Rebars

artyguy · Post by **artyguy** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:40 am

Where in San Francisco can I get rebars? And how do you use them for tent stakes? Not even sure what they look like. Guess they are metal stakes. But don't they need a curve part to prevent the tent loops from flying off? How expensive are they? Thanks for your support

Zona_the_stona · Post by **Zona_the_stona** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:48 am

go to home depot or any hardware store

Burp! · Post by **Burp!** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 10:04 am

Also, don't wait to till the day before you go. You and every other burner are thinking the same thing "Shit! got to get Rebar" What you end up with is crap boles or none at all. There are a couple of thicknesses. The smaller ones, i think arou a 1/2 inch thick are ok for tents, the next ones up are good for the shade structures. Get a rebar bender as well.

NF

atossab · Post by **atossab** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 10:17 am

Don't really need to bend your rebar. Just tie a real good knot and hammer that thing down deep, then cap it with rubber balls or plastice bottles or whatever will keep feet from getting gouged on it.

Burp! · Post by **Burp!** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 10:22 am

True, the thing I like about bending it is it makes alittle easier getting those things back out. The key is just make sure no one eds up with big ol gash from stepping on one.

NF

ejl · Post by **ejl** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 11:05 am

I have a few more rebar related questions:

1. Do I need a full-sized sledge hammer to pound rebar stakes into the ground, or can I get by with a short 4 lb hammer?

2. Does anyone here know if I can place a will-call order with Home Depot and expect them to actually pull and hold the supplies I want for pickup right before BM?

3. If I can't get ahold of 3' or 4' lengths of rebar is it practical to cut longer lengths into shorter pieces with a hacksaw?

dman · Post by **dman** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 11:09 am

You will build strong muscles cutting very many pieces of rebar with a hacksaw.

Far easier is if you have a circular saw and buy a "metal cutoff wheel" to fit (cost is around $3 for a 6" one from Home Despot).

Cuts like butta (but watch out for the sparks!)

atossab · Post by **atossab** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 11:11 am

Shorter hammer has worked for us so far. Actually much easier to hammer down than you might think. Far trickier is getting it out.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 1:39 pm

Removing Rebar Made Easy.

Locking pliers/vice-gripes, a nice hunk of two inch thick board and a pry-bar. I like the two foot ones. Look arond and get then for cheap and two or three different size boards

Lock the pliers onto the rebar, place the wood next to the pliers and put the pry-bar under the pliers and over the wood block. Push the bar down. This set up was the first lever used by man. grunt.

The rebar will only move a few inchs on the first pry. After that it will pull easyer with each pry.

I carry a small camp stool to the job. Damn I'm lazy. It sure makes the work easyer.

shitmouse · Post by **shitmouse** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 5:40 pm

make sure you wrap a tighter candy cane than pictured above.
if you do "L" shapes, you'll just get the wobbly rebar nightmare and lots of ricochets and bruises.

we have ours wrap around to where they point down. it's a perfect measure. I have used them for 7 years straight. -(and have tried several other bends and they weaken and fail. this worked best for us).

getting out just needs a good pry bar.
-b

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 6:17 pm

skip the hammer, ask a neighbor if you can borrow their's.. it's a great way to break the ice. A cold drink in hand helps.. I loan mine out for about 3 days. I'm sure Bob will weigh in on his great tips.......

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 6:48 pm

ejl wrote:2. Does anyone here know if I can place a will-call order with Home Depot and expect them to actually pull and hold the supplies I want for pickup right before BM?

3. If I can't get ahold of 3' or 4' lengths of rebar is it practical to cut longer lengths into shorter pieces with a hacksaw?

Question 2. : Man, that would be living dangerously, I'd say foolish to count on it.

Question 3. : I believe Home Depot will cut it for you.

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 12:45 am

Home Depot in SoCal charges 25 cents a cut on wood after 2 cuts but they are loose on this policy. But for wood the Depot has dedicated panel saws and radial arm saws. If you want shorter rebar you just might be handed a hacksaw and told to have fun. And cutting rebar with a hacksaw and no vice is a serious pain. Its round and it rolls.

I am making my rebar stakes this weekend in my garage with a sawall and a vice. I am bending them into "J" shapes with a vice and a propane torch. I will place the cut rebar in the vice, heat the rebar with the torch and bend it around the vice. I have already made one and tested it out on the horse trail behind my house. I had no problem popping it out with a crowbar, a chunk of 4"x4" and my foot. No bending. I am lazy so I test this stuff.

On the 4 pound hand sledge. Do not do it unless you will use 2 hands on the hammer. I am a surveyor who uses a 4 pound shorty sledge hammer. There is one other guy who can use my hammer and the other 50 surveyors curse me when I hand them the 4 pounder. With the 4 pound it is not your arm that gives out but your hand. But our application is a hammer in one hand and a chisel or star drill in the other.

Hope this helps

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 6:42 pm

Buy 8 ft or 10 ft rebar stakes, take them to a metal shop (we went to our local DPW) where you have a buddy who works there. Bend the rebar in half so your stakes are now 4-5 feet long. Get a super-heavy duty sledgehammer and someone who is strong, really strong. Bring both of them with you on the playa. Apply cold beverages when hammering is complete.

I have a strong person in mind. Just need to get s sledgehammer. Having a second strong person around might make the job go faster though...

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 6:44 pm

http://www.geocities.com/potatotrap/tech/rebarfaq.htm

Skyhawk · Post by **Skyhawk** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:10 pm

luckily, or unluckily, or horribly, I work at home depot, "the depot", dungeon depot, whatever.. and anyhow..

special orders/will calls..
if you pay for it, it might happen.
just this last weekend I was put on a project with a few other associates for a local contracter (who is somehopw involved with military mess hall supplies, but i drift) the Point is that this contractor wanted 800 4ft pieces of 1inch pvc, each one with a hole drilled half an inch, and another 24 inches along the length. a Horrifying amount of dull work, but it got done, because its what the custumer wanted. the moral of this story. we mioght do it, but it wont be cheap, because that one project cost the contractor nearly $400 Above the price of the pvc.

if its simple, like cutting down some plastic or metalic conduit to a certain length, it could be possible, but dont count on services like bending rebar or flattening endpieces. talk to a manager, expect a big service charge.. but DONT expect to pick up a "pre-made dome kit" on your way out of town to Burningman.

.02

sgrunspa · Post by **sgrunspa** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:32 pm

I found rebar in my socal home depot in 1,2,3 ft lengths. I don't think more than 2 ft is necessary. also, bending it into a candycane is cool, but I made a big mistake my first time.
I used a propane torch to soften the rebar and a vice to bend it. once bent, I quenched the rebar in water to harden it. not good. 5 of 6 piece shattered with the first hammer blow. the bent piece is already under stress from the bending, if you harden it, it will break when you hit it. what I was left with was rebar that with much sharper ends sticking out. :(

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:17 am

Heated my big box rebar in the vice and snapped it off on bending. The construction site piece I tested originally works just fine.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:39 am

You can bend rebar with two pipes. Rebar is made out 0f scrap high carbon steel. That makes it extra hard. So it will snap at times.

Rebars

Rebars

Rebar

skip the hammer

the Depot

a warning

not that far.