Airstrip Upgrades - Building A Custom Counterweighted Windsock Pole From Scratch!

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[@thetrendingadvocate2727]

You need to overseed it. Leave what you have but but sand over it, then put your seeds on it. Snd water it. Your grass will grow evenly. It'll grow both directions and not clump up.

[@thetrendingadvocate2727]

I'm no "expert" but if you fly me out there big dog, I'll help you do it! But, it should be really easy. You'll just have to water it so it comes through the sand. Don't make the sand too thick, but deliberate and spread it. 1. Seed 2. Sand 3. Spread sand 4. Water well. 5. Watch grass grow through. And use sand sand..not the dirt you have out there.

[@QuidproMoto]

Do this before anything else. You’ll like the results.

[@NimblyJimbly]

Throwing in an upvote for this solution. 👌🏼

[@silasmarner7586]

You need to... You NEEEEEED to! No, I don't have to overseed anything ... Thanks. Stop using voice to text. What's SND mean?

[@jeffkeiper]

Came to make this same comment!! avoid using the skidsteer on the grass, a good dump truck driver should be able to spread sand down the length pretty evenly. and you can use your 4 wheeler to pull a piece of weighted square tubing behind it to level/spread the sand.

[@C5Tor]

Don't forget to paint your windsock pole. You don't want corrosion to ruin its smooth pivot action, since you had a pretty tight tolerance where the two pieces join. Maybe even a nice bright color so you can find it easier. Love your welding table. We'll make an engineer out of you yet.

[@Nemisis559]

Paint it! You’ll see why very soon if you don’t.

[@lucasporte4067]

S**t that's important.

[@daleemmons36]

1000% yes it needs paint. Otherwise it'll rust solid in a couple years.

[@vhostovich]

That welding table is up to your usual standards with quite a few quaility accessory and components.

[@TrentonPalmer]

Thanks! 🙏🏻

[@reckemroysrc3764]

​@@TrentonPalmeryeah Trent. That welding table is awesome. I may steal your design and make one for myself 😊

[@silasmarner7586]

The welding table design is VERY innovative. Bravo to Trent!

[@thecountbassy_]

Astroturf runway?

[@rbakken2999]

Get a wind sock with the orange and white strips. Each stripe standing up equals 3 mph wind.

[@jonathanhall7903]

Perhaps a bushing assembly at the pivot point for a future upgrade. Great windsock improvement overall!

[@MichaelGroll-in7fi]

Nice Set-up. Your welds look pretty good too. Just a little safety tip from a machinist. DO NOT wear gloves when using drill presses, mills, lathes etc. that little drill will grab your glove and rip your finger off in a microsecond. I've seen it done. I'd also wear glasses when doing any kind of grinding and metal cutting. Even a teensy metal sliver hurts like hell when its imbedded in the eye ball. Looking forward to your next video.

[@Dan_Bender]

Throw a coat of zinc chromate primer on that thing. maybe even some paint,

[@mortifyd4805]

Idea. Instead of having the clumping type fescue, you could get a turf type fescue. It would make that surface MUCH smoother, and it's thick enough that you won't have to worry about the soil eroding. Definitely a pre emergent at the beginning of the season to keep crabgrass from coming in.

[@TrentonPalmer]

The grass we currently have is a native desert grass that we don’t have to water, I think any turf fescue would require running sprinklers fairly regularly? I’m trying to avoid using water if possible

[@mortifyd4805]

@TrentonPalmer You're high desert aren't you? I didn't think about that. Crush and run it is, yeah?

[@portnuefflyer]

@@mortifyd4805 I know the guy who put the Lava hot Springs ID. grass airstrip in, I'm not sure what it's called, what he planted, but he regretted it, as it results in clumps. No problem for us fat tired fliers, (clumps, what clumps?) but for the typical small tired span cans it's pretty rough, and will never get better.

[@pilotgoals62]

Great job. I love designs that are smart enough to require minimal effort to use. No use stressing the structure itself if it isn't necessary, and certainly no need to make using it a strain on our bodies. Thanks for sharing.

[@BeckiandChris]

Oh man I appreciate every step of this project. Making stuff from scratch is so gratifying! Perfect execution. -C

[@TrentonPalmer]

Thanks dude!!

