Alt. pin placement maintenance

[johnnyfoodstamp]

I am working on a local course that has just sat for about 4 years. There are tons of alternate pin placements. They have been gone so long that some are grown over or filled with crap. We used a soil auger and it worked well to clean them out but the guy that has it is out of town and a bit touchy about loaning it out. A new soil auger is $100 so I was wondering if anybody knows of a cheaper method for cleaning out a basket pole hole? Side note: It took about 45 minutes of cursing per basket to replace the old locks because they had been on there and buried for so long. Don't let this happen to your home course!

[chrishysell]

I use a bolt cutter and a bunch of new locks, all keyed the same. Have you tried some sort of pressure washer or pump sprayer?

[johnnyfoodstamp]

The locks aren't the problem. We got those off with wd-40 and elbow grease. I don't have a pressure washer but I'm not sure if that would work. These babies are clogged.

[bcr123psu]

A course near me uses capped pipes that are the same diameter as the basket poles and keeps those locked in the alternate locations. Keeps the dirt out and makes the alternate locations easily visible.

[irishdw]

If I had just my tools to clean out post holes, I would try a cordless power drill with like a 1"-2" bit, and just keep working it around the hole (that's what she said) which will loosen the dirt and shop vac the dirt out.

[LeewayeDiscGolf]

At Pueblo City Park we have lots of alternate placements. The most important thing is to have caps for all of them. We have like 4 inch flat caps with a little tab that bolts or locks to the lock hole on the placement pipe. We had a ground water issue on #17 that buried some placements under about a foot of soil which then grew grass. Some of the rarely used placements had to be found with a metal detector. We are still missing the across the street placement on #4.

^ A super long concrete bit may work for this to loosen things up then stick a pressure washer in there. Just don't stand directly over the hole.

As for the locks, each time a placement is switched, just slap a peice of duct tape from one side of the lock across the key hole to the other side of the lock.

[sidewinder22]

I would think the Awesome Auger would work with one of its attachments, its $20 plus S&H.
https://www.buytheauger.com/

[johnnyfoodstamp]

I would think the Awesome Auger would work with one of its attachments, its $20 plus S&H.
https://www.buytheauger.com/

That looks awesome but I'm not sure if it would fit in a 1 1/4 pipe.

[sidewinder22]

That looks awesome but I'm not sure if it would fit in a 1 1/4 pipe.

Its a set different size augers/bits, I think one of them would fit.

[johnnyfoodstamp]

Its a set different size augers/bits, I think one of them would fit.

Well, in that case it looks like a winner. Thanks!

[sidewinder22]

The pipe is only 1 and 1/4"?

You could just get a 1" wood auger drill bit and a 12" or 18" extender if needed.
http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Industrial-47418-8-Inch-17-Inch/dp/B00004YO69

Im not sure how much the extra S&H is though on the Awesome Auger, looks like its separate S&H for each item.

[johnnyfoodstamp]

Yeah, my first thought was a really long drill bit and since I have a nice cordless drill I think that is the option. Now I just gotta find something from Home Depot or Lowes since I need it this weekend and the internet is fast, but it ain't that fast. I am surprised more people haven't run into this problem.

[sidewinder22]

Funny, I just bought a 3/8" 18" auger bit at Lowes yesterday for work. They might be closer to $30 for the 1" there.

[billnchristy]

Our alt pins have a 6" pipe around them and a plastic cap that fits on top that covers the pin. It keeps all the crap out and makes them usable all the time.

Might be a good retro fit.

[johnnyfoodstamp]

I plan on inserting a 1 1/4 pvc pipe with cap into each freshly augured hole to make sure this never happens again. The course kinda fell into disrepair for awhile. I am starting to think this may be a rarer problem than I first thought. I'll try the drill this weekend and report back on how it works.

