Tips for whacking a fencing spike in straight

I’ve got to erect (eek) a bit of fencing panel and a trellis around it at some point over the weekend, one end attached to an existing post and the other to a new one. The new one will constructed from the length of 75mm*75mm fencing post and the 600mm spike currently sitting in my back passage (oo-er).

Obviously, I want a good straight erection (phnaar), so getting the spike in straight and square is pretty key. I know that just whacking it in and banging away (giggedy) isn’t necessarily the right method, so any tips?

Whack, check, whack, check, whack, check.

You can also get those little spirit level tools designed specifically for this, which will help if you can get onw in time.

600mm is the perfect depth for finding electrical cables. Both low voltage service type and even 11kV feeders.

Whack, check, whack, check, whack, check

That’s what I figured. I assume I need to be whacking a block of wood on top of the spike, rather than the spike itself?

600mm is the perfect depth for finding electrical cables.

V.unlikely where this panel is going, but I’ll bear it in mind and wear rubber gloves 🙂

Make a smaller, straight hole first? Like drilling a pilot hole?

600mm is the perfect depth for finding electrical cables. Both low voltage service type and even 11kV feeders.

I had a guy on site once drive a lightning protection earth rod through an 11kv cable. Knocked out the power to four 20 storey blocks of flats.
He was completely unharmed and the earth rod was dead straight.

Whack, check, whack, check, whack, check.

Pretty much this. If you have a spare bit of post use that in the spike for the hammering and then remove it and fit the new post once the spike is in place.

Use the spirit level on all sides of the post in case the post itself isn’t straight.

The cables people hit are always in very unlikely places. If they were likely places, they’d check first.

Based on my experience, I’d rather hit the 11kV than the 430V. The protection systems are a good bit more sophisticated.

Make a smaller, straight hole first?

^
This

A 20mm or 25mm rod, with a flat (not pointed) end. Whack it in, but check for verticality between whacks. As soon as it goes off line, straighten it up and tap down gently until it’s seated. But also keep wiggling it to slightly enlarge the hole so that you can pull it out.

I take you your 11kV cable and raise you a bt fibre optic cable feeding a whole town (It was in the wrong place by well over 500m after they took a short cut)

If you can borrow a post hammer everything is so much easier

You’ll end up digging a hole and concreting it in eventually.

I as trail rat touched on,
Dig hole set spike in place fill around with post Crete and add water keep making sure it’s plumb. Job done

2 years ago bent one of those spikes, after hitting it repeatedly with a large sledge hammer, and moving it bit by bit about 2 foot out from the desired fence line, luckily only for a dog run, so bought another one and that got twisted, customer then announced you do know the garage base is 10 inches below the top of the soil, we didnt need a garage so piled soil from next doors drive extension on it.Thre where going to be 6 that didnt happen.

Try and make a pilot hole with a wooden brush stale or hardwood batton to se if you can penetrate the sub soil.

Whack check, whack check as mentioned or dig hole and fill with postcrete. Hold vertical until set.. about 10 minutes

id take onzadogs warning and fully rubber up just in case…

Tips for whacking a fencing spike in straight

Does it really matter ? As long as you’ve gone through a major organ or a main artery who gives a monkeys if it’s straight or not ?

Top tips:

1. Use the stakes with bolt tighteners, not the god awful interference fit ones!

2. Drill a pilot hole as stated earlier, not a massive one, but you want to know there’s nothing problematic you’re going to drive the stake into, i.e. builders rubble, stone, concrete, etc.

3. Have a foot long 75×75 off-cut to put in the stake, this will be how you drive it in.

4. They’ll twist, offset to correct this, getting them straight is easier as you can be off slightly but correct with the post in and with the fence panels or rails, so just check that it’s within limits with a spirit level every so often.

5. Have a way of getting them out if required, i find a decent spade and some type of lever under it works well, you get the spade edge under the spike and can then bring it back out with a bit of bodyweight.

It’s not that difficult if you prep a bit, if you’re using spikes then it should be for softish ground anyway, with no rubbish underneath, they go in easy for that, just watch out for twisting, if they do, just whip them out as per 5.
6.

You’ll end up digging a hole and concreting it in eventually.

This.

Indeed this is what you should be doing anyway rather than trying to drive a post in straight.

Postcrete, bead and props.👌

Trained in Cat & Genny and reading cable drawings and also many hours of experience using them in the field.

Two things to remember, never believe the cable drawings, use them as a guide and cables can be any depth.

Depends on what type of soil you have. My soil is very pebbly so there would be zero chance of whaling anting in straight so I wouldn’t even attempt it, what ever you were trying to drive into the ground would continually be deflected by pebbles and stone in the soil…I’d dig a hole and concrete it in or something like that.

And I totally agree with using postcrete over those crappy spikes that most people end up concreting in eventually.

Well, whack, check, whack, check, whack, whack, check, whack, whack whack whack, check, whack whack whack whack whack, check. In first time, bang on plumb dead straight. That was easy 🙂