Hi everyone-just got a flagpole up.

[wild-bill]

Hello. I've been lurking here for about a week and decided to register and introduce myself. I'm Bill and have been interested in flags since childhood. Last weekend I made a pole out of 2" PVC pipe. It's 15 feet long(13.5 feet above ground). It was not as stiff as I thought would be, so it was mounted to the courtyard wall instead of free standing. I will fly the Texas flag most days. And the US flag on the "flag" holidays. I also have an interest in a few other nations, and will fly flags of those nations on their independence and flag days. Here are some pics.

[wild-bill]

I have an email pen pal in Uganda. I took this pic so I could email it to her.

[Robin Hickman]

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Greetings, Wild Bill !!!

Welcome to the USA-Flag-Site Forums !!!


Looks like a pretty good (and pretty) flagpole !!


The "nice" thing about using PVC pipe as a flagpole is that once you remove the stamped ink identification markings, it's white and stays that way! The "not-so-nice" thing (as you've already discovered) is the PVC pipe's "flexibility" (especially in high wind conditions!).

If you need to "stiffen up" your PVC flagpole, you might try inserting a smaller pipe inside of it. When I say smaller, I mean a pipe whose OUTER diameter (O.D.) is smaller than your flagpole's INNER diameter (I.D.) so that it can be inserted inside to "fill" the flagpole and make it more rigid. The "filler" pipe can also be PVC, but a metal (aluminum or steel) pipe (or even a WOOD pole) will make your flagpole MUCH more rigid.

Around here (Eugene, Oregon) most of the major hardware and home improvement stores carry 16+ foot lengths of pipe made of different materials & construction, types, and thicknesses of pipes (plumbing, water line, electrical conduit, etc.). They also carry full-round moulding (sometimes called "closet rod") in 1.25" and 1.50" diameters in lengths up to 16 feet!

What I use most are eight foot lengths of 1.25" diameter wood. Some of them are pine, some douglas fir, and a few of them are even cedar. I use two wood screws (through the grommets) to attach one 3'x5' flag to each pole. If you've seen any of my posts here that show various flags flying in front of my house you'll see what I mean.


Anyway, THANX for bringing your Flag-related question to our Forums !!!


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[Robin Hickman]

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Hi, Wild Bill !


I've just posted (page link below) some examples of my flying 3'x5' Flags mounted on 8' wood poles.

Today (February 3rd, 2011) is the 100th Anniversary of the official adoption of the "Bear Republic Flag" (AKA : "Bear Flag") as the State Flag of California.


http://www.usa-flag-site.org/forum/bear-flag-ca-turns-100-years-9534.html


Normally, I fly only the U.S. Flag, and its flagpole goes into the "permanent" pipe sunk in the ground next to the concrete slab. You can see the pipe just to the left of the white 60 lb. concrete block holding the American Flag. But when flying two or more flags, I usually use the big concrete blocks as temporary flagpole holders.


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[wild-bill]

Hi Robin. Nice setup with the 3 wood poles. Where did you get the concrete blocks?

[Robin Hickman]

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Hey, Wild-Bill !


[ Explanatory NOTE: I'm chairman of the Springfield (Oregon) Jaycees' "Flags for Patriotism" program (AKA: "Flags Program"). We post American Flags in front of participating local businesses at least 8 times a year on "flag holidays". At most of our locations we were able to place pipes in the ground to act as holders for our flagpoles. However, in some locations that is not possible so we use "temporary" (for that day only) concrete blocks as flagpole holders. That's how (and why) I started using them at home. When I refer to "we", I'm referring to the Springfield Jaycees and our "Flags Program". ]


QUOTE (Wild-Bill) : "Where did you get the concrete blocks?"

I can't remember if we got them from our locally-owned Jerry's Home & Building Supply, or our friendly, neighborhood Home Depot store.

I think we bought 24 of them for about $2.50 each back in the Spring of 1998 (now about $3.00 each). The base is 12"x12", the top is 8"x8", and they are 8" tall. They each weigh approximately 60 pounds. Although I refer to them as "blocks", I think they are more commonly known as "Pier Blocks". (There are some smaller pier blocks that are 8"x8" and weigh about 18 pounds, but they are too light and too small to hold the Flags upright in any kind of wind over 10 mph.)

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100323041/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053




We wanted to paint them white but the concrete absorbed the paint like a sponge. So we put two coats of white concrete sealer on them and then a final coat of "brite white" latex paint. They were all "touched up" in 2004 or 2005. They'll probablly get another touch-up this Spring or Summer. (BTW : We also sealed and painted the bottom of the blocks too in order to prevent soaking UP water from whatever surface to blocks were placed on!)

The round, rough hole in the top of each pier block is only about 1" in diameter and extends about 4" into the center of the block. We needed the center hole to be wider and deeper so we bought a 1 3/8" corer drill bit and bored out the blocks' center holes to accomodate our 1.25" flagpoles. We probably could have just as easily used a same-sized "roto-hammer" concrete drill bit and drill.

Incidentally, all of our wood flagpoles (pine, fir, or cedar) are UN-treated (no varnish, or paint, etc.) and some of them are 1 1/4" diameter and some of them are 1 9/32" or 1 5/16" in diameter. If some of the "thicker" poles were sealed, varnished, or painted in some way, then we'd probably have to sand down the bottom 6-8" of the butt-ends so that after they'd been coated they'd still fit into the blocks.

WHEW !!!

I know that was a bit of a l-o-n-g answer for your short question, and I apologize if it might have wasted your time. I just wanted to answer your question and include some pertinent and necessary "extra" information in case anybody reading this was contemplating using the system for a home flag placement.

And yes, there MIGHT be a few more "pointers" to this "story" . . . . .
("burying blocks", "wall & fence mounts", "permanent flagpole base", "Attaching flags", et cetera)



Anyway, Wild-Bill, thanx for your patience. If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know and I'll do my best to address them.



Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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