[Timber]

I've settled on an old school crowbar and hammer method for anchor cleaning.

http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/7312/9791crowbar.jpg

Sand, mud, gravel or sticks can be slid up the inside of the anchor. Rocks can be hammered until they become gravel. The only thing that ever really slowed me down was a foot long section of 2" dowel someone had crammed into an anchor.

I'm slowly but surely retrofitting old anchors (and all new installations) with these.
http://www.sprinkler.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/4/7/4708.jpg

[Timber]

These seem to last the longest in wet and dirty conditions as long as you lubricate them prior to installation, WD 40 them at least once a year and make sure the key cap stays on.
http://www.masterlock.com/apps/utilities/img.jsp?i=MLCOM_PRODUCT_6127LH.jpg&w=600&u=1&cs=1&t=p

[John Rock]

Cheap way to clean sleeves:

Find a piece of pipe that fits in the sleeve. Beat it in with a hammer. Pull it out and clean out debris. Repeat until sleeve is clear.

[sidewinder22]

I would think these combo locks would be ideal:
http://www.masterlock.com/products/product_details.jsp?lockStyle=Combination&typeOfEnvironment=Outdoors&lockUpValue=High&category=MLCOM_CombinationPadlocks&modelNumber=MLCOM_PRODUCT_1178

[johnnyfoodstamp]

Problem solved. We borrowed the soil auger. Thanks for the help.

[U_NICED_ME]

Glad to hear you got them cleaned out. Can you post a pic of the soil auger you used? Did you need to use the pressure washer afterwards?

[skippy0420]

WD40 is a temporary solution as it breaks down grease. If you already have locks that are covered with plastic like that about the only thing you might want to use to lube the locks are lithium grease or graphite.


These seem to last the longest in wet and dirty conditions as long as you lubricate them prior to installation, WD 40 them at least once a year and make sure the key cap stays on.
http://www.masterlock.com/apps/utilities/img.jsp?i=MLCOM_PRODUCT_6127LH.jpg&w=600&u=1&cs=1&t=p

[U_NICED_ME]

We are still trying to locate the friggin keys for the baskets. How do you even get Master Locks keyed alike?

[johnnyfoodstamp]

We are still trying to locate the friggin keys for the baskets. How do you even get Master Locks keyed alike?

We got a box of master locks with all the same key from Home Depot. I recommend getting the locks with the little trap door over the keyhole. And the soil auger fell through so I used a 32 inch crowbar like the one in the pic (Thanks Timber!) with the slight curve on the end. Hammered it down in the hole to break up all the debris, then I used a piece of 1 1/2 pvc to stick down in there, twist, and bring all kinds of nasty goop. It worked wonders. Then, I took a 30 inch piece of the 1 1/2 pvc with a bright red cap to plug the hole to stop the problem. Plus, now you can stand back and see where all the pin placements are at.

Heres a pic of the auger. It is 100 bucks. I got the pvc and crowbar for 15 bucks. http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/countcomptula/9902600.jpg

[johnnyfoodstamp]

WD40 is a temporary solution as it breaks down grease. If you already have locks that are covered with plastic like that about the only thing you might want to use to lube the locks are lithium grease or graphite.

Yeah, first thing your going to need sure you have some spare keys because some will break. A can of WD and elbow grease will eventually open the lock. I still have 2 more out of 18 to go after much struggling but it does work.

[johnnyfoodstamp]

And these are the locks we used. They are nice because they have access holes for the little WD sprayer in case of clogging. http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/countcomptula/3520190929679_001c_v001_zp.jpg

[skippy0420]

Yea, sorry. I was talking about maintaining the locks once they are purchased.

Yeah, first thing your going to need sure you have some spare keys because some will break. A can of WD and elbow grease will eventually open the lock. I still have 2 more out of 18 to go after much struggling but it does work.

[Timber]

WD40 is a temporary solution as it breaks down grease. If you already have locks that are covered with plastic like that about the only thing you might want to use to lube the locks are lithium grease or graphite.

