Rebar/Stake Problem

I'm looking for suggestions to solve a problem I've had repeatedly!

Whether I use stakes or rebar to anchor trellises to EMT or PVC, dirt always fills the space between the interior of the pipe and the rebar or stake. 

That makes it impossible to remove the pipe from the stake, so the trellis is fixed in place forever and cannot be moved or straightened.

Can anyone think of any easy solution?

donnainzone10 wrote:I'm looking for suggestions to solve a problem I've had repeatedly!

Whether I use stakes or rebar to anchor trellises to EMT or PVC, dirt always fills the space between the interior of the pipe and the rebar or stake. 

That makes it impossible to remove the pipe from the stake, so the trellis is fixed in place forever and cannot be moved or straightened.

Can anyone think of any easy solution?

I know exactly what you mean! One of my taller trellises has a piece of rebar sticking out of one side that I cannot remove due to the dirt in there. I'll be watching for the answer. The only thing I can figure to do with that my trellis is to use another piece of rebar to create the hole where I want it, remove it and then stick that the stuck side of the trellis into the hole. 

CC

CC,

My stakes and/or rebar typically get stuck in the pipes leaving varying lengths sticking out.  If I tried to re-insert them, the trellis would be even more crooked than ever!

I am not exactly sure I understand the problem.  Is this what you do.
Drive rebar into ground and then slip an EMT/PVC pipe over the top of the rebar????

Is so, I once used the following:
Drive rebar into the ground.
Get a small piece of wood (about 3" x 3"), drill a hole in the wood just big enough to slip over the rebar, but not so big that the EMT pipe would slip down in the drilled hole.
Then slip the EMT pipe or PVC pipe over the rebar.  The EMT/PVC pipe will cover the rebar but will not go down into the ground because the piece of wood will keep it above ground.  Then you will not get dirt between the rebar and EMT/PVC.

If you can ease the rebar holding tube out of the ground gentle tapping with small  " toffee hammer "  on opposite sides at the same time ( get a gentle rhythm going ) will start to loosen the bar. let it dry for a day or so then repeat the exercise and used some water pump pliers to try and rotate the loose bar   after a few sessions and dry outs the bar should come free


 If  it still won't come free perhaps incline the trellis once it is out the ground ,  by leaning it over a bin etc so the top end is about 4 foot from the ground .  Now pour a couple of kettles of hot  water down the tube  after first putting a decent squirt of dish washing liquid down the tube it helps make the water wetter and therefore able to penetrate  the soil etc. in the tube . Again use the pliers and a pair of gloved hands to turn the rebar out the tube when things have cooled down a bit .
 My solution to stop it happening again.
 Instead of using wood that will rot or split get some thick oily plastic chopping board instead of about 1/2 " thick cut it into 2.5 x 2.5 inch squares , drill a hole in the middle so it can only just fit over the re bar  .
 Once you've fitted the thick plastic washer over the newly located rebar ,slip a big steel washer over the rebar  grease the rebar  & slide the trellis tube over the top this will stop the trellis sinking down into the ground and filling up with soil.

 You may find that some sort of silicone sealant is needed on both sides of the steel washer to stop ants etc. entering the tubes and taking soil/sand or grit etc. up the tubes

yolos wrote:I am not exactly sure I understand the problem.  Is this what you do.
Drive rebar into ground and then slip an EMT/PVC pipe over the top of the rebar????

Is so, I once used the following:
Drive rebar into the ground.
Get a small piece of wood (about 3" x 3"), drill a hole in the wood just big enough to slip over the rebar, but not so big that the EMT pipe would slip down in the drilled hole.
Then slip the EMT pipe or PVC pipe over the rebar.  The EMT/PVC pipe will cover the rebar but will not go down into the ground because the piece of wood will keep it above ground.  Then you will not get dirt between the rebar and EMT/PVC.

 Yes, that is exactly the problem. And that is a great solution once I get the rebar out of this trellis leg.

Plantoid, in my case I don't have a hole to pour water and soap down into. My trellis is 3 pieces plugged up at each corner by plastic elbows that are never coming out again. I think a photo or 2 would help. Stand by...
Not sure what a toffee hammer is but I can certainly bang on it with a hammer while laying it on the ground.

Plantoid pointed out something useful about the rebar.  Twisting it as you try to pull it out helps.  When I pound my rebar into the red Ga clay, it is near impossible to get the rebar out.  I use a pipe wrench and just keep pulling on it at the same time I am twisting the rebar.

Vise-Grips and a hammer to disassemble.

Next time, use 3/8^ths inch re-bar instead of 1/2 inch.

Use U or T posts instead?

boffer wrote:Next time, use 3/8^ths inch re-bar instead of 1/2 inch.

+1

Anything that is tight into the ground can be somewhat easily removed by just soaking the area, this may take a bit of patience as the water seeps down. Eventually all the sides will soften, a pair of pliers or some type of clamp, pull up and it's out.

I got my rebar out of the trellis leg!  If you put the vise-grips onto the rebar, hold the trellis leg with pliers, and turn the rebar, it 'unscrews'.  You just have to make sure you're turning it in the right direction.

CC