When I was a kid, my parents hung an American flag outside their house. It was right around the time of Operation Desert Storm and there seemed to be a surge in patriotism in the community and nation at that time. I remember participating in a “support our troops” parade through downtown Burlington with my Boy Scout Troop during that same time period. I also remember being much more interested in civics and history classes than math or science in middle and high school. Eventually, I went on to earn a B.A. in History and Political Science. It wasn’t until college that I personally encountered anyone who seemed to have a disdain for our country. I was a little surprised that there were professors who scoffed at the very country that afforded them the liberties that they enjoyed on a daily basis. Don’t misunderstand me, there weren’t many that expressed those sort of views, but there were a vocal minority of U.S. haters (just not in the History or PoliSci departments). College gave me an even deeper appreciation for the history of our great nation and our system of government. I also gained a deeper appreciation for our flag and all it symbolizes. I decided that, when I had a home of my own, I would display the Stars and Stripes without shame.
Now that I have my own home, I’m proudly flying the flag. Children seem to want to do things better than their parents. I remembered the flag my parents had on their house. It was one of the ones that attaches to the wood or brick with a small bracket and holds the flag out at an angle. There are still several holes in the mortar and brick of their house where that flag mount would break or pull out. I didn’t want that. I wanted something bigger – a stand alone flagpole. And, I didn’t want a cheap, thin-walled, sectional chinese-made pole from one of the big-box stores. Go big or go home. In the spirit of American individualism, I made one myself. It shouldn’t be difficult. After all, it’s just a pole, right?
Actually, it was fairly easy, just don’t start a project like this during the hottest week of the year. Here’s the parts I used and how I did it.
Flagpole Parts List
From local stores:
12″ round concrete form
3 80# bags of Quickrete
10′ length of 1/2″ rebar
5′ length of 2.5″ pvc
A couple of buckets of gravel
a 4-5 inch bolt or other metal that can be used as a pin through the pvc
21′ length of 2″ Galvanized Pipe (the guys at Bennett-Hockett on Webb Ave did a great job helping me get what I needed.)
From web-based store, Flagdesk.com:
Silver aluminum truck for a 2-3/8″ Pole with single 1/2″ pulley (PN: 330000)
3″ gold anodized aluminum ball ornament (PN: 340057)
2-3/8″ x 8″ x 2-1/4″ Silver aluminum collar (PN: 370001)
Silver standard cast aluminum cleat (PN:350000CL)
4 3″ solid brass swivel snaps (PN: 350124ESS)
Step by Step
1. Dig the hole
There should be at least 1 foot of depth for every 10 feet of pole. I decided to go with just over 2.5 feet deep.
2. Cut the concrete form to length and place it in the hole
3. Pour about 2″ of gravel in the bottom of the hole for drainage
4. Drill a hole through the pvc a couple of inches from the bottom and insert a metal bolt or other makeshift pin (I used an old pushrod that was laying in the toolbox) This will help keep the flagpole from touching the bottom of the hole and rusting.
5. Align the pvc in the center of the concrete form and secure it (we made two plastic spacers on the lathe and mill to center the pole precisely) Don’t cut the pvc yet. Let a couple of feet extend out of the hole. This will help in making sure the pole will be plumb after the concrete sets.
6. Mix and pour the concrete. Cut the rebar into ~2′ foot lengths and insert them into the concrete around the pvc pipe (make sure the rebar goes an inch or two below the surface of the concrete. Now’s the time to make sure the pvc is plumb – it will be nearly impossible to fix it after the concrete sets. I put a long piece of 2″ plastic conduit inside the pvc to check the plumb (the conduit was the same outer diameter as the galvanized pipe).
7. After the concrete has set, cut the pvc flush with the concrete.
8. Let it sit for a week. I found it helpful to leave the 8′ piece of conduit in the hold to keep dirt from being kicked in until the flagpole was installed. The hard work is over.
9. Install the components on the flagpole and raise it. The cleat is the hardest component to install – it requires drilling and tapping two holes in the pipe to match the bolt threads. A center punch is helpful for getting the drill bit started on the curved surface. Don’t forget to install the halyard before raising the pole! Also, If you have a collar to install, slide it a few feet up the pole from the bottom before inserting the pole into the foundation. In order to get the right angle to hoist the pole, I had to back my truck up to the foundation, stand on the tailgate and have the pole handed off to me. Definitely a two-person job.
10. Install the swivel snaps and hoist the flag of your choice! Here’s a guide I used for installing my swivel snaps without tying knots.
How to Fly the American Flag from Alamance Conservative
