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Posted: 6/29/2012 2:13:28 PM EST
I want to build my own flag pole. I have looked at all of the ones online and they are all way over priced and I kinda want to get it done before next wednesday. I was looking in Lowes and I think I found my medium.

Would galvanized steel conduit (2 inch) be strong enough to be a flag pole (20 ft in height)?

And

What kind of coupling would you use?

Figure electricians would know but if anyone has ever built their own flag pole, please feel free to chime in.

Last question: Is this a horrible idea? (something I am missing)

Thank you.

Link Posted: 6/29/2012 3:33:42 PM EST
[#1]
Link Posted: 6/29/2012 3:48:23 PM EST
[#2]
Go ahead with the 2" metal conduit - just be sure and put it 20+ feet away from your house, car or anything else that you want fucked up.  (THIS IS SARCASM - DO NOT USE CONDUIT!!)


2" galvanized water pipe, that's a better bet.  At least 6Ft of it should be in the ground in concrete (with a 6 in gravel base in the hole for drainage).  If you go this direction use a larger diameter pipe for the concreted section and slip the 2" pipe down into the concreted receiver, then you can pull the pole if necessary.

Free advice is free
Link Posted: 6/29/2012 4:03:01 PM EST
[#3]
Yea was figuring on the concreted sleeve and was thinking the threaded coupling seemed right. I will check for 2 inch water pipe.

For the conduit someone at work said to put a pvc pipe the entire length of it to add a little strength. Anything to that?

Thank you for the free advice.
Link Posted: 6/29/2012 4:35:29 PM EST
[#4]
Link Posted: 6/29/2012 5:10:05 PM EST
[#5]
Gotcha. Thats why I asked for electricians in here. Needed to know the limitations. I will look for water pipe but keep the conduit in mind.
Link Posted: 6/29/2012 5:35:13 PM EST
[#6]
Out here in KS we use oil field pipe...don't know if you have any of that where you are, but it seems to work good.
Link Posted: 6/29/2012 5:50:43 PM EST
[#7]
I might go with a little larger diameter;  20 feet above ground is getting to a pretty long moment arm.
Link Posted: 6/30/2012 3:58:25 AM EST
[#8]
Quoted:
I might go with a little larger diameter;  20 feet above ground is getting to a pretty long moment arm.


Unfortunately, in my local hardware stores, 2 inches is the largest diameter unless you are talking pvc. I was looking for 3 inch diameter because of the wind strain that would be on it.

We definitely do not have oil drilling pipe
Link Posted: 6/30/2012 5:45:18 AM EST
[#9]
Remember using steel, that you will also be building a lightning rod.

At least around here  you can always find aluminum poles on craigslist from where they replaced the lights on state routes and interstates.

A better option, buy a telephone pole.  They are relatively inexpensive and designed to withstand wind, etc.  Several flag companies sell kits to make them into flagpoles.

http://www.flagguys.com/trucks.html#lightpolehttp://www.flagguys.com/trucks.html#lightpole
Link Posted: 7/1/2012 4:51:39 AM EST
[#10]
looked online all over the place and apparently there are no aluminum light poles for sale in Virginia.
Link Posted: 7/2/2012 4:42:01 AM EST
[#11]
Where are you in VA?  you could use a 2" or 2 1/2" SS20 piece of pipe.  They come in 21 and 24 sections.  If you went with a 24, 4' is more than enough in the ground to support the expected wind load.
Link Posted: 7/2/2012 5:28:38 AM EST
[#12]
I'm in the woodbridge/manassas area. Kind of on the border of the two.

I will look for that and see what I find.

ETA: looks like it will be an internet order type thing for the SS20. plausible solution.
Link Posted: 7/3/2012 5:23:12 AM EST
[#13]
Quoted:
Being that I'm an electrician and not a plumber all I know about the difference between rigid conduit and water pipe is this:

Conduit is made to bend and I'm pretty sure water pipe is not.  So maybe you'd be better off with the water pipe.


Ever seen the forming equipment for 2-3 inch rigid?

