Rebar problem

greatgranny 4/4/2013, 3:45 pm

Okay, cleaning up the garden getting ready to add compost, etc. I decided to move my trellis so I pulled it up and one of the rebar is stuck in the conduit. It is up far enough that I can't take a tool to pull it out. This is the one I have: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/garden-accessories/mels-tomato-tower-in-4-lengths/

My question is this: Could I take a new piece of rebar and get it in the ground and then hopefully the piece that is stuck would move up? Or, do I take the trellis apart and attempt to push the rebar with another rod?

CapeCoddess 4/4/2013, 4:04 pm

Dang GG, that would get my goat! In my opinion, using another pc of rebar sounds like the less stressful of the problem solvers.

CC

greatgranny 4/4/2013, 4:24 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:Dang GG, that would get my goat! In my opinion, using another pc of rebar sounds like the less stressful of the problem solvers.

CC

Yes, Cape, I have quit for the day. Need to calm down before I do something stupid like pick up a tool and throw it. Was going great until this.

Thanks.

**camprn** 4/4/2013, 4:37 pm

Maybe try to heat the conduit to expand it and pull out the rebar. Or get the whole thing out of the ground, cut off the rebar, turn the conduit upside down and use that end for the rebar into the ground.

greatgranny 4/4/2013, 5:05 pm

camprn wrote:Maybe try to heat the conduit to expand it and pull out the rebar. Or get the whole thing out of the ground, cut off the rebar, turn the conduit upside down and use that end for the rebar into the ground.

Can't even get at the rebar. It is out of the ground but stuck about 2 inches up from the bottom of the conduit.

**RoOsTeR** 4/4/2013, 5:11 pm

This:

My question is this: Could I take a new piece of rebar and get it in the ground and then hopefully the piece that is stuck would move up? Or, do I take the trellis apart and attempt to push the rebar with another rod?

OR This:

Or get the whole thing out of the ground, cut off the rebar, turn the conduit upside down and use that end for the rebar into the ground.

Sound like the best options. If all else fails, rebar and conduit are both cheap. Smile

plantoid 4/4/2013, 5:54 pm

So long as you have not bent the tube in the first place ...

Can you undo/ detach the top end of the tube and slide a bit of rebar or some steel bar slightly thinner down into the tube to drop on top of the stuck bar then shake it like a martini in a cocktail shaker ....as the new bar slides up & down in the tube it will like as not knock out the old bar.

You could also try pouring boiling water down the top end of the detached tube and leave it for a few minutes to soak things through , empty it out and insert the new bar .... do be careful as the tube will also be hot so use thick leather gloves etc .

If all this fails can you turn the tube through 180 degrees and use the old top end as the new bottom end ?

H_TX_2 4/4/2013, 6:00 pm

I think I had this same thing happen to me. When I hammered in the rebar I just hit it with a hammer which caused the end to kind of spread out. I put the conduit over the rebar with a little pressure and everything was fine until I went to remove it. The end I hammered sort of worked like a barbed fish hook so it would go in a lot easier than it would come out. I got a longer piece of rebar and stuck it into the opposite end and hammered it out.

Now I place a block of wood over the top of the rebar before I hammer it into the ground.

greatgranny 4/4/2013, 6:06 pm

plantoid wrote:So long as you have not bent the tube in the first place ...

Can you undo/ detach the top end of the tube and slide a bit of rebar or some steel bar slightly thinner down into the tube to drop on top of the stuck bar then shake it like a martini in a cocktail shaker ....as the new bar slides up & down in the tube it will like as not knock out the old bar.

You could also try pouring boiling water down the top end of the detached tube and leave it for a few minutes to soak things through , empty it out and insert the new bar .... do be careful as the tube will also be hot so use thick leather gloves etc .

If all this fails can you turn the tube through 180 degrees and use the old top end as the new bottom end ?

No, the tube is not bent. I just found a long, thinner piece and am going to try your suggestion. Not today since it is now time for me to make supper. Maybe tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

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