Digging in Frozen Ground

[AIT]

My mailbox post disintegrated today. Apparently it broke under the weight of today's mail. Now I have to remove the remains of the old post and put a new post into the ground. Anyone have any suggestions for how to do this in frozen ground? I threw a bunch of salt on the ground and I plan on dumping hot water on it to soften it up. Any other advice?

 

[Aclone]

Set your mailbox atop a (barrel?) until spring. Or set a post in concrete in a five gallon bucket.

The alternative is a thaw (45 Friday), or someone who has a posthole digger on their tractor.

 

[burn587]

I don't have any suggestions on unfreezing the ground, but worst case scenario you can't get the post dug out, you could get some temporary fence-post for a snow fence and secure the mail box to that and use it until the ground softens up in the spring.

 

[Aclone]

Are you in a rural area? Open burning allowed? Generally fires soften the ground, if kept under control. Like a burning barrel.

 

[cyadict]

Rent a power auger and hope for the best.

 

[DanCyn]

Where's AlaskaGuy when you need him?

 

[Jerry1982]

Iowa One Call:
800-292-8989

 

[clones26]

1.Pop a couple m-80's in there (2 or 17)
2. Run
3. Fill in remaining hole with debris and rest of your arm.

 

[bos]

Nail it to the neighbors'.

I would go with the bucket or barrel idea. Not sure how easy it would be to dig the frozen ground out and then fill in.

 

[CYVADER]

Iowa One Call:
800-292-8989

and we have a winner!

seriously, a guy from my hometown went to put a new mailbox in, cut through some fiber optics lines that fed the whole town, and ended up costing him an *** load of money.

call before you dig-even if there is already a hole there.

 

[zach]

Sweat equity if you plan on digging it out during the winter.


http://stewardsofthesequoia.org/pics/pick_2_resized.jpg


plus

 

[Phaedrus]

All you need is a concrete drill and a pound of C-4, some blasting caps, some wire and a detonator.

Fill in the resulting hole around the new post, soak the earth with water and it will refreeze.

 

[cdekovic]

Go get a P.O. Box for a few months! The ground is likely frozen down to 3-4 feet (Assuming your're in Iowa). Hot water will only cause a nice little ice rink next to where your mailbox use to be and the salt will kill your grass come spring time. There is a reason you don't see fences installed when the ground is frozen. Save your back! Get a P.O box!

 

[erikbj]

use email for everything and cancel your mail.

 

[thisISnextyear]

Charcoal briquettes will work. Seriously, I used to install fences many many years ago. Let it burn out and you will be good to go. But I agree with the one call comment first!

 

[Wesley]

Sweat equity if you plan on digging it out during the winter.





plus

Actually on Tougher in Alaska they hd the host dig a hole six feet deep 36 inches in diameter to drop an electrical pole in the ground which is frozen tundra: frozen rocks and water down to a 1000 ft deep. Basically the majestic hole was achieved through sweat equity of four hours. And those were the tools shown above....

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

Your in for a lot of work if you want it done now. Fill a 5 gallon bucket with sand and stick the mailbox in there.

Also agree on calling ONE-CALL. When we were living in one of our past houses, I was building some sitting benches for the kids in their sand box and dug right through my phone line. I was all worried about all the money I was going to have to spend and the trouble I was going to get in.........

and then I got my tools and electrical tape, spliced it back up, taped the living crap out of it and it worked great for as long as we owned that house....

Now when I hit the telephone junction box in Hampton Iowa when I managed the elevator there and destroyed service to half the town, now that was another story. Good thing I knew the telephone repairman or I would have shelled out big bucks for that one.

 

[Wesley]

Your in for a lot of work if you want it done now. Fill a 5 gallon bucket with sand and stick the mailbox in there.

Also agree on calling ONE-CALL. When we were living in one of our past houses, I was building some sitting benches for the kids in their sand box and dug right through my phone line. I was all worried about all the money I was going to have to spend and the trouble I was going to get in.........

and then I got my tools and electrical tape, spliced it back up, taped the living crap out of it and it worked great for as long as we owned that house....

Now when I hit the telephone junction box in Hampton Iowa when I managed the elevator there and destroyed service to half the town, now that was another story. Good thing I knew the telephone repairman or I would have shelled out big bucks for that one.

I did similar when I was planting an apple tree. I used electrical tape to patch the buried TV cable line back so it could work. Learned my lesson.

 

[SlyCy]

A bed of straw and black plastic tarp on top for a few days will thaw it out.

 

[Bartastic]

I heard (not sure if it's true, anyone else?) that the fine for cutting fiber optics lines on accident is like $150,000. (or on purpose for that matter.)