Basketball Pole help


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Old 08-11-11, 07:45 PM
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Basketball Pole help

I picked up an in-ground basketball hoop from a local on Freecycle. Overall it's in good shape, just needs a fresh coat of paint and some cleaning and it's ready to go. Except...

The pole has been sitting outside for some time and has developed some rust. One area in particular is looking pretty weak - it's where one of the tubes fits into another.

Should I even bother trying to fix this? I don't want to go to the effort of burying it in the ground just to have it wear through and fall over (on a car or person, perhaps). Aren't there some kind of U-shaped bolts that might fit around the pole, or some kind of clamps I could permanently attach to it to stop this from getting any worse? I also know that after cleaning and painting that will help seal out water to prevent further damage. I just don't want to set this up if it seems like it could be unsafe.

Or - another (out there) option - maybe I could find a replacement for this tube portion? It's the very bottom one.



 
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Old 08-12-11, 03:36 AM
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There are bolts & clamps that can be put on the outside but they will not strengthen the pipe nor prevent the rust from continuing. I would pull the sections of pipe apart and remove the rust down to clean, shiny metal. Then prime with a rust preventing primer and paint with exterior paint meant for steel. Just painting the outside will look pretty for a while but the rust in the pipe joints will continue, weakening it from the inside out.
 
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Old 08-12-11, 04:49 AM
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I'd replace the section of pipe that has rust holes! Pouring some motor oil inside the pipe and letting it coat the entire inside will help to prevent rust on the inside. I'd sand, prime and paint the exterior as PD suggested.
 
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Old 08-12-11, 11:34 AM
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Any idea where I might be able to find a replacement pipe of the right size? Fortunately only the bottom tube is "damaged", the rest are a bit rusty but not structurally problematic.
 
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Old 08-13-11, 03:07 PM
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Try looking in the phone book for welding or steel fabricators. Many shops have a pile of misc. scrap pieces. If you go in with a good attitude they should do it pretty inexpensively.
 
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Old 08-15-11, 06:49 PM
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I found an easier solution... I used a hammer and chisel to bust the bottom of that tube off, then a hacksaw to take off the bottom 7-8" or so and remove that rusted patch entirely. It will probably shorten the goal a bit, but my friends and I aren't NBA stars anyway so I'm fine with the lower height
 
 

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