How would you repurpose triangluar pyramid of rebar, 48 inches tall?

ClareBroommaker's picture

At a thrift store yesterday, I found four sort of pyramid rebar structures. They were about 48 inches tall. There were three pieces of rebar that formed a pyramid. At the top point, those pieces were welded to something like a two inch diameter washer. Close to the bottom, they were welded to a stout circle of smooth steel. That circle was maybe 30-32 inches in diameter. The rebar "legs" extended about four inches beyond the circle base.

Hope you can picture what I'm describing. I have no idea what the original use of these things were. Construction? A base for building a conical turret roof? Something to wind lights on for symbolic Christmas tree yard decoration?

Attractive as they were to me, I tried to think of a good use for them in my garden, but honestly couldn't think of a use for them.

As an exercise in repurposing, how do you think they might be used?

David Trammel's picture

The hole in a two inch washer probably isn't big enough for a tall trellis, but the four foot legs get you half the way to a 6 foot tall one. Make it two sided with each base as far out as the rebar is.

Or do singles with a pole up the middle. You'd want say 6 inch arms like a tree, but you could grow beans up it.

ClareBroommaker's picture

Using them as trellises was about all I could come up with. Since there were four of them, I played with stacking them various ways to try to stimulate my imagination. They are strong, but bulky, so even off season storage would be an issue. For someone in an area where theft is not a problem, they could just stay outdoors. In my neighborhood they might be at risk for loss to over-eager metal recyclers. $$. (Someone once cut the metal thread off the end a hose I had looped over the fence by the service alley!)

Hey, I just thought of another use. They could serve as part of a season extender / giant cloche for tender plants that need frost protection at night, or solar warming in the day. A blanket, sheet, or spun fiber wrap could be applied to them.

Blueberry's picture

Would work great over a cook camp fire to hold a Dutch oven or a coffee pot. Just need some chain good to go.

ClareBroommaker's picture

Oh, good thinking. I'm even wondering if that is what they are meant to be!

Well, I did not buy these things. I was back at the same store yesterday because they had books for 99 cents. Nobody has bought these things. They are still there.

My one other idea comes from having skimmed through a description of how large rocks can be moved in a Japanese bonsai garden. It involved a tripod and a swinging strap or rope beneath it. So, especially if one has a pulley with which to hoist from the tip of the tripod, one could inch a heavy load forward, one swing at a time. Ha-- maybe that's what I needed the other evening when I used a hand truck to move a concrete pot full of damp garden soil. Might have been safer, as I mildly strained a leg muscle.

I have read that a couple of blocks of one of our downtown streets used to be devoted to makers and sellers of supportive clothing and prosthetic devices for laborers who had been injured. One of the hazards of using more human energy in heavy work is, of course, injury. I bet smart ways of moving heavy objects was once more common knowlege.

Blueberry's picture

Great book The Pyramids of Egypt. Been a number of years since reading he tells how the pyramids of Giza line up North and South and other pyramids show the points on the horizon of were the sun will rise on the longest and shortest day of the year. Their are Indian mounds less than 2 miles from my house that do the same thing. The same with Stonehenge. Have fun.

ClareBroommaker's picture

Do I recall correctly that you live in Florida? The thrift store that has these rebar pyramids is about 5 or 6 miles from Cahokia Mounds, which has many mounds and also an area called "Woodhenge," a circle of upright timbers thought to have been used for astronomy and perhaps for ceremony.

The largest mound is a packed dirt, terraced pyramid, but has four sides, unlike the rebar shapes I found. The city that once occupied the site was laid out with an east-west line bisecting some of the major features of the city, including the largest mound.

Cahokia's presence makes me wonder whether our area might be a long, l-o-n-g term place where people might continue to be able to live. On the other hand, the city seems to have come to a somewhat sudden end, which gives me the idea that, no, this might not be a place where people can live for a long time in a much materially and energy reduced manner.

David Trammel's picture

Many years ago I spent a Summer getting into the local Society for Creative Anachronism, aka the SCA. They are the people who often put on the jousting demos at RenFairs. There is a whole hierarchy in America, with local lords and ladies. As I remember the St Louis branch was the Barony of Three Rivers, after the way that three major rivers, the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Meramac, all come together here. That make us a good place for river commerce.

We also have some of the most used railroad bridges across the Mississippi and huge switching yards in the central Midwest.

If I had to predict I would say St Louis is well positioned to be the capital of any regional small country, should the US break up. I've used it as a major power several centuries from now in several of my short stories.

We also seem to be getting lucky in the shake up of the climate lotto. The last few years while the East and West, Sount and North get hit with week long heat ways, we have been having a mild time of it.

Though on the downside, St Louis has a history of being one of the most racially divided cities in the country. Local politics at the city and township level is very politically charged with Us versus Those People. Remember we had the whole Ferguson thing. And its not just race, the whole class thing is a powder keg too. Alot of the problem of Ferguson was the way that the local city government used the courts to screw poor people, both white, black and brown, who got caught up in the process. They were a shake down operation the Mafia would have envied.

ClareBroommaker's picture

Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois (at Grafton) rivers?

Interesting thoughts. We do have good surrounding farm land in all directions ---which could support a city.

Blueberry's picture

Yes I live in North Florida the Mounds near my placed were dug around 1970 by a group from the University of Florida. I was given access to the final report a number of years ago. The place is on private property and only a few people can get near the mounds. You might try walking around Cahokia Mounds with a good compass and a note pad. Early in the morning notice the position of the sun also look at shadows around noon don't forget daylight savings time. Last stay as late as you can in the evening looking at the sunset. Hopefully you can gain access to a accurate map for the location. Would love to have a set of star charts and stay the night. Are the mounds near the New Madrid fault? In another post I talked about The American Practical navigator. Might want to download the PDF to get a better idea of using a compass to fix locations for making a calendar. Good Luck.

Blueberry's picture

Worth a trip to Ireland. When a group starts growing crops for food they must know what time of the year to plant. Going to post a link to wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange

More info. Yes I do like to go walk about. http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/built-heritage/newgrange/

When folks plant by the signs, well there is a reason goes back 5000+ years. If the ancients had not figured this out well you and I would not be alive. Another interesting site has limited info as compared to 10 years ago. Enjoy https://www.rosettacalendar.com/calendars.html

ClareBroommaker's picture

Thanks for this introduction, Blueberry. Aren't the commonalities across the earth interesting?