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I'm in the process of replacing my back fence. One of the existing posts was damaged (crushed) during a tree fall. After finally digging this out, I discovered one of these in it.

enter image description here

What I can't seem to do is get the rest of the wood that's in there out. I realise that they aren't expensive, but for curiosity's sake as much as anything, I'd like to know if there's a tried and trusted method for this kind of thing.

Tester101
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Paul Michaels
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3 Answers3

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  • Cut the timber so it's flush with the top or just proud of the metal support.

  • From the top, drill a few ½inch (12.5mm) holes as deep as you can into the remaining timber.

  • Then with a "old" wood chisel cut away and remove the remaining timber.

It's nearly impossible just to pull the timber post from the metal support as there are metal "wings" inside that grip (clamp) the timber in place.

Mike Perry
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Is the metal spike still in the ground? If so,

  • Cut the post off 6 inches or so above the metal.
  • Drill a hole horizontally through the wood. I used a 1 inch spade bit.
  • Insert a piece of rebar or some other strong metal rod through the hole and then lever the wood out.
aphoria
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Slightly different to the answer from @aphoria:

If the post is swollen in the metpost, no amount of manual leverage is going to get the post out.

  • Drill a hole through the centre of the post from the side
    OR attach some scrap wood on the side of the post
  • If you drilled through the post put a bar through the post
  • Use a trolley jack or bottle jack to lift the post out
Chris Rogers
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  • I'm confused. "no amount of manual leverage is going to get the post out", yet "Use a trolley jack or bottle jack to lift the post out"? That's still manual leverage, is it not? Sure, you can apply greater force with the jack (be sure to set it on something to spread the force across a large area of lawn so it's not forced into the ground), but the 2 statements conflict in my mind. Additionally, the last sentence of the accepted answer indicates that there are hooks in the post base specifically to _prevent_ this type of removal. – FreeMan Aug 27 '21 at 13:19
  • @FreeMan Using a jack is not manual leverage. It is mechanical leverage. Manual uses your hands and arms, maybe with a crowbar. There are no hooks, but fins which jam into the wood adding to strength required to pull the wood out – Chris Rogers Aug 27 '21 at 13:34