Removable Fence post for gate...: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Oct. 14, 2011 12:37 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

Alright...help me out here.

Just looking for ideas I may not have thought of.

So...I'm needing to replace a part of the fence at my house. 6' tall, wooden pickets, 4x4 treated posts set in concrete. It's only about 10' long (from the side of the yard to the side of the house). The thing is, I want a walk-through gate in it that will be used frequently AND be able to occasionally open the whole thing up.

This side of the house/yard is the only possible way to gain vehicular access to the backyard. Not that we plan on vehicularly accessing the backyard frequently...but it'll probably come up once every year or three.

So...I'd like to have two post mounted permenantly at each end of this 10' run and one post in the span that is relatively easy to remove if we want to get a truck into the backyard.

The walk-through gate will be 3' to 4' wide, hinged (to one of the permenant posts) and latched (to the removable post). The part that isn't regularly opened will simply be screwed on (to one permenant post and the one removable post) and that panel can be unscrewed from the posts when we want to get through it.

That's a lot of background to get to the crux of the matter.

How do I cost effectively mount a 4x4 (or it could be something else) post so that it is strong enough to support a fence, but able to be removed when needed.

The first thought that comes to mind is a steel square tube set in concrete that the wood post registers in. But...that's a chunk of change IF I could find the appropriately sized square tube.

Where I'm at now (and this may be a totally bad idea) is to wrap roughly 1/4" of newspaper or cardboard around the post, set it in the concrete, and then when the paper deteriorates, I'll have a concrete tube to slide the post in and out of. Like I said, that may be a terrible idea.

Plus...with all of these ideas, the hole will want to fill with dirt over time (I suppose a shop vac will take care of that).

I don't want the thing flopping in the breeze all the time...but I don't want to spend a ton on this.

What do y'all think?

Clem
Oct. 14, 2011 12:43 p.m. bludroptop SuperDork

Instead of newspaper, build a box from PT boards and cast that into the concrete - slide the post into the box.
Oct. 14, 2011 12:46 p.m. orphancars Reader

what about creating your own custom "receiver" for the post out of plastic or thin gauge aluminum? Bend up a couple of 90 degree pieces of aluminum with a little flange on either end, rivet them to each other, then set in 'crete.
Oct. 14, 2011 12:56 p.m. Cone_Junky HalfDork

Home Depot sells 4x4 steel buckets that can bolt to the concrete via concrete anchors. It has holes on 4 sides for lag bolts to be run into the post. Remove bolts, then you could remove the post.
Oct. 14, 2011 12:58 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

Set a piece of 1" tubing in concrete at dead center.

Put hinges on both posts at the ends.

Where the two doors come together, below the latch, take another piece of 1" tubing and affix to one of them so it aligns with the one in the ground. Drop a solid 3/4ths rod thru them.

Viola. Redneck double french doors.
Oct. 14, 2011 1:08 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

bludroptop wrote:

Instead of newspaper, build a box from PT boards and cast that into the concrete - slide the post into the box.

I like it!
Oct. 14, 2011 1:08 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

orphancars wrote:

what about creating your own custom "receiver" for the post out of plastic or thin gauge aluminum? Bend up a couple of 90 degree pieces of aluminum with a little flange on either end, rivet them to each other, then set in 'crete.

Yes. Yes. Now we're talking...
Oct. 14, 2011 1:10 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

Cone_Junky wrote:

Home Depot sells 4x4 steel buckets that can bolt to the concrete via concrete anchors. It has holes on 4 sides for lag bolts to be run into the post. Remove bolts, then you could remove the post.

I'm thinking I need the cantilever strength (Ok...I just made that up) of the post set into the ground. A 6' privacy fence needs some strength...

Thanks for the thought, though!
Oct. 14, 2011 1:12 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Set a piece of 1" tubing in concrete at dead center.

Put hinges on both posts at the ends.

Where the two doors come together, below the latch, take another piece of 1" tubing and affix to one of them so it aligns with the one in the ground. Drop a solid 3/4ths rod thru them.

Viola. Redneck double french doors.

Funny as this sounds...that's more functional than I want. Lol.

What I mean is, I don't want hinges on both gates. Really, it's just one gate, one removable panel, and one removable post that I'm after.

It is a good solution to the problem, though...thanks!
Oct. 14, 2011 1:14 p.m. Lesley SuperDork

I have pretty much the same setup - the backyard is accessed by a laneway that runs behind the houses. I have a section of the fence that slides, like a barn door, when I want to park in behind.
Oct. 14, 2011 1:21 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

Lesley wrote:

I have pretty much the same setup - the backyard is accessed by a laneway that runs behind the houses. I have a section of the fence that slides, like a barn door, when I want to park in behind.

Thanks Lesley.

The problem here is that I don't have enough length (on that run of fence) to do a slider. I pretty much need to have the whole run of fence go away to be able to get a vehicle back there.

Slider would be cool if possible, though!

Clem
Oct. 14, 2011 1:30 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

Wood swells and shrinks. Makes fitting it into a socket interesting. Sometimes it's too tight ti fit in, or come out. Other times it rattles around in the hole and everything sags and leans.

Were it me, I'd rethink the removable fence section and consider hinging it as a door.

Either a double set of doors side or a door in a door.

Double set is easiest. Hinges to the outside, coming together latching on each other. Put a roller wheel on the larger fence panel door to keep it upright, and let the other one latch onto it. Spike in the ground to lock the fence secton door.

Door in a door could be cool looking, and would let you put the walk through door anywhere along the fence span. Arch type arbor over the top for structural support. You would have a bottom piece to step across, which would trip you fairly regularly.
Oct. 14, 2011 1:51 p.m. EastCoastMojo SuperDork

Linky to an online write up with pics and everything.
Oct. 14, 2011 1:52 p.m. failboat HalfDork

I was thinking along the lines of a PVC pipe anchored into the ground. But PVC pipes are round.

But then I googled and found this page with a few different answers. One of which was PVC pipe but I think there are better options.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100429154809AAoi8Ws
Oct. 14, 2011 2:04 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

ClemSparks wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Set a piece of 1" tubing in concrete at dead center.

Put hinges on both posts at the ends.

Where the two doors come together, below the latch, take another piece of 1" tubing and affix to one of them so it aligns with the one in the ground. Drop a solid 3/4ths rod thru them.

Viola. Redneck double french doors.

Funny as this sounds...that's more functional than I want. Lol.

What I mean is, I don't want hinges on both gates. Really, it's just one gate, one removable panel, and one removable post that I'm after.

It is a good solution to the problem, though...thanks!

OK, serious hinges on one end, middle post has a flat foot on the bottom and the other end latches, has a trailer wheel post on it. Crank it up a few inches to lift the feet and roll it all the way open.