Maypole Design

[gelliffe]

Just wondering if anyone has a tried and tested design for a maypole and would be willing to share their design?

It would save me a lot of fluteing about.

I have access to a fairly decent workshop. 

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Gaelan

 

[KevinR]

Simplest version is sections of scaffold poles (4-5') and scaffold tube joiners then just bolt together as many as needed. Manor Farm has 7 (or eight) lengths of scaffold pole in-situ, you just take your own joiners and a spanner. Quite fun getting it into place with a ladder strapped to the top, then hang on to it whilst the lightest member of the group climbs the ladder!

 

[gelliffe]

yeah that idea does come to mind, thanks Kevin. The only maypole I have seen being used was made of tubular Aluminium but was quite flimsy.

Ideally made of Aluminium and being able to be carried by one person is what I have in mind.

 

[TheBitterEnd]

one of these?

 

[Bob Smith]

to be honest...

...carried by one person.. which person? I would suggest that a maypole 4 made of scaff poles, plus joiners would be an absolute limit, but mayploing isn't really a lone task. It would usually be a good idea to have somone spotting for you onthe way up.

solo bolting is an alternative though; bosch drill, bag of bolts, good knee pads, set of cows tails, long arms.....

 

[gelliffe]

that telescopic ladder looks interesting, I wonder how feasible it would be to join two or three of them together...... :-\ 

solo bolt climbing does sound interesting but I think I'll avoid that unless I can't find someone to cave with.

By being able to be carried by one person I mean so the other person can be free to carry tackle.

 

[langcliffe]

A technique that Mike Wooding and I used quite successfully to get 30 m up Hamster Aven in the Gaping Gill Main Chamber rift was to use an alloy pole about 5 m long, with holes drilled through the pole at both ends, with short sections of tape threaded through both.

The tape at the bottom was used to hang the pole from a bolt, and a rope was attached to the tape at the top. The pole was fixed at the bottom and leaned out over the rift to the opposite wall. One guy climbed the attached rope and got another bolt in, and the process repeated.

It took a couple of leisurely trips to to the top. Unfortunately, we never went back, and the passage at the top still needs pushing...

 

[Les W]

A technique that Mike Wooding and I used quite successfully to get 30 m up Hamster Aven in the Gaping Gill Main Chamber rift was to use an alloy pole about 5 m long, with holes drilled through the pole at both ends, with short sections of tape threaded through both.

The tape at the bottom was used to hang the pole from a bolt, and a rope was attached to the tape at the top. The pole was fixed at the bottom and leaned out over the rift to the opposite wall. One guy climbed the attached rope and got another bolt in, and the process repeated.

It took a couple of leisurely trips to to the top. Unfortunately, we never went back, and the passage at the top still needs pushing...

Have done something similar up a stope in a lead mine using a double extension ladder... 

 

[IanWalker]

A technique that Mike Wooding and I used quite successfully to get 30 m up Hamster Aven in the Gaping Gill Main Chamber rift was to use an alloy pole about 5 m long, with holes drilled through the pole at both ends, with short sections of tape threaded through both.

The tape at the bottom was used to hang the pole from a bolt, and a rope was attached to the tape at the top. The pole was fixed at the bottom and leaned out over the rift to the opposite wall. One guy climbed the attached rope and got another bolt in, and the process repeated.

It took a couple of leisurely trips to to the top. Unfortunately, we never went back, and the passage at the top still needs pushing...

how could you be sure the pole wouldn't slip on the opposite wall and swing down below the bolt?

 

[langcliffe]

how could you be sure the pole wouldn't slip on the opposite wall and swing down below the bolt?

It was neither death nor taxes, so we couldn't be certain.

 

[IanWalker]

:

 

[Pitlamp]

The most beautifully designed pole I ever saw was made (I think in the early 80s) by a gentleman who lives at Selside who is very active with the CRO. He is a Red Rose member and we borrowed it to take through the Notts Pot sump into Notts 2 in 1986, long before the dry way in was created. I have a vague memory that he may have written up the design in a Red Rose journal. If Beardy sees this he may well be able to quote the reference for you. If there's no reference it may be possible to obtain design details for you.

BEARDY - can you advise?

 

[SamT]

Shurly this is the answer - carries itself into the cave too....

 

[ChrisJC]

We are currently pushing up a lead mine in Wales using a mixture of Maypole and bolting.

The maypole is 3 lengths of aluminium tubing (about 12ft long) with 9inch couplings. The couplings are bolted to one tube, so the other slots in and is secured with a bolt. They are very light and strong, but I've no idea where they came from. They are about the same size as a standard scaffold tube.

But we found they only really work in a shaft. For ascending the stopes, we've been bolting with a DeWalt drill + etrier.

Chris.

 

[nickwilliams]

a gentleman who lives at Selside who is very active with the CRO. He is a Red Rose member ...

Jim Davis, perchance?