Getting concrete out of a hole?

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AgentZap

Senior member
Sep 1, 2001
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Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Some of these suggestions seem WAY over the top. How much concrete did you use? I bag?
Click to expand...

Ya it was 1 bag, but I forget if it was a 25lb bag or more.
 
V

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
If it's just one bag it shouldn't be THAT hard to get it out.

Go rent a jackhammer.

Viper GTS
 
skyking

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,764
5,927
146
1 bag? ROFL!!! you wasted enough time posting here to dig that out twice!! Even a 40# or a 60# be an easy pick out in one piece, for a man;)
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
This is so simple but you need two people and two shovels (digging bars if you have them).
Dig around 2 sides of the concrete. 8" or so will do it. Place the tips of the shovels tight against the concrete with the shovel handle up at 75 degrees or so. While pushing the tip against the concrete and with the base of the shovel on the dirt, push down on the shovel handle. Two people doing this in a rocking motion with have the concrete out in a minute or so.
You are basically just leveraging the concrete out of the hole. Kind of like popping a pimple. (If you had asked advice about that here you would have gotten much better answers)
I have done it this way by myself but it's much easier with two people.
 
M

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
Growing up in rural PA, we were sick of the plows destroying our mailbox every winter and then saying it wasn't them. So the next summer we basically had a telephone poll put deeeeeep into the ground. They've never had an issue since!! The plow trucks on the other hand... :)
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
Originally posted by: markgm
Growing up in rural PA, we were sick of the plows destroying our mailbox every winter and then saying it wasn't them. So the next summer we basically had a telephone poll put deeeeeep into the ground. They've never had an issue since!! The plow trucks on the other hand... :)
Click to expand...

How would a poll help? Did you go around the neighborhood asking questions? I guess if it was a written poll and big enough, you could roll it up like a newspaper and use it. Never seen it done though.
 
apoppin

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: AgentZap
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Some of these suggestions seem WAY over the top. How much concrete did you use? I bag?
Click to expand...

Ya it was 1 bag, but I forget if it was a 25lb bag or more.
Click to expand...


they are usuallly 50lb bags and you must be a wimp to ask about removing 50lbs of concrete. Use a sledge hammer & a long handle masonry chisel to break it up. :p
:roll:

:D

Next time use TWO bags . . . . a smart person would use a short pipe as a "sleeve" into the concrete and a smaller diameter pipe [that actually holds the mbox - that's how street signs are installed] that can eeasily be removed & replaced for "next time",
 
S

silent tone

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,571
1
76
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
This is so simple but you need two people and two shovels (digging bars if you have them).
Dig around 2 sides of the concrete. 8" or so will do it. Place the tips of the shovels tight against the concrete with the shovel handle up at 75 degrees or so. While pushing the tip against the concrete and with the base of the shovel on the dirt, push down on the shovel handle. Two people doing this in a rocking motion with have the concrete out in a minute or so.
You are basically just leveraging the concrete out of the hole. Kind of like popping a pimple. (If you had asked advice about that here you would have gotten much better answers)
I have done it this way by myself but it's much easier with two people.
Click to expand...

I doubt this procedure. I replaced a fence last year and the posts had concrete at least a foot deep. We had to dig those out at least 75% to extract them.

How do professional fence builders dig out concrete? Those guys can tear down a fence and pull all the concrete in a day.
 
D

desteffy

Golden Member
Jul 16, 2004
1,911
0
0
More like, how is your NEIGHBOR going to get the concrete out of there.

They should be taking care of this.
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
Originally posted by: istallion
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
This is so simple but you need two people and two shovels (digging bars if you have them).
Dig around 2 sides of the concrete. 8" or so will do it. Place the tips of the shovels tight against the concrete with the shovel handle up at 75 degrees or so. While pushing the tip against the concrete and with the base of the shovel on the dirt, push down on the shovel handle. Two people doing this in a rocking motion with have the concrete out in a minute or so.
You are basically just leveraging the concrete out of the hole. Kind of like popping a pimple. (If you had asked advice about that here you would have gotten much better answers)
I have done it this way by myself but it's much easier with two people.
Click to expand...

I doubt this procedure. I replaced a fence last year and the posts had concrete at least a foot deep. We had to dig those out at least 75% to extract them.

How do professional fence builders dig out concrete? Those guys can tear down a fence and pull all the concrete in a day.
Click to expand...

I have been in one type of construction (or destruction) all my life. I am 47 and I guarantee you that this works. BUT, there is a big difference between the competencies of my generation and the present one. I have no doubt that YOU were unable to do it. If it takes more than 4.2 seconds you are off to something else.

Disclaimer:
By "you" I mean present and last generation.
 
G

Grunt03

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2000
3,131
0
0
if they keep killing the mailboxes that you put in, make the next one out of bricks, then they would not be able to destroy it.
 
A

aplefka

Lifer
Feb 29, 2004
12,014
2
0
Sledgehammer will take days but it'll be cheaper than a jackhammer. I'd suggest a jackhammer.

I had to take out a huge block of concrete like this last summer and it probably took a good 16 hours total with a sledge.
 
R

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,475
1
0
Personally I would replace the box with a masonry enclosed (with a concrete core) mailbox, that way if they hit it again it will do some serious damage to their car although I'm sure the 4x4 put a good dent in their bumper. But that's just me.
 
T

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
ouch that sucks. Although probably expensive, I would recommend getting a solid hardened Stainless Steel pole. That'll teach them next time they lose their bumper :D
 
HomeBrewerDude

HomeBrewerDude

Lifer
Jan 18, 2001
14,465
1
0
dig out one side say about half way down the concrete... the use a cheater bar and start rocking the concrete out. Once you can get the cheater bar UNDER the block you can lift out towards the dugout side. six feet of leverage gives you a lot of force.

 
SarcasticDwarf

SarcasticDwarf

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2001
9,574
2
76
Originally posted by: HomeBrewerDude
dig out one side say about half way down the concrete... the use a cheater bar and start rocking the concrete out. Once you can get the cheater bar UNDER the block you can lift out towards the dugout side. six feet of leverage gives you a lot of force.
Click to expand...

That only works for small blocks. With the weight of the block he mentioned, the bar might bend before it ever lifted.
 
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