All,
The lamp post fell down, it appears the base timber rotted. The post is a turned painted piece with a large globe on top; stands about 7′. I’ve got some pressure treated wood and can turn it to match the OD of the post. The question is would a scarf joint or tenon be best and what length the scarf should be. The tenon length is limited to about 3.5″ (DP length), the post itself is 3″ diameter.
Replies
Presumably there is a hole down the middle to accommodate the wiring?
John W.
JohnWW,I don't know for sure yet John, although I suspect your correct. There is a GFI box attached to the column about 2' up from the ground. I'm having difficulty getting that detached cause of the rain. Maybe I'll get lucky and the wire won't come up from the bottom of the column but take a left at the GFI box.
Unless there is a visible wire coming up from the ground and into the GFCI box then the only possible other connection is up through the post, if you don't have a visible wire, or a conduit carrying a wire, up from the ground on the outside, then the post is drilled out, all commercial posts are drilled through top to bottom.In any case, the upper part of the post you are salvaging is drilled out if there isn't a wire going all the way up on the outside, so you can use a piece of pipe as a tenon to make the joint and still carry the wire. If you can drill a hole into the new part 3 inches or so deep with a drill press you can deepen it with a hand held drill, the hole drilled with the press will continue to guide you.The suggestion that you build a rectangular base is an excellent solution.John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998-2007
JohnWW,Yes, there is a visible wire outside the post up to the GFI box then it disappears. I do like the idea of using pipe as a tenon..maybe 6-7" long, ie. the length being double the thickness of the column? Maybe a wood platform on top of some portland cement in the hole would work. I have some threaded rod to attach the wood to the cement and maybe a recessed floor flange for the pipe with a thread on one end.
Turning pressure treated wood would not be an activity that I'd be happy doing. If it were mine, I'd figure out a nice transition into a square base and avoid the lathe work with the nasty wood.
sapwood,
Your absolutely correct, and when I bought the damn pressure treated wood I layed it on the TS for about an hour or two..nice big brown stripe. The piece I have has been in my heated garage for about 4 years now so its at least dry. I may just wack it a bit into rough round and keep it mostly underground. Luckily I'm about to have the house painted.
OK, since I can't talk you out of poisoning yourself. Scarfed or tennon? How would you cut the scarf on the top part of the light pole? Certainly the bulb would spin loose and crack you on the head if you chucked it into your lathe. (I'd like to see that lathe.) So that leaves tennons. But for my money, I'd choose pocket screws, plugs, putty, and paint.
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