I use the WD40 (Water Displacement-formula #40) as a cleaner in the key and shackle mechanisms. Some of the locks on the anchors in the flat areas of the course sit in water or snow melt for days or weeks at a time.

Thanks for the recommendation; I'll try some graphite or lithium grease next summer when I do my annual maintenance. The 3 in 1 oil I used probably only attracts dirt and gunks up the mechanism.

[U_NICED_ME]

Thanks for the info!

Also, did you have any sleeves that had been clipped by mowers? Did you need to bend any back into shape? Does anyone know how best to do that? (None of our sleeves were capped or marked)

[Timber]

The mowers at Bluemont have made sleeve chopping into an olympic sport. I managed to fix about five with a hammer and crowbar. Another 10 or 15 had to be replaced until I started using these. (Thanks Innova)
http://www.sprinkler.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/4/7/4708.jpg
Now they drive their vehicles back and forth over the irrigation boxes to test them.

[superberry]

I'm slowly but surely retrofitting old anchors (and all new installations) with these.
http://www.sprinkler.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/4/7/4708.jpg

How much do these cost??

[superberry]

And these are the locks we used. They are nice because they have access holes for the little WD sprayer in case of clogging. http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/countcomptula/3520190929679_001c_v001_zp.jpg

Just slob on some silicone caulk over the key hole. This will keep all junk out of the key hole and the silicone will leech a little into the hole for extra lube (dang that sounds nasty!). You can easily rip off the dab of gunk when you need to access the hole - actually the key would slice right through if need be, and it could be re-useable. You can carry small tubes of caulk around with to to reapply after ripping off the old stuff and moving the pin.

[U_NICED_ME]

Ugh! I was hoping we could salvage some of the sleeves! I like that metal cap, but if it's Innova I wonder if it will work on the Mach 3 sleeves. I guess I should ask DGA or Innova.

[U_NICED_ME]

That's a good thought Superberry with the caulk.

[Timber]

How much do these cost??
Around $13 to $20 each.
Googled this http://www.rrproducts.com/p-696019-valve-box-10-round-wgreen-cover.aspx but I think there are better prices out there.

Just remember that you need one less cover (where the basket is) for multiple pin placements on a single hole.

[Timber]

Installation diagram is on the Innova site about halfway down the page at:
http://www.innovadiscs.com/targets/discatcher-pro.html

http://www.innovadiscs.com/images/targets/dcspecs.png
NOTE: It is very important that the top of the sleeve is as close to the bottom of the cover as possible.

If the sleeve is too high, the cover won't close.

If it is too low, the baskets will be too low. I've considered going back and drilling new holes in the pole for the lower basket hasp to raise some baskets where the sleeves were installed too low.

[superberry]

And these are the locks we used. They are nice because they have access holes for the little WD sprayer in case of clogging. http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/countcomptula/3520190929679_001c_v001_zp.jpg

These locks are actually pretty good. Almost all other locks can be simply cut off with bolt cuuters, sawed with a hacksaw, or smashed off by unscrupulous douches with a decent sized hammer or even a rock. I've found that a 5/8" bolt and nylon nut works just about as good. No one can loosen them by hand, and no bolt cutter, hammer, rock can smash it off. It deters opportunistic thieves who would have to be walking around with a couple wrenches and/or vice grips.

Problem is nothing about a basket will stop a determined thief (simply hacksaw through any pole to bypass all locks, etc). Go with the lowest cost of nut and bolt per basket ($0.75), rather than $10 each for keyed alike locks or heavy duty locks for $15+++. But I digress, this post is about alternate sleeve maintenance, not securing baskets.

Be careful with the PVC pipe inserted into the sleeve with a cap on top. If it's a tight fit, I've seen them broken off inside and difficult to remove.

[LeewayeDiscGolf]

Our course just replaced one that had been mowed over. Ever try replacing one on a very busy course? Set up a wall or wear a helmet! We still have a few that need replaced.

As for keys. Make sure at least 2 different people have a set just in case. One guy with one set doesn't usually work out well.