How To Erect A Flag Pole
You can buy a flag kit and spend anywhere from $100 to $300 just for the flag and pole with hardware. This is a way to do it for much less. I spent about $75 total including the underground stuff. While you can just plant your pole in the dirt, it will be much more secure the way i did it. The pvc is firmly cemented in the ground, while the pole is firmly set in packed sand. The packed sand will hold the pole firmly in place much the same as concrete, except it can be removed. The trick is to buy very fine sand from Lowes. All-purpose, playground or construction sand all work well. To remove the pole, simply lift it out of the sand. To replant the pole, reach in and scoop the sand out and plant it like the first time. E-mail me if you have further questions.
You will need:
20 foot galvanized 1" pipe
pipe cap
30 - 35 feet of nylon rope
1.5" eye bolt
1.5" swivel pulley
4.5" rope cleat
2 self tapping screws for the cleat
3/16" quick link
2 snap bolt swivels
2' of 4" or wider pvc pipe
bag of quickcrete cement
bag of beach or other fine sand
drill
bits
center punch
hammer
screw driver or nut driver
level
3' x5' flag from Walmart ($11)
Preparing The Hole:
Dig a hole a little over 2 feet deep wide enough for the pvc and cement around the outside.
Put a few inches of little rocks in the bottom of the hole for drainage.
Put the pvc pipe in the hole so it comes up to ground level.
Fill in around the pvc pipe with the quickcrete. Push it down with the shovel and water it. Try to level it as you are going. Fill the rest of top of the hole with the dirt you took out.
Allow this a day or two to cure and the ground will be finished.
Preparing The Pole:
Screw the cap on the top of the pole.
Center punch and drill a hole all the way through the pole about a foot from the top and insert the eye bolt all the way through. Secure with nuts and washers.
Put the quick link through the eye bolt.
Attach the swivel pulley to the quick link.
About 6 ft from the bottom of the pole, centerpunch and drill 2 holes for the rope cleat. Use the 2 self tapping screws to secure the rope cleat to the pole.
Put one end of the rope thru the swivel pulley.
Attach the 2 snap bolt swivels to both ends of the rope. These are the ends that will attach to the flag grommets.
The pole is now finished.
Setting The Pole:
Carefully lift the pole straight up and lower the bottom end into the pvc pipe.
While trying to keep it level and center fill the pvc pipe with sand.
When the pvc pipe is full of sand and the pole is plumb, the pole is secure.
Now simply attach the snap bolt swivels to the flag grommets and raise the flag.
Secure the rope on the rope cleat.
Click the pics to see the bigger pics
All the credit for this idea goes to Mike Croft, who taught me how to do it several years ago.
Copyright © 2001 - 2005 Great Uncle Bill