[@BricoleurTV]

First video without sponsors in years. Like it a lot!!👍

[@archstanton9206]

Nice work on the table and welding set up,Trent. It will serve you well for a very long time. On the runway, we have a 300 ft driveway out in the sticks and I got tired of the gravel dance. About 10 yrs ago a close friend in the business called and said he had access to asphalt grindings... basically a highway in the area had been ground down and resurfaced, and the ground asphalt was available. He talked me into doing the driveway. It is a process, spreading and leveling then rolling tight while keeping wet, but 10 yrs later and it still looks great. You might consider asking around since it is "construction season" in your area now. This would be a one and done deal, I don't think you would have to do much if anything to maintain it once down.

[@lannyfenster7461]

Yes this milling idea is great, I did a 500 ft and is great but also very very hard to purchase best is keep on the lookout for a remodel store with asphalt. Best of luck

[@JerryPoe58]

I love the design of your windsock pole. That gives me ideas for a wind turbine pole. Your welds are good and strong. I had the same problem with grass clumps. It works pretty good to just mow it very short. Right as you hit the dirt with your blades is perfect.

[@Cam_Wight]

Love the work as usual Trent. I’m a design engineer and what you’re doing is my dream! One thing though, when I was an apprentice I was taught never to wear gloves while sanding. If one gets caught accidentally you’ll be in real big trouble faster than your brain can register what’s gone on. Stay safe ♥️🇬🇧

[@nick.simmer]

I recommend painting the pole. Doesn’t matter the color, but it will help protect the steel against corrosion.

[@JFG3D]

Your welds look really good and as far as the runway goes I would keep filling in the gaps and seeding because I read that desert greening is important in your area. As always great content. Thanks!

[@spencersmith5271]

The idea of a gravel runway seems better than grass in the desert haha

[@bensteyn1974]

@@montanahiker48 If Trent is a multi-millionaire, yes! 😆 Maybe is is?

[@dirtcurt1]

Mr. Propeller would never agree.

[@spencersmith5271]

@@dirtcurt1 bush plane

[@dirtcurt1]

@@bensteyn1974Around here gravel is super expensive. It would have to be rolled too. Cold mix could work as well but still pricey. He is remote anything will be expensive.

[@GlensHangar]

My hangar looks like a such a mess... I have 'small tires' but I'd still land on that!

[@wes3914]

Asphalt millings are going to be less dusty than crushed granite. I put some on my driveway and there’s little to know dust when I drive down it.

[@jamesg4728]

I agree, and it can be layed with a paver, so it appears like a freshly layed asphalt runway that can be oil sealed to minimize cracking and water infiltration.

[@stuartkcalvin]

06:05 Great TIG welding, thousands would argue, but great dimes.

[@bradkenville1714]

Trent, glad to see your beautiful table and tools, well thought out. I have an older Power Tig 250 EX as well but have an Everlast Tig torch cooler running on mine, keeps torch from getting hot which means longer welding times. I originally had a size 17 torch on mine but switched to a size 20 water cooled. Glad to see you gave a CK torch, good choice. At some point you might want to get a flex or swivel head style torch as well as it allows you to get into different areas without having to contort one’s body to weld different angles. Practice, practice, practice like flying it’s time in the seat.

[@GresleyA4.4468]

As other people have said, paint your pole to mitigate corrosion and you probably want to think about adding a bush to it. I would also recommend washers on each side of your bolt and maybe consider a lock nut, i know you used threadlocker, but redundancy is great, especially when the cost is likely a matter of pence (or cents? for you in the states, if im gauging the rough size of bolt you're using correctly). Something else I'll mention: bolts generally aren't meant to be loaded across the threads, think about a bolt with a plain shank slightly shorter than the width you would need to cover from your head, through the washer under the head and to the other side of your hinge. Get a bolt with the correct length of plain shank and cut it down if you need to to avoid it sticking out beyond the end of your nut very far. If you're then doing things properly, consider (as others have also suggested) a leash on your pin to avoid losing it.

[@ethanm4102]

You might want to get some sand and use it to level out the low spot so the water doesn’t pull up and erode the dirt around the grass. Also, the sand will help promote grass grow hopefully filling in some of those blank spots.

[@AndrewJA]

Sounds like you need the Lawn Care Nut to come lay some turf down.

[@TrikeAdventures]

I think your welding work table is absolutely awesome! As for the runway maybe all you need is a lot more planes taking off and landing to keep it smooth! I think you should build a neat guest house, air b & b style for your flying friends to come pay you to stay at your fly in oaisis!! That could fund the runway maintenance 👍. Great job on all your projects. Ken

[@planemaintenance3948]

Rolling it each spring would keep it nice. I like the comment about sand and over seeding as well.

