Pet peeves

[Pootnaigle]

ummmmmm I have also seen some made of a split pipe with a 24" peice of channel iron welded to it to form a L . The channel iron is placed on the ground under the surface and the pipe fits snugly against the base of the pole and can be secured using lag screws. This works really well.
if you are gonna use an old pole then the key to making that work is the trench you hafta dig to get it to fit snugly against both the pole and the wall of the trench.

[STLmo1986]

Gotcha, cool stuff

[bluestreak]

Used to have wooden pole keys that where 2"x24"x24" you would rake the pole over a little dig a slot in front of the pole just big enough to get the key into usually have to beat it down the last few inches. Have'nt seen a real one in twenty five years last time we used a good x-arm cut into 2 foot pieces.Keying poles was done because pole was'nt out of line enough to call for a guy rod and then somebody added something like a CATV cable and pulled the hell out of it.

[polehiker]

We used a treated 2x6x6ft board. Cut the board in 2 3ft pieces, nail em together and cut a good tight slot in front of pole and drive it down with the 3 ft horizontle with anchor buster tool. First tho we put the expandable pole key in at the butt at base of pole ,used an anchor rod to get it down there. Busted it open with busting tool, unscrewed rod, raked pole 1/2 to full width. This is put in opposite side of board. When its done right it locks that sucker in there tight. I probably made that as clear as mud, but what else can you expect from an old guy that can only wish for the good old days of doing line work. Stay safe. Look out for your buddy.

[Swamprat]

the way we do it is take a 3 or 4 foot piece of pole, slice it down the middle and bury it just below ground level crossways on the stress side of the pole (round part toward pole and flat side toward dirt) and done correctly it will help hold the strain on an un guyed pole. we still do it quite often.

Yup, that's the way I was taught to make a Key. Always made ours 4 foot.

The "Key" to a good Key, is the way it's installed.
We would always try to climb up the pole, take a handline, cinch it to the pole, and try to pull the pole forward as much as we could, and then tie the handline off. Even if ya get an Inch, of seperated dirt, at the bottom of the pole.... on the pull, it makes a difference.

The REAL Trick of makin a Key Work on a pole, is how ya dig the hole. Ya gotta dig the hole "Tight". Then, put the split pole Key in, and Sledge hammer it down at least a foot and a half.

A "Good Key", installed correctly, works real good...

We use to use mostly, "old", 45 ft. Butts for our Keys.

[polehiker]

I'll bet the butt off of a 35ft pole would work as good Swamp. Just tryin to jerk your chain a bit Swamp.

[Swamprat]

I'll bet the butt off of a 35ft pole would work as good Swamp. Just tryin to jerk your chain a bit Swamp.

Heh, heh, heh...
It probably would my man.
For some reason, our "management" just chose 45's.

I think their reasoning was, it was basically the standard pole for our distribution system back then, and the butt was bigger than a 35. We had, of course 30's, 35's and 40's, but the Keys were made from the 45's. Just a "Bigger butt" ya know!