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[TowerTalk] Easy method of digging

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Easy method of digging
From: mcduffie@scottsbluff.net (Gary McDuffie, Sr.)
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 00:15:59 -0600
On Sun, 30 May 1999 20:49:46 -0600, David Leikis wrote:

> I have what may seem like a rather silly question, but I would like some
> advice from some that may have encountered this before.
> 
> I will very soon be digging a hole  7 feet X 3.5 feet X 3.5 feet in my
> back yard to install my self-supporting crankup tower.  I have checked
> out several options to do this and here are the basic options.

I just went through this.  Let me say right off, it will depend highly
on what your soil is like.  I was surprised when I saw how easy mine was
to dig.  I hired a guy from Job Service for $6/hr.  I told him I thought
it might take one to two days.  It took a half day for the original hole
3.5' by 6' deep.  I had him help me with some cleanup around the yard to
finish out the promised 6 hour minimum.  He used a post hole digger to
get the surface started, and a shovel to dig the rest of the hole.

> 1. Get a shovel and dig the hole.
>     Problems:
> a. Danger of hole collapse with someone in there over their head.

While I considered that (especially later when I was the one in the hole
enlarging it), in my soil, it isn't a problem.  YMMV.

> b. Lack of working room to move the shovel.

Short handled flat nosed spade from the farm supply.

>  c. Need to use a bucket brigade method of getting the dirt out.

Wasn't a problem.  Digger just threw the dirt out to the wheel barrow
parked next to the hole.  When digging the last couple of feet, we just
made a pile next to the hole.  I later used a bucket to clean out the
bottom when I enlarged the it.  Used a 5 gallon bucket, but found it was
more weight than was comfortable to lift when full.

> d. Lots of hard work.

True, but depends on the soil and what kind of shape you are in.

> 2. Rent a small back hoe tractor.  ( A good option is the "TerraMite"
> yard tractor.)

I'm told an expert operator can do square sided holes, but I'm not one.
The typical back-hoe will dig a tapered hole.  The desire is to have it
as square as possible, or even belled out at the bottom for better
leverage.  That's one reason I later enlarged my hole.  The digger had
dug a round hole.  I wanted it square and wanted to bell it.  The soil
turned out to be quite hard at the bottom, so I settled for a deeper
hole, instead of the bell.

> 3. Hire a group of small children with sand shovels and challenge them
> to 'dig to China'.

Darn, hadn't even thought of that one!

Each situation is different.  I recently saw someone's web page where
they showed the digging of a base for a self supporting tower.  It was
right after I had dug my hole, and I was very thankful it was him and
not me.  He had huge boulders (bigger than a human head) throughout the
dig.

Good luck.  I'm working on web pages for the project now.  Lots of
pictures.

Gary
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