Hey OHIO 961

pete black · Feb 2, 2013

on a previous post you asked about the treatment of utility poles. the pole is treated along its entire length and to it's center. the primary reason there appears to be more treatment in the butt is gravity which pulls it down the length of the pole. some of the treatment leaches into the nearby ground. as for fence poles,the tops are desirable due to their lesser diameter and weights making them easier to lift and digging the hole. the butts due to their large size typically require machinery to place. be afraid to suggest years of use from a used pole but i know of a bunch that been in the ground 25+ years and still functioning.

donjr · Feb 2, 2013

Pete, I still go past poles I set almost fifty years ago, and still in service and look good. Some are class 7's, and most are 4's. A lot of longevity goes to the treatment used, and asphalt seems to be about the best. But none were treated to the center. The treatment only extends in less than 1/2 inch.

pete black · Feb 2, 2013

don, i do agree that there has always been a question of how far the treatment extends into the pole. on several talks with reps. i was assured that with today's treatment they strive for as deep a penetration as possible. they implied to the center. over the years with various poles and processes i have observed both; to the center and near the center. all have been greater than 1/2 inch penetration.

donjr · Feb 2, 2013

Not much---

pete black · Feb 2, 2013

dangerous thing but i was wondering, after a pole is treated doe the treatment continue to migrate toward the center which may account for the reps claims. i may be too old or too long retired!

OH - 961 · Feb 2, 2013

Thanks, Pete,

That answered my question because it always looked like the bottoms had more treatment than the tops.

A neighbor used a bunch of old poles to put in his own power line back to a workshop about 25 years or so ago. I think he cut off the old bottoms and shortened them up. Those have started to break off from rot over the last several years so that makes me wonder how well they were treated in the first place. Seeing that, makes me leery of using them for fence posts, etc.

Myron

Ted in NE-OH · Feb 2, 2013

What is the difference in the different grades?

donjr · Feb 2, 2013

If you're talking class, they're graded by type, such as southern pine, spruce, etc., and by the size after being trimmed. The length and class are stamped on the butt mark. 'Class' refers to the thickness of the pole, from 1 to 10, where '1' is the largest, and '10' the smallest. When I worked, we used down to a class 7, but 4 is now the smallest used. Before recorded history, a lot of class 10 pole were used to run lines from the main road to outlying areas because of ease of transport and cheapness, but most have long broken off and been replaced by bigger poles. Plus, trying to climb one was like scaling a toothpick. It was also the size of the first one I 'burned'. I totally missed the thing with my gaff and hit the ground express mode. The only thing they were good for, IMHO, is firewood and leantos on a goat shed. They're really not thick enough for a corner post, but would be OK for a line post. By the way, is anyone aware of who Alexander Graham Belski was??? He was the first telephone pole......

donjr · Feb 2, 2013

It might, but I've seen a lot of light wood come out of a center before it hit treatment again. Besides, a salesman will say anything to get someone to buy something.....

Hey OHIO 961

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