[@shawnwilliams8590]

The airpark I bought property in up in alaska has a smaller diameter gravel runway. But then planted with a special grass seed. Solid surface covered with grass, it's a pretty nice runway and always mowed pretty short and not clumpy at all.

[@CLEAREDDIRECT]

Bahaha! I think I said it at the exact same time as you…”woah…haven’t seen Trent without a hat before!” Great vid bro nice work

[@TrentonPalmer]

🤣

[@calebseaton6777]

Love the welding table, good job!

[@dirtcurt1]

Seeing the beauty of your shop, you need an outdoor grinding/cutting area outside the shop. The grindings can get everywhere. They will stick in glass and melt into glass. The other fix is a vacuum hose ready to go. I also have to rule that if it comes into the shop it has to have wheels, otherwise it's garage cancer that will grow and eventually kill the shop.

[@mannypuerta5086]

I used a DG base with a slight crown and then an overlay of iron mine tailings from that WW2, old iron mine at Wabuska. The fractured tailings tend to not displace, so after over 20 years I had essentially no maintenance on my runway. The slight crown controls erosion and any runoff is on either side of the runway. If there is erosion on the runway edges, spread 3/4 gravel along the runway sides to slow the water movement and prevent any further erosion. I placed my windsock at half runway length as a marker for that 70% of speed at half the runway length rule of thumb.

[@johnf650dakar]

I like the folding end table. Would you have a few pic of the mechanism you made to have it snap in

[@chrism3872]

Bear in mind if you use pea gravel for runway surface, it can make your paint get chipped.

[@Bortnoone]

An interesting video. At first I thought you were going to sell something, but was relieved that you just worked things out and showed original thinking.

[@Phantom911]

That is how the street lights on the interstate here in Tennessee are designed so the bulbs can be changed without having to use bucket trucks....

[@HiggsBJ]

If you can get 1/4 minus gravel, that stuff can be packed like concrete. Not sure if it’s available in your area. It’s somewhat similar to the decomposed granite I think. Of course we do get a lot of rain here so not sure about its performance in a desert.

[@Berend-ov8of]

The shot of you raising the pole, sure has an Iwo Jima feel to it. 😎 Watching you do this also makes me wonder why runways still have windsocks. With all that tech available for cheap nowadays, why not have a bunch of these miniature electronic weatherfanes positioned all over the place. WiFi or Bleutooth that into a computer in the hanger, calculate average windspeed, direction and gusts and have that displayed in bed size LEDs on top of the hanger. Some crazy ideas people get while watching your videos. Thanks for showing.

[@highmarkrich]

Decomposed granite could be a pain on the prop. Grit blasting the leading edge

[@unshapingtheearth7916]

Mike patey would have painted the metal with a base coat, primer coat, and exterior coat… and protectant clear coat. Then the wind sock would be self folding and drive itself back to the hangar. It would also have a radio signal so you can see it from the plane. It would also tell you the wind conditions for IFR

[@Legacy0ne]

Recommend a bermuda grass / couch (pronounced cooche) type grass. It grows with above ground and below ground runners so it naturally spreads and fills, very hard wearing and self repairing.

[@spanieaj]

Put a leash on that pin so you don't lose it when you pull it.

[@patrickheavirland3599]

Good morning from Minnesota! Good episode!

[@donwheeler1683]

Leave it to a photographer to be creative in many tasks and hobbies! I loved my photo studio life as I could justify a welder, table saw, drill press, and tools to fabricate sets, props and anything needed around the studio. A great career that lets you do almost anything and it can be an expense off of your income! A perfect life!!! Oh, it didn't hurt that those tools worked on my car hobby too!😁

[@ryanedwards7741]

I love your content. Currently doing very simular stuff that is parallel to you. Runway, home, windsock.. You are putting in a great effort. more than me. But i don't show everyone. I sure if i filmed it all id have to do a much better job. Anyway. Keep the grass just fix it. Grass feels so much better. Im reseeding mine again in a couple weeks same problem.

[@tomscorner3656]

you should coat it with rust converter. prevent it from rusting.

[@miket6630]

Mayne you're the Tony Stark of Aviation. I love your videos man ✊

[@lutherwasoniii6627]

I would get screened loam and grade it to the clumped grass hight and seed more! When mowing let the clipping stay on the runway to further grass growth.

