Replies

1. 
   Mike_Smith | Apr 12, 2001 05:22am | #1

   *
   vibratory hammer as pile extractor..

   or a bigger chain and a bigger machine

1. 
   Rein_Taul | Apr 12, 2001 05:34am | #2

   *Sports car (preferably expensive), wet road, 80+ MPH

1. 
   Jeff_J._Buck | Apr 12, 2001 05:39am | #3

   *hey Mike...care to give a short expla. of the hammer as extractor? Jeff

1. 
   Mike_Smith | Apr 12, 2001 05:44am | #4

   *a vibratory hammer is a giant clamp..(maybe 8' tall) the vibrations are hydraulic... the hammer grips the steel pile with its jaw (clamp) and the vibrations and the weight of the hammer drive the pile..to extract, the crane pulls on the hammmer and the pile slides out...another version of a pile driver...

1. 
   Cal_Howard | Apr 13, 2001 12:48am | #5

   *Chuck- try a pressure washer with a long wand. It's messy but the water blows the muck from the sides of the post. Pretty fast too.Cal

2. 
   CaseyR_ | Apr 13, 2001 01:08am | #6

   *Sounds like a good trick, CalI probably would have just tried bolting on a piece of heavy angle so that I could try and jack it out with my 20 ton bottle jack (or maybe with one on each side), but will consider your trick if I face a similar situation.

3. 
   Cal_Howard | Apr 13, 2001 02:15am | #7

   *Casey- I should have mentioned that the post can sink in deeper.You are making quicksand. With a sling set with a loop, you can lift about any post with a stable fulcrum close to the post and lever of your choice (ie.a 4x4 post). Just slide the sling down low and keep adjusting it as you go. Don't let the post fall on you and ruin the fun. Cal

4. 
   Tim_Kline | Apr 13, 2001 04:17am | #8

   *b WBA At Your Servicedig below grade and cut with oxy-acetylene torch...

5. 
   Mike_Maines_ | Apr 13, 2001 05:51am | #9

   *With wooden posts ya just take the front-end loader, bang DOWN on the post a couple of times, cinch a chain around it, and yank it up. Banging it loosens the friction that hold it in. Should work on metal, I would think. Do you have access to a loader or bobcat?Mike

6. 
   Boss_Hog | Apr 14, 2001 01:35pm | #10

   *I've used the 3 point hitch on a tractor to pull things out. Be prepared for the unexpected, though. My Uncle did this once, and the wood post he was pulling wouldn't come loose. So he decided to wiggle the post a bit by moving the tractor back and forth. When he pulled forwards, he looked around to see what was happening just as the post snapped off at ground level. The post jumped up and smacked him square in the forehead. Fortunately, he's just as hard-headed as me, and wasn't hurt..............(-:

2. 
   ChuckT_ | Apr 14, 2001 01:36pm | #11

   *
   I'm trying to remove guardrail posts. Based on the two I've been able to get out, they are 4" x 8" I-beams that are 4' in the ground and appear not to be set in concrete or gravel. They seem to be held just by the suction of the wet clay soil they're in. The two I removed came out only after great efforts. The remaining ones won't budge even after digging around them several feet down and trying to pull them up using a chain attached to the bucket of a bobcat. Any ideas?