
Now all I need to know is whether it's going to be freezing overnight,
otherwise I could put the post in this afternoon.

As others have said, don't worry about it - it won't freeze below ground
level unless the temperature remains below freezing for a long sustained
period.

By which time the concrete will have set, and will be frost proof.

It does seem to be taking an age to "go off". I tested the top of the
sand/cement/pea gravel mix this morning and it appears just as loose
as when I filled the hole yesterday afternoon. Maybe I should have
used more cement? But I stuck to the 8:1 proportion recommended.

Worst comes to the worst, I'll suck out the gravel with a vacuum
cleaner and use PostCrete instead.

MM


The post will be considered "reasonably supported" in 2-3 days. 1st day
it will be very weak so don't be leaning on the fence. It will still
continue to set further over the next couple of weeks.

Cement is not a terribly fast setting thing - but you get the impression
it is because you often see very strong mixes (1:3 or 1:4) in use like
for pointing or concrete so the initial part set is enough to make it
hard after 24 hours.

Also, the top will always be flakey - again don't worry - the bulk will
be set and that's what matters

MM wrote:
thought it wouldn't be straightforward, never having put in any kind
of fence. The 4" fence post (8 foot) was £13.33 including VAT.

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

--
Chris Green
·

On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 15:55:55 +0000, wrote:

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

Go and get thinnings off a forested hill for 50p each.

On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 15:55:55 +0000, wrote:

MM wrote:
thought it wouldn't be straightforward, never having put in any kind
of fence. The 4" fence post (8 foot) was £13.33 including VAT.

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

I can only buy what's available locally. I can't drive around dozens
of miles just to save a few quid.

MM

On Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:45:34 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:

On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 15:55:55 +0000, wrote:

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

Go and get thinnings off a forested hill for 50p each.

Hills? Forests? In south Lincolnshire?

MM

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 15:55:55 +0000, wrote:

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

Go and get thinnings off a forested hill for 50p each.

If I wanted a *lot* I might. The £3 are pressure treated though which
might increase the cost of the thinnnings.

--
Chris Green
·

MM wrote:
On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 15:55:55 +0000, wrote:

MM wrote:
thought it wouldn't be straightforward, never having put in any kind
of fence. The 4" fence post (8 foot) was £13.33 including VAT.

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

I can only buy what's available locally. I can't drive around dozens
of miles just to save a few quid.

I don't drive anywhere, I use the internet! :-)

--
Chris Green
·

On Fri, 7 Nov 2014 09:49:04 +0000, wrote:

MM wrote:
On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 15:55:55 +0000, wrote:

MM wrote:
thought it wouldn't be straightforward, never having put in any kind
of fence. The 4" fence post (8 foot) was £13.33 including VAT.

If that's a wooden one then you've been had. I buy 6' x 4" posts for
about £3 each.

I can only buy what's available locally. I can't drive around dozens
of miles just to save a few quid.

I don't drive anywhere, I use the internet! :-)

Fencesto 8ft x 4" £16.19 inc. delivery
Wickes: £12.60 plus delivery

Wickes is not local to me so I wouldn't have saved anything.

MM

On Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:56:28 +0000, MM wrote:

Go and get thinnings off a forested hill for 50p each.

Hills? Forests? In south Lincolnshire?

There's always a snag.