Driving a Stake
Driving a Stake
What are the soil conditions like for stake driving? Would 30" steel stakes be good enough? Or is the soil pretty loose and 4 footers be better?
A 3 to 5 pound sledge works to drive 12-18 inches for tent stakes. A couple of vice grips makes a handy pullhandle to remove them. A piece of chain and a bumper jack works too.
For metal fence posts, Ive seen two-handeled post drivers out there to double stake larger structures. Line from top of first stake to playa level on second stake.
For metal fence posts, Ive seen two-handeled post drivers out there to double stake larger structures. Line from top of first stake to playa level on second stake.

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- Bob
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- unjonharley
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How about a Rotohammer for driving rebar? Now to find a way to pull them with the hammer?
Broke the T post puller here @ home.. THis red clay is some tough shit. Will have to cut and drill a chunk of square stock, slide it into the handle to the pivot bolt.. Or replace the handel with some good metal from home depot..
p.s. broke it with my 200 pound fat ass. you might think about doing the repair before playa time.
Broke the T post puller here @ home.. THis red clay is some tough shit. Will have to cut and drill a chunk of square stock, slide it into the handle to the pivot bolt.. Or replace the handel with some good metal from home depot..
p.s. broke it with my 200 pound fat ass. you might think about doing the repair before playa time.
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I'd think 10" is a little short (did I just say that?).......geospyder wrote:I have Playa Staples (10 inch). Regular claw hammer works out in the woods. Will it work for the playa or should I bring my 4 pound crack hammer? I have no feel for what the density of the playa is like.
seems a foot or more in the ground is best......
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- Ugly Dougly
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- swampdog
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I'm pretty fond of my rebar driver - a 12" galvanized pipe nipple with a galvanized tee screwed into the top. http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=30370. I was pretty well informed in that thread that Real Men don't need no damn help driving rebar, but it works for me.
ETA: I've also seen a tip recently on capping rebar. If you happen to have any of those extruded plastic "noodle" things that kids use for flotation in pools, cut off a section and put it at the top of each rebar instead of the traditional tennis ball, soda bottle, etc.
ETA: I've also seen a tip recently on capping rebar. If you happen to have any of those extruded plastic "noodle" things that kids use for flotation in pools, cut off a section and put it at the top of each rebar instead of the traditional tennis ball, soda bottle, etc.
- unjonharley
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not going bm this year.
but
yesterday bought a 30x30x12h shade(130$) i may return to rebar in 2010.
after years of just plastic stakes and plastic hammer.
i saw a slide hammer made for the playa.. it was a tube with a threaded rod inside. a 3# hammer head at the top of the rod.. the guy had run a nut down the rod.. then a large washer.. next the hammer head another washer and a nut. he could stand up and drive the rebar..
but
yesterday bought a 30x30x12h shade(130$) i may return to rebar in 2010.
after years of just plastic stakes and plastic hammer.
i saw a slide hammer made for the playa.. it was a tube with a threaded rod inside. a 3# hammer head at the top of the rod.. the guy had run a nut down the rod.. then a large washer.. next the hammer head another washer and a nut. he could stand up and drive the rebar..
Has anyone asked what it is you're trying to hold down? There's a big difference in anchoring needs between a 2-person pup tent and a massive shade structure. I see people using 2' rebar pounded halfway in to hold down a tiny tent that's filled with stuff - half a dozen decent (military or 12" thick nails) tent stakes are quicker to put in, easier to get out, and go flush with the ground.
Otherwise, I like to recommend 8 foot 1/4 inch rebar and a small ball peen hammer. But you must drive the rebar all the way into the ground to work at all, because if you don't there will be dust everywhere.
Otherwise, I like to recommend 8 foot 1/4 inch rebar and a small ball peen hammer. But you must drive the rebar all the way into the ground to work at all, because if you don't there will be dust everywhere.
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I've seen shirtcockers with lots of jewelry on their rods, but that's gotta hurt...unjonharley wrote:the guy had run a nut down the rod.. then a large washer..
next the hammer head another washer and a nut.
Amazing desert structures & stuff: http://sites.google.com/site/potatotrap/
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- Bob
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For 3/4" stakes I like an engineer's type hammer, good for using either one or two hands. For tent stakes and anything smaller than 3/4" dia I like a 20-22 oz rip-claw framing hammer, or a short-handled 3-lb double-faced hammer. Estwing steel shank hammers are good, but you can wrap a wet sock around a wood-handled hammer to tighten it up in the head.
Amazing desert structures & stuff: http://sites.google.com/site/potatotrap/
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well......I use 2, 3, or 4 pound "drilling hammers" when I carve/drill granite.......skibear wrote:They call that an"Engineers hammer"Oldguy wrote:A 3 to 5 pound sledge works to drive 12-18 inches for tent stakes.
I was one
maybe it's a drilling hammer? Singlejack, as such
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- unjonharley
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i made tomb stone..sand blast the lettering.. slow drilled with grit compound and oil for holes..large cross cut saw, steel shot and water to cut slads..ygmir wrote:well......I use 2, 3, or 4 pound "drilling hammers" when I carve/drill granite.......skibear wrote:They call that an"Engineers hammer"Oldguy wrote:A 3 to 5 pound sledge works to drive 12-18 inches for tent stakes.
I was one
maybe it's a drilling hammer? Singlejack, as such
- ygmir
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yup, that's me............unjonharley wrote:i made tomb stone..sand blast the lettering.. slow drilled with grit compound and oil for holes..large cross cut saw, steel shot and water to cut slads..ygmir wrote:well......I use 2, 3, or 4 pound "drilling hammers" when I carve/drill granite.......skibear wrote: They call that an"Engineers hammer"
I was one
maybe it's a drilling hammer? Singlejack, as such
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- wedeliver
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Single jack:skibear wrote:They call that an"Engineers hammer"Oldguy wrote:A 3 to 5 pound sledge works to drive 12-18 inches for tent stakes.
I was one
These are also called 'club' or hand drilling hammers. Handles are commonly 10 inches long, and heads weigh either 3 or 4 pounds. The short handle is uniquely suited to hand drilling because it resists breaking better than longer ones, and it facilitates accuracy by requiring the hand to be close to the head.

