Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 Has anyone installed earth anchors using a pilot hole? I'm looking at installing a course with earth augers. They are 3.5 feet long with a 4" diameter helical screw. Turning one in by hand was more than enough work - looking for suggestions. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller BraceMaker Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 Oh ya. How deep are you going? You can use a pump or pressure washer and a length of PVC tube to "blast" a hole, but I usually just put a long bar through and walk around and around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller iceboating Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 Skoot, I used 40" anchors for a course on a public lake and they worked very well. The bottom was a sand/muck. When I installed them I made a T handle out of rebar. The main shaft of the t was 36" and I made the end so it would catch the eye of the anchor. Best I can describe it is an upside down L welded to the end. The water depth ranged from 4 to 6'. It would be very hard to install the anchors if the water is over your head. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 21, 2014 Author Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 We are going down ~ 2.5 feet and then pouring a 12" diameter concrete cone one the last foot of the rod - just below the eye bolt. We'll be pulling the course under water with a heavy duty winch - the eyelets will see a little bit of resistance. As it is, I don't think the anchor we have partially installed (w/ 1.5 feet left to go) will pull out anytime soon. It is SOLID! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller BraceMaker Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 Remember it is about leverage - 200 lbs of tension on 1.5 feet of leverage. If the pull is level there is no bending force/leverage it is just straight pull - so keeping inline is king. Similarly while eroding the material around the shaft can make it loose - if it lets you get deeper, then back fill w/ concrete, and pack it back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller klindy Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 If dry use a power auger to core a hole and back fill. Measure 2-3 points offset from the location say 4 feet away (at 4 o'clock, 8 and 12). Auger the hole as deep as you want, drop in the anchor, measure and backfill with material of choice. Installed several courses that way and it works fine. Will never move. If I misunderstand and it's wet, that may not be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller kurt Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 I did mine dry and if that's what your doing I did it with a 3 point posthole digger minus the auger and rigged up a pin to go thru the eye . It took about 1 minute per screw anchor and no pilot hole. Just make sure you are quick with the PTO lever so you don't screw it in too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller mwetskier Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 i know of a lake near houston where they used heavy steel rods set into concrete for buoy locations installed while the lake was dry. they drilled holes in the ends of the rods for the buoy lines. now many years later the steel bars have corroded and the string holes are no longer there. moral of the story make sure whatever you use is rust proof or plan in advance for what you will do when it rots away some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller BraceMaker Posted July 21, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 21, 2014 My read is that he is driving one of these http://www.cbsproducts.com/images/D-457.jpg Into the bottom of existing water. If dry he may have more options for getting the work done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 22, 2014 Author Baller Share Posted July 22, 2014 Right now the lake is dry. We won't be closing the valve and filling the lake until after the course and dock are in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller kurt Posted July 22, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 22, 2014 @Skoot1123 get screw anchors from" gme supply" the galvanized ones they use for telephone pole support wires they are made for harsh environments . Also run a pvc coated 1/4" galvanized wire line loosely from each anchor to the other so you will not have to look for all of them in the spring every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
east tx skier Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 We have mobile home type screw anchors for our club's course. They are in 15--20' of water. I have no idea how they accomplished that. As they corrode after decades of use, we have been going beneath the "bell" to reattach the buoy lines. Fun with scuba. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted July 22, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 22, 2014 31-years ago, my buddy and I got on opposite sides and turned a long bar at the same time... in 18 feet of water without air tanks. Not too smart and would recommend you NOT do it that way. I have been contemplating moving our anchored end to the south so we run slightly to the Northwest at night for sun, and I think I will buy a big boat anchor and drag it into the clay with the boat and use that instead of a screw in anchor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 22, 2014 Author Baller Share Posted July 22, 2014 @ab - I would agree with you!! Thankfully (or not) our lake is dry and not filled. The material is all clay though, so it is tough stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skiep Posted July 24, 2014 Baller Share Posted July 24, 2014 Option, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Baller Share Posted July 24, 2014 @skiep - very cool. Unfortunately our lake bottom isn't as smooth and flat as that. We have a few bigger undulations in ours (adds characater right?) that we won't be removing. It basically goes from 8 feet deep down to abour 15 feet deep at the other end. However we did make sure to smooth out the dirt where the buoy lines are so there won't be any issues there. Right now I think we are going to try using a cable winch to pull everything down when we want (it will also have the ability to change with water level) so it could be "out of the way" when kids are tubing or I'm barefooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Baller Share Posted July 25, 2014 @OB - NO WAY!! Permanent course that can be pulled down and out of the way so we can barefoot and do a few other things on the lake as it is fairly narrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Skoot1123 Posted July 30, 2014 Author Baller Share Posted July 30, 2014 So - last night we tried out the screw auger on the back of my father in laws tractor. Turned down the hydraulic pressure to the minimum. Worked like a charm. Quite a bit of spring back, but it is much easier than turning in by hand. Might sharpen the edges in order to get a little better shearing action on the clay for the auger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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