How to Rig a Flag Pole
Rigging a flagpole and setting it up in your yard requires planning and a little work. Before you start putting your flagpole together, decide on a location where your flag will be best viewed and will complement your landscape. After you have found the best location, gather your materials and your flagpole kit and prepare to rig your flagpole for display. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 20-foot residential flagpole kit
- Phillips or flathead screwdriver
- Post-hole digger or shovel
- Cement
- 4-foot level
Instructions
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1
Open your flagpole kit and slide the sections of your flagpole together. The top section of your pole should be an unswaged piece. Depending on your kit, the middle section of the pole may be swaged and undrilled or it may be swaged and predrilled in preparation for the cleat.
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2
Attach the cleat using the screws that came with your kit. Screw the ball-stem tightly into the top of the aluminum piece of the pulley, which is called the truck.
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3
Thread the rope over the pulley in the truck and loop each hook into place midrope. Adjust the distance between the hooks to fit the size of your flag.
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4
Tighten all the screws to the truck and pole, and make sure the pulley in the truck aligns over the cleat.
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5
Set your assembled flagpole to the side.
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Dig a hole using a shovel or, if available, a post-hole digger. The width of the hole should be double the circumference of the flagpole, and the depth of your hole should be about 10 percent of the flagpole's height. To stabilize the flagpole, bury at least 10 percent of the flagpole.
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Pour about 6 inches of mixed cement into the hole and insert the ground sleeve that came with your flagpole kit.
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Insert the assembled flagpole into the ground sleeve. The truck and cleat should remain aligned.
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Make sure the flagpole is level by placing a 4-foot level against the flagpole. Once you determine it is level, allow the cement to set overnight.
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10
Hook your flag to the flagpole and tie off the rope on the cleat.
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Tips & Warnings
While a spike will protect your flagpole from lightening, you could also install a fiberglass pole to prevent damage from lightening strikes.
Be aware of any buried cables before digging.
