Lashing a flag pole

[Eagle1973]

Anybody have a diagram for a simple flag pole?

 

Thanks!

[EagleInKY]

Google on flag pole lashing and you'll get plenty of hits.

 

Essentially it's just connecting the poles with Shear (or Round) Lashings. You usually do two lashings per joint, to prevent bending. Three guy lines are tied with a clove hitch or two-half hitches to the pole near the top. They are staked to the ground and tied off with taut line hitches.

[OldGreyEagle]

Dang I love it when he talks like that

[Eagle1973]

I've got goosebumps too.

 

EiKY: I guess I should have been more specific. I sorta wanna make a tripod base w/ the flag pole coming up thru the middle.

 

The searches came up with gateways or a four pole base and the flag pole lashed on the cross bars.

 

I was hoping for a purdy picture, because I don't have time to experiment, well I sorta do, but I didn't want to experiment in front of the new Scouts and we have limited time sooooo, I wanna to take the easy route.... I having trouble visualizing this one.

 

If all else fails, we'll do yours.

 

YIS(This message has been edited by Eagle1973)

[EagleInKY]

Ah, I've seen that too. It's been a while. There's a few ways of doing it. Here's what I remember.

 

Start with your standard tri-pod lashing (sheer lashing with three poles). Now, the rest of it is going to be hard to describe (this is where you'd like to have that picture). The flagpole was loosely tied at the junction of the three poles. The bottom of the pole was suspended above the ground, about 1/2 way between the ground and the tripod lashing. Twine was used to tie three "guy lines" from the bottom of the flag pole at an upward angle to the three poles of the tripod. They were tied off on the tripod poles about 2/3 or so up the tripod.

 

Does that make sense at all? It confuses me just to read it.

[FScouter]

That sounds like a cool design! Makes me want to go out and test it. Yeah, I'd test it before stumbling around in front of the new Scouts. Show them how easy it is.

[Eagle1973]

Got it pictured, thanks.

 

Me thinks we can do it together as a "test" of the day's lashing sign-offs. And if I explain the concept and let them fumble around and get it close, then I can jump in and point out "their" obvious design flaws, fix it and still look good.... LOL!!!! ;-)

 

Thanks EiKY! I'll let you know if we have time to do it and accomplish it. It's gonna be a crazy weekend, JLT for the older Scouts and Scout skills and sign offs for our newbies, and a smidgen of rocketry thrown in for giggles.

 

YIS

[Be_Prepared]

As an aside, there's another way to lash the pole part of the flagpole, which makes a tighter lash. I'll try to describe it.

 

Make a loop of rope, about 2 foot or so ( just tie a piece of rope with a square know ). The concept is to make a tourniquet of sorts around where you want to join the poles. Double the circle, wrap

it around the pole, until you have a a few inches left, insert a small stick into the two ends of the circle and twist, like a tourniquet, then tie off the stick. I probably haven't described it too well, but this method produces a very quick and tight lash.

 

I'm aware this is not the official BSA way, and is not as decribed in the manual, and in no way is meant to replace official BSA policy. It is just to show another way of making a flagpole lashing.

[Eagle1973]

I was originally gonna do the flag pole as group camp gadgit, then do colors for yet another signoff. But It appears not all the lashings will be used, so I now hope to do this as a fun "test" of lashing skills as a group, then do the flag ceremony.

 

Thanks for the ideas.

 

YIS

[packsaddle]

I've seen this arrangement before but the one I saw collapsed when a leader accidentally snagged off on one of the supports while he was returning sleepily in the dark from cracker barrel. I guess I just add to make sure the supports for the base are really secure. Uuhhhh, I won't mention who the leader was...hey, would you look at the time, gotta go.

[Eagle1973]

How many guesses do we get and exactly what was served at that cracker barrel? ;-)

 

YIS

[EagleBeaver]

On our Pioneering campout last weekend, some scouts made a flagpole with a tripod base and crossbraces. The center flagpole was tied to all three corners with 2 half hitches and a tautline hitch so it could be adjusted. The tripod was made with a tripod lashing (duh :-) and the braces were attached with square lashings. A short piece of rope with a bowline loop was attached to the top for a pulley to raise the flag.

There's a picture at http://www.hotspotsporting.com/kautz/boyscouts/Pioneer_Apr_2005/flag3.jpg and other pictures in that same folder.

 

Scout On,

Paul

 

[Eagle1973]

Mn - Marvelous! Thanks for the picture. Our big group project was rained out.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hey Eagle 73! What's this "rained out" business?

 

 

At our Camporee last weekend, I literally saw a duck swimming in a mud puddle in the parade ground! Scouting went on!

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

Often rain challenged, but never rain defeated

[Fuzzy Bear]

I know this doesn't meet your request but let me throw in an old one for the record.

 

The Bear Patrol comes to the parade ground with four 5 foot Scout staves.

 

They are given three- two-foot sticks-about one inch round, a hand ax, a hammer, 1-2 inch eye hook with screw, and 2- 12 inch pieces of string, and 3-8 foot, 3-25 foot and 1-30 foot pieces of rope.

 

The Patrol is told to give each of three Scouts one stick each and they are to sharpen one end of the 2 foot sticks using the hand axe. The rest of the Bear Patrol is told to sing the Patrol song continually while this un-timed exercise is completed.

 

One Scout is given the eye hook and is told to screw it into the top of one Scout stave. The thirty foot piece of rope is threaded through the eye hook and then tied together with a square knot. The Bear patrol flag is then secured to the 30 foot piece of rope using the two 12 inch pieces of string. The Bear Patrol continues to sing.

 

Next, the singing stops but the time begins. The race is to use the 8 foot pieces of rope for the 3 round lashings to secure all four Scout staves together for about a 16 foot flag pole. About mid-way up the 25 foot pieces of rope are secured to the flag pole and tied with two-half hitches.

 

The flag pole is raised and the stakes are hammered (*use hammer only) into the ground and the ropes are tied off with taut lines. The flag is then raised and then the whole rope is tied off to the flag pole with a clove hitch while the Bear Patrol salutes and gives the Patrol growl. Time is called.

 

Final judgment rests on the amount of time and the accuracy of the knots. Of course the flag pole must remain standing until time is stopped.

 

Another excellent time for the Bear Patrol!

 

FB

 

(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)