Little advice on holes?

[newbury]

Treated posts today aren't like they once were.
Stand posts in wood treatment for long as possible then transfer to empty bucket to drain off excess liquid for 15 minutes.

What would be a good guess as to the shortest "long as possible"?
I'd like to set up something like a 50 gallon drum (or maybe an ICB tote with the top cut off) and just put a bunch of dried posts in it. Soaking in diesel and used oil, or some other "treatment".

Would a month do?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

You have holes filled with water as the OP does for 50 years ?

Edit... OP : google "Tremie Pipe" Used to prevent cement separation from the concrete

Never mixed concrete with water to pour in a post hole. I've built miles of fences and a good bit of boat docks or piers also. Cut the bag underwater.

 

[Rockbadchild]

What would be a good guess as to the shortest "long as possible"?
I'd like to set up something like a 50 gallon drum (or maybe an ICB tote with the top cut off) and just put a bunch of dried posts in it. Soaking in diesel and used oil, or some other "treatment".

Would a month do?

in my opinion a week at the most would be plenty … i would think that the drying time would be important as well.

 

[hosspuller]

What would be a good guess as to the shortest "long as possible"?
I'd like to set up something like a 50 gallon drum (or maybe an ICB tote with the top cut off) and just put a bunch of dried posts in it. Soaking in diesel and used oil, or some other "treatment".

Would a month do?

I've a long term wood post experiment going on. While replacing 25+ year old posts, I noticed the rot was only within 12 inches of the ground surface. I surmise the soil organisms + air has some effect. The portion below was solid though wet and water logged. This was a major pain since I had to extract the remainder. Like a rotten tooth. Some of the replacement wood posts, I wrapped the post with 12 inches of black polyethene as a soil barrier. The poly should be permanent since there's no UV exposure from the sun. I'll let you know the results in 25 years.

 

[jaxs]

What would be a good guess as to the shortest "long as possible"?
I'd like to set up something like a 50 gallon drum (or maybe an ICB tote with the top cut off) and just put a bunch of dried posts in it. Soaking in diesel and used oil, or some other "treatment".

Would a month do?

I doubt the soak can be overdune but time undoubtedly depends on species, moisture content when put in and less critical things. 24 hours beats not at all but I shoot for a week. As someone mentioned,posts tend to rot and/or be atacked by insets near ground level but that can be decieving. Untreated or poorly treated posts wick moisture 24/7/365 up where presence of air excelirates rot. Your oil and diesel should negate and/or slow that process giving extra life. Before preservatives became easily available post and lumber were charred in a bonfire. Some still do both.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Put some coppertox in your mix.if you do soak them, when it gets halfway up the post, swap ends with it.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I have read, (never tested it myself) that removing stock form a PT post will expose untreated wood and cause it to rot.

You have to look for that ground contact label on your posts. Posts here are green all the way through. They completely treat them here. Treat plant is 4 miles from me on Nations Creek.

 

[Raul-02]

Posts here are green all the way through.

I couldn't even find round.

 

[dirttoys]

I doubt the soak can be overdune but time undoubtedly depends on species, moisture content when put in and less critical things. 24 hours beats not at all but I shoot for a week. As someone mentioned,posts tend to rot and/or be atacked by insets near ground level but that can be decieving. Untreated or poorly treated posts wick moisture 24/7/365 up where presence of air excelirates rot. Your oil and diesel should negate and/or slow that process giving extra life. Before preservatives became easily available post and lumber were charred in a bonfire. Some still do both.

this is pretty much correct. the other thing that will help soaking is temp cycles, if you can do it when the day time highs are hot, and in the sun you will have done all you can.

Getting them to dry at ground level is a bugger. I tried wrapping, just held rain water, and putting them in 4 inches of clean gravel, rotted at the level of the gravel.

Treat as best you can, try to keep the ground in a mound, replace as needed.

Best,

ed

 

[Raul-02]

Drive them in

HEY~!!!!! I had beers and everything. You were a No show~!!!!
I thought you were bringing your pile driver~!!!!
I want my money back