Not manual stuff anymore.

Large hydraulic rams and shaping dies.

Galvanized steel plumbing pipe will also bend just fine.

Rigid and water lines are surprisingly similar.
The rigid has a smoother interior to limit insulation damage.

Link Posted: 7/3/2012 5:40:03 AM EST
[#14]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Being that I'm an electrician and not a plumber all I know about the difference between rigid conduit and water pipe is this:

Conduit is made to bend and I'm pretty sure water pipe is not.  So maybe you'd be better off with the water pipe.


Ever seen the forming equipment for 2-3 inch rigid?

Not manual stuff anymore.

Large hydraulic rams and shaping dies.

Galvanized steel plumbing pipe will also bend just fine.

Rigid and water lines are surprisingly similar.
The rigid has a smoother interior to limit insulation damage.



After this last weekend with that Derecho bullshit, I really do need to look at ease of bending. Not that anything is fool proof. This may not be a good DIY moment. May have to just buy a damn flag pole. Problem is that the wife just informed me that she wants it at the end of the driveway right next to the mailbox. WAY too close to the cars if it ever decided to bend and fall.
Link Posted: 7/3/2012 8:36:53 AM EST
[#15]
2 inch rigid will work ok but you can not use the threaded coupling since that is where it will break I found this out from experience. If you use metel pipe for this kind of thing you need to use a sleve to join the two pieces together.
Link Posted: 7/3/2012 9:21:26 AM EST
[#16]
Quoted:
2 inch rigid will work ok but you can not use the threaded coupling since that is where it will break I found this out from experience. If you use metel pipe for this kind of thing you need to use a sleve to join the two pieces together.


Ok, that sounds reasonable.

Any idea on the lightening rod issue that someone brought up? Any way to dissipate this? Thanks
Link Posted: 7/3/2012 12:43:26 PM EST
[#17]
Quoted:
Quoted:
2 inch rigid will work ok but you can not use the threaded coupling since that is where it will break I found this out from experience. If you use metel pipe for this kind of thing you need to use a sleve to join the two pieces together.


Ok, that sounds reasonable.

Any idea on the lightening rod issue that someone brought up? Any way to dissipate this? Thanks


When I set my steel tower I simply drove an 8 foot ground rod and connected it to the tower frame I have never had any problems. I built my tower to be a tilt down style as such the metal brackets are also connected to the rebar in the concrete footing which also provides for grounding
Link Posted: 7/4/2012 7:25:19 AM EST
[#18]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
2 inch rigid will work ok but you can not use the threaded coupling since that is where it will break I found this out from experience. If you use metel pipe for this kind of thing you need to use a sleve to join the two pieces together.


Ok, that sounds reasonable.

Any idea on the lightening rod issue that someone brought up? Any way to dissipate this? Thanks


When I set my steel tower I simply drove an 8 foot ground rod and connected it to the tower frame I have never had any problems. I built my tower to be a tilt down style as such the metal brackets are also connected to the rebar in the concrete footing which also provides for grounding


This.  Once you set the post, if set in concrete, just drive a copper ground rod into the ground, then you can ground the pole itself.  Military spec would be 6' on a fence.
Link Posted: 7/5/2012 8:27:24 AM EST
[#19]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
2 inch rigid will work ok but you can not use the threaded coupling since that is where it will break I found this out from experience. If you use metel pipe for this kind of thing you need to use a sleve to join the two pieces together.


Ok, that sounds reasonable.

Any idea on the lightening rod issue that someone brought up? Any way to dissipate this? Thanks


When I set my steel tower I simply drove an 8 foot ground rod and connected it to the tower frame I have never had any problems. I built my tower to be a tilt down style as such the metal brackets are also connected to the rebar in the concrete footing which also provides for grounding


This.  Once you set the post, if set in concrete, just drive a copper ground rod into the ground, then you can ground the pole itself.  Military spec would be 6' on a fence.


Depending on how deep you set it, the pipe with  concrete may be all the ground you need.
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