Razzlesmazzle wrote: ↑Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:56 pm
DoctorIknow wrote: ↑Thu May 31, 2018 4:32 am
Forget feet.
- If your conduit is 1", get a 1 1/8" spade bit (or a 1 1/16" if you can find one)
Get some 2x3 or 2x4 and cut correct number of "feet", each about 4" long.
Drill holes about 3/4" deep.
Assemble conduit structure, once upright with all legs attached, put the wood feet under the upright conduit legs.
Use 18" lag screws with chain links or 3/4" mule tape on every leg to attach ratchet straps or mule tape.
Tighten that thing down! No need to overtighten, let it flex a little,,,,check tension daily.
Don't forget at least minimal "X" cross bracing in a few places. (I even cross brace the roof as I love handling the sensuous mule tape)
mule on lag.JPG
spade bit 1 18.JPG
Could you please elaborate a bit on this design? I have done a conduit structure once before but this time I am buying materials from scratch and I would like to understand how you are doing the feet without rebar. You drill 1.25" holes through pieces of 2x4, each just 4" long? Then how do you actually secure the shade to the playa? The 18" lag screws looks like an excellent idea. Are you simply putting 2 of those at each corner then using straps to the top of that pole to triangulate? Why are the wooden feet necessary? Is it possible to have the 18" screws INSIDE the conduit, and not need additional strappings? Thank you.
I understand your confusion.
This will be a long explanation....hope it helps
I count four versions of connection conduit structures to the ground. (there may be more!)
1-Commercial feet with very small holes for staking
2-Commercial feet with external tie down (not using holes)
3-No feet, internal rebar
4-Wood feet, external tie down
Numbers 1 and 2 fullfill the need that the conduit does not sink into the playa.
Number three needs no "foot" at all as the bolt tightening into the rebar will not allow the conduit to slip (more on this later)
Number 1-This is the common foot supplied with kits all over the 'net or do it yourself parts available.
Problems:
--------the holes are too small for PLAYA needed security. Drilling out the holes for more adequate lag screws or candy cane rebar would bring the holes too close to the edge.
-------anyone who has pounded conduit ends for dome spars knows all too well that conduit is not like Jesus's garment with no seams. There is a seam the entire length. This stuff is only meant to surround electrical wire and need not be strong for that! That is one reason it is cheap, the other being the quality of the steel can be bad depending on what the Chinese dump into the molten recycled steel crucible. Maybe some of the thousands of bikes left behind at BM end up making conduit!
-------so lets say by chance you use that eye bolt on the commercial foot and you tighten it down directly on the seam of the conduit. I don't know this, but it could split the conduit.
------even if it doesn't split the counduit, I would imagine that once the eye bolt is tightend sufficiently, movement of the structure could move the post enough to make the connection movable.
------lastly, as these commercial feet are made as cheap as possible, perhaps you will strip the threads if you use some lever to twist that eyebolt way beyond hand pressure.
conduit foot.JPG
Number 2
Using the commercial foot with external tie down.
THis is very popular on the playa. Candy cane rebar or lag screws for tiedown using ratchet straps. rope or mule tape, the latter two with truckers hitch or similar to retighten as needed over the week.
Number 3
This is the style of pre-made shade structures as made by BlackRockHardware.
What makes this style of shade structure different than other kits is that they drill a hole in the bottom
of each post, and weld on a high quality nut, and use a hex bolt instead of an eyebolt.
The 24" rebar they supply is poundedin the playa at 90degrees, and once the conduit is placed over it, the bolt is tightened with a lot of torque to the rebar. The ridges on the rebar will assure that the conduit won't slip.
This illustration is the concept but is not a BlackRockHardware photo.
conduit nut.JPG
Number 4
The six inch piece of 2x4 is not drilled all the way thru, only deep enough so the conduit doesn't slip away. The tie downs can be torqued as much as needed.
This isn't a 2x4...I couldn't find one,,,but you get the idea:
hole for conduit.JPG
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