Putting up a thirty five foot fiberglass flagpole

I had a company in the early 2000 which was creating a paperless network in the real estate title area where we were going to create mesh technology where networks would have a 35 gig throughput which could carry TV, telephone, and the internet with bandwidth to spare......completely independent of the traditional internet, more like a very secure vpn.  The company failed on the microsoft server platform because of security issues, and this network would have the most sensitive financial information of buyers and sellers and had to be secure....took a big hit, but had a flagpole left over.

On one end is a two inch hole at the top which tapers down the base to an eight inch base.  We will lift it into place possibly Sunday night after some father day activities.  The cool part is the top of the flagpole where we were going to have repeater radios, has a glass globe six inches in diameter and a 60 watt  led light bulb where we run wire down the inside of the flagpole and using a 1/2 inch spoon drill and exit hole using 1/2 inch water pipe to run the 12 gage wire down from the led through the flagpole base to an outlet.

A traditional pulley rope system will be attached through a bolt at the top of the flagpole with a tie down at the base.   The flag will start with a 3' x 5' and will eventually go to a 8 x 5, but I have to see how the wind will impact the globe with the smaller flag.  This has been fun, but in recent days my urge to put up a United States Flag has never been greater, and with the illumination on top....it will fly 24/7/365.  All this will be supported by two 2 x 6 foot stackable concrete blocks which will be faced with stone which we will mix the mortar and put a metal mesh nailed to the concrete block on in the next week and a half....the flagpole will NOT be buried by using steel adjustable straps be attached to the concrete block.   I picked up commercial signs which I will not show in my photo because it gives too much information, but I will be busy in my weakened state sitting in a plastic chair applying the mortar and stone....it is a great feeling when you finish with stone and see the finished project.  This takes the place of my RV project and I will be building an elevated tent structure in July which is going to be fun and I will provide photos....you might sense as I weaken I am going to take it to the wall.

Very Cool I would like to see when done for sure

very cool

Well....I just lost a seal on my hydraulic drive and lost all my hydraulic fluid on the bobcat which I was going to raise the flagpole.....I now have to take the rubber track off....incredibly difficult for a weak person, and change an inexpensive seal......it will take me a week.....that flag is going up.....I have never been prouder of this country.

A column of enslaved Africans force marched in chains, whilst an overseer whips them onwards. They are forced to carry the American flag. Captioned "How slavery honors our country's flag". Taken from the US periodical Anti-Slavery Record 1835

You can hate our flag and our country.  You have the freedom to do the same.  You can post hysterical attempts to make our flag evil.....there are plenty of examples where this country has been wrong, but this country stands for many things for many people and often it is a matter of intelligence, so I cannot question your dislike of our flag, I can only celebrate this great country and the principles upon which it was founded....I will proudly fly it every day until I am no longer here honoring all those who came before and were willing to sacrifice for the principles of freedom and liberty.  I have never been much of a flag waver.....I have become one.  I just talked to my neighbor who has the cub flag and the confederate flag......he said my three by five flag is too small for the pole.....I told him I would upgrade to a five by eight as soon as its mountings are tested in the wind.......his confederate flag is pretty tattered......small in every regard......I told him I have the biggest flagpole in the neighborhood....my wife just smiled.

Damn biodiesel fuel.....lull fuel filter fouled....no lull, no bobcat, now we had to use our brains.....this was a tall heavy flagpole.  Got our 3,500 pound winch, anchored it and winched the flag into position using steel straps to connect the base to two stacked concrete blocks weighing about 2,500 lbs each.  The flag looks like a postage stamp, but until I see how the wind impacts the 3 x5 flag, I will wait for the 5 x 8 which is appropriate for a flagpole this high.  I still have to complete the wiring to plug in the bulb which will illuminate the flag, but pretty pleased that we got this up with all the equipment failing at the same time......the wait was worth it.......I can look at that American Flag every day and thank the man upstairs that I was lucky enough to be born in this great country.  A great many people died to perfect this Union and overcome the evil of terrorism, and now I will celebrate every single day the triumph of good over evil.

Good job!

I finished wiring the flagpole yesterday morning, and went and played poker until late yesterday evening......but as I drove down the road....in the distance I saw a beacon light atop the flagpole illuminating this great country's flag.....I will take a picture tonight......I will celebrate this great fourth of July weekend with real understanding what that flag stands for and proud to be an American.

I will celebrate the fourth of July with special vigor this year for all those brave patriots who came before who secured our freedoms who many will easily discard for perceived temporary security.   This beacon is more symbolic, but the neighbors love it, and one neighbor has strongly suggested to keep the flag small.

May you will be a story on Fox News.

Awesome Seaoat.

The base finishes are beginning.  Here are the raw blocks stacked.

Next is the strapping and blocking of the flagpole to the concrete blocks.

Finally, there is  attachment of masonry mesh and mixing up mortar and putting real stone on the face of the blocks.  I will need to tuckpoint, but that will be done later today not in the direct sunlight.  Wife has gone to get some more flowers for the shelf, and we will build a surround to hide the flagpole strapings.....wife sarcastically said I was building my monument....maybe.......but it is kind of small.

I will finish the surround in the next two hours, but the heat tires me quickly.  Just got treated six inch fencing and painted it white so it will blend with the flagpole and hide the strapping.  The led light in the globe atop the flagpole has received the most compliments from neighbors.  They are familiar with the flag regs......


Flag Rules and Regulations

Section 6a: "It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness."

We have put a timer on the globe light, and put a 100 watt led light bulb 17 bucks but it should last long after I am gone, and I have shown my wife where she can attach the electric winch to let the flag pole down to change the lightbulb.  I figure every five years based on hail not breaking the globe and light bulb.

The forum provides me time to cool down, and back to work....weak with frequent rest stops, but determined as ever.

Not perfect and I will have to do some trim work, but this was I project that I had enough strength to finish.  Next project is building an elevated permanent insulated solar tent which will have a floor which is three feet off the island surface to minimize flood damage except in the big ones.

So you've erected your phallic symbol for all the neighbors to admire and are now lubricating your ego with modifications to please.

Are you still looking for a theme song for your finished project?

*****HeeHeeHee*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00zuDUNTeXM

So you've erected your phallic symbol for all the neighbors to admire and are now lubricating your ego with modifications to please.

Are you still looking for a theme song for your finished project?

I think you and my wife have nailed it......here lies a big dick.  I think I will ask her to sprinkle some of the ashes in the the flower's soil.....I will be a petunia next year.  A purple petunia....so this song will be appropriate.

I already have a motto and theme song.

*****HeeHeeHee*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-e2bptjUOc

Seaoat you Racist, everyone knows Purple Rain should only be sung by the short black guy !

I agree, but I had problems with restrictions on what I thought was the official version.....it appeared to be the movie trailer.....so I guess you are right....I will have to come back as a pink petunia.....much more symbolic....I like pink I guess....

2seaoat wrote:I agree, but I had problems with restrictions on what I thought was the official version.....it appeared to be the movie trailer.....so I guess you are right....I will have to come back as a pink petunia.....much more symbolic....I like pink I guess....

And here I always thought of you as a blue kind of guy.

*****HeeHeeHee*****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqbpzEHuO2g

Nice going, Seaot.