Engineers hammer (long handled single jack):
These are also called long handle single jacks. They come with a 14-inch handle attached to a 3- or 4-pound head, and work well for the drilling technique we call modified double jacking.

Double jack:
These large driving sledges have 36-inch handles and 6- or 8-pound heads. Because their use requires considerable expertise from both the driller and holder, we recommend that you use single jacking or modified double jacking until safety and proficiency with the double jack can be assured.

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- unjonharley
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used the likes of those(more head shapes)ygmir wrote:nice choices WD........I have and use em all...........
and carving hammers, with the narrow ends......
these look just like my "hand set"........
i smith the mold sand out of gray iron.. smithed all the flowers and curves in the lamp post in old town portland Or. early 70's
- unjonharley
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- geospyder
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Since it is show and tell time - here is a picture of my crack hammer. I have various hammers, chisels and gad bars from my rock hound days. I'll probably use the pictured gad bar to help remove the staple.Ugly Dougly wrote:Crack Hammer? The mind boggles with the possibilities.
By all means, bring more hammer than you think you need. At the very least, it'll be a great conversation piece.


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this fella's got the gear.
http://www.litebrite.org/rebarhammer/
if you had to hammer alot and a few more, this would be nice.
http://www.litebrite.org/rebarhammer/
if you had to hammer alot and a few more, this would be nice.
- Bob
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Vaughan still makes a rig axe, I have one, but it only makes sense if you need to chop shit. I've used mine on the playa, but only because I was splitting & pointing stakes to lay out dozens of drill holes for org shade structures.
I'd trade my rig axe for this shit, tho.

I'd trade my rig axe for this shit, tho.

Amazing desert structures & stuff: http://sites.google.com/site/potatotrap/
"Let us say I suggest you may be human." -- Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
"Let us say I suggest you may be human." -- Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam