MetPosts - re-use or forget?

JoshRogan · 20 Sep 2008

Hi

Looking to completely replace fence, posts seem to be held in with MetPosts. Dug around one today and had a bash at extracting the existing (rotting) post but it seems securely fastened into the MetPost. Looks like I have the MetPosts without the bolts on.

Can anyone suggest an easy way to get the remaining bits of post out so I can reuse the met post?

I tried a bit of drilling, and a bit of chiselling but with little success (maybe I need to stick at it a bit longer!).

Looked on Metposts website and they said:
"A. The stump can be carefully chiselled out, or burnt out."

looks like it may be easier to re-do the new fence with new MetPosts rather than struggle (i'll get the bolt ones, just in case).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

C
PS Read lot of posts about pros and cons of MetPost Vs Concrete. Ta.

Deluks · 21 Sep 2008

Get a large auger bit and a wood chisel. Does take ages though as they swell up in the socket.

If reusing them then insert the timber post first then set them in plenty of concrete. Don't set them in the ground first as when you go to insert the post you might find it goes in slightly wonky.

They are a PITA but can be made workable with a bit of forward thinking. oh and lots of concrete.

The only real advantage to using them instead of just concreting the timber in, is that in the future it will be easier to replace the post without bashing all the concrete out. But only if the metpost socket has lasted.

Don't use the concrete in type, as they are too short, better to use the normal long ones and set them in full depth, or cut them down to about 18" (in the case of the really long ones which are too long for standard 2ft concrete depth.

JohnD will be along in a minute going on about his new "I can't believe it's not timber" range of brown paint...

Closely followed by Thermo who will just be effing and blinding (he works 16 hour days doing nothing else but digging these things out)

Then Big-all will rate them as light to medium trade, which Tim West will then make a witty joke about....

...erm maybe that's enough DIYnot for today*, Quake Wars beckons....

*the next millennia

JohnD · 21 Sep 2008

metposts are awful

concrete posts (and spurs) are great. They never rot

Deluks is right

these concrete ones tone in nicely with the stained wood, don't they?

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Deluks · 21 Sep 2008

So realistic looking John, in fact........

I can't believe it's NOT timber™

Thermo · 21 Sep 2008

metposts are a pile of ****e. dig a hole and concrete them in.

I wont lower myself to Johns level with his concrete gnomes

marshman · 21 Sep 2008

so hard I have tears

breezer · 21 Sep 2008

my first fence was done with met posts, i found out if you do put on in the wrong place with a lot of effort and if its less than 3/4 in, you can pull them out.

Met posts are great for a temp fence or the bolt it down onto a flat surface ones are ok (temp or just one of them) but i would suggest you concrete posts in or do as i did, pay a fence person to do it for you.

^neo^ · 21 Sep 2008

chuck em on the bonfire and burn it out.
If it comes out your laughing, if not concrete em in

big-all · 21 Sep 2008

marshman said:
so hard I have tears

me too

Thermo · 21 Sep 2008

this is where metposts should be

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Thermo
21 Sep 2008
1

and heres johns latest additions to the garden. see how they blend with the carfully painted concrete posts and the concrete slab that has been masterfully painted to look like grass

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Thermo
21 Sep 2008
2

he he he he

JohnD · 22 Sep 2008

no rot though

roberta1000 · 26 Sep 2008

JoshRogan said:
looks like it may be easier to re-do the new fence with new MetPosts rather than struggle (i'll get the bolt ones, just in case).

Metposts aren't much good. They don't grip the post well enough over a long enough length. The bolt-up ones are much worse than the others because all that happens when you tighten the bolts is that it cuts into the post in a couple of places - far too little to take the wind loading of a 6' fence panel.

breezer · 26 Sep 2008

why? Hang your coat on it

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MetPosts - re-use or forget?

breezer

roberta1000

breezer

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