Jay Honeck writes:

The augers are worthless in hard ground. Here in the west they wouldn't
go an inch into the ground. The Claw is the best I've found.

Agreed. But their price is absurd.

I built my own version for about $20, including the hammer and
carrying sack.


Thanks to all.

We've considered the auger approach; but in this clay, we must
both twist with a 3' piece of rebar AND bang on the top
to encourage it into the good earth. This is called "work"...

This might be doable, but we already assembled the 12'*6' frame for the
structure; and that means: turn 180, slide rebar to clear leg, bang, turn
180.. This is a PITA.

We've considered renting the smallest gas-driven post hole digger; and
adapting its output shaft to drive the augers, but.....

[I'd suggested borrowing the well-drilling rig currently in his back yard
while the crew was home, but he decided they might object, and it would
not fit under the trees easily...]

The Claw & others look to be about 80% suited to what we want. Their
existence, as well as the EAA page [which I can't find but he could
earlier...] helped convince him that angled straight spikes could do
the job. [He has long experience flying around in various aircraft,
from Helio Super Couriers & Hueys to Herc's; often with many bullet
holes. Some of these he exited from when it was on the ground, others at
high altitudes w/ slow rides down...]

We now plan to put down pressure-treated 2*4's 12' long; drilled at
~30 degree angles to the vertical. We'll use ~30' lengths of
rebar with a welded nut & a fender washer or two, and hammer them into
the clay. Then we'll lag-screw the structure legs to the 2x4's.



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