[@ravanos4472]

You should talk to someone who does Golf course grass Like a long putting green. Having that would be better than a dirt strip.

[@garrygballard8914]

Golf course grass sounds like a way to go, remember though, golf course is High Maintenance.

[@DanFrederiksen]

Neat enough. I might have tried a carbon fiber tube and just stick it in a well fitting socket in the ground. Easy to lift it out. you could even cast the hole in concrete. Simple and should work well. doesn't rust

[@stonevalleyozark475]

Check around and see if anyone in the area sells asphalt millings. Get it graded nice and smooth, and then top it with the millings. You can rent a vibratory roller for a weekend and make it a real nice smooth strip.

[@The_Professional_Hobbiest]

great job on the welding, very nice. Some are undercutting a little bit though which means you need more filler or less heat, also mig is so much faster, I would look to get a cheap setup for that as well

[@paulsilva3346]

Weather on your channel has been too nice LATELY, I really really wish to see a Hailstorm.?.? 4:47

[@JF-fx2qv]

I feel a tapered coupling ( reducer coupling ) would be stronger against cross winds. Your area appears to be desert like. Hence, high pH and clay, and less organic material. Try planting more grass seed in between the clumps of grass and water less ( assuming you’re water or 🙏🏻 for less rain ). And / or use native species. Paint the sock pole with Epoxy Metal Paint. Use stainless steel fasteners to avoid chemical reactions between unlike metals ( if you haven’t already ). Use a Lock-Nut with a built-in nylon washer for ease of removal over messy blue lock tight. True cement will harden when mixed in place but in reality it is less strong ( I’m not saying it won’t work against required 17 MPH winds at 20 feet, but it is more brittle and can clump … make weak / break-up under loads ). My mind-set; and what I believe a pilot’s, is to stride for perfection and stay-alive / build it to last / fly another day! There are no redo’s when flying and that mind-set should carry-over in other aspects related to the flying world in my humble opinion. On the other hand; if you ever run into the pole … maybe breaking away is good?

[@SycamoreRCSpeedway]

Let the grass keep growing to fill those spaces! aerate and over seed for a few years until the turf is so thick it's like a carpet.

[@blueman5924]

brilliant idea with the mast. Might have to copy it for my flag pole ! Mucho Grassiass. 😎🍁🤙

[@p38sheep]

A chip seal runway is going to be the best bet by far. You dont want rock and gravel damage on your fabric elevator from kick up from the tires and prop. Dirt requires more maintince but you could oil it. Crushed asphalt killings have almost no dust (as i think another guy said) and you can chip seal all that for a extreamly low maint strip that will be easy to repair and maintain for years.

[@p38sheep]

Millings not killings*

[@Ragecon87]

Get some more good soil smooth it out and do a heavy hydro seed. They once it’s all grown cut it on the lowest setting spread sand and use a leveling rake to spread it and fill any low spots that develop as some fertilizer and water and it will help keep it nice and smooth like a golf course

[@atocp]

There's more engineering in that welding table than there is in your plane!

[@timhuntington2034]

Love your work bench! Good idea about using gravel instead of grass.

[@jimcripps3612]

Your welding aint too bad a bit like my Garden Gate efforts. Not too pretty but they do the job. I dig the retro 1950;s hairjob. Regards, Jim the Brit

[@jimhumphrey]

18' welding table. Perfect for a fuselage!

[@NateGoesOutside]

Your welds look a hell of a lot better than most beginner welds.

[@PappaBear_yt]

I mean, that welding table looks RAD, man! 👏🏻👍🏻💪🏻🍻🍻🙋🏼‍♂️

[@WillPOnya]

Nice job, Trent. Though I am a bit surprised you forgot to iron your sock before you flew it; what will the neighbors say...

[@TrentonPalmer]

🤣

[@endall39]

Nice design and build, but what about rust? Did I miss painting, and greasing the moving and parts?

[@cartoon-network814]

Use a heavy piece of wood e.g. a solid wood rafter or a metal beam and drag it over the runway to smooth out the clumps

[@redleader]

Nice bead on the welding!! couple of thoughts... I would set up some simple guide wire for the wind sock. Something simple just to keep it from wagging aroiund in high winds. AS a landscaper , i would suggest adding fill dirt to level the rwy and then reseed it with a better "field grass". And lastly....did I see a snowmachine up on a shelf??? WTF? How does that work?

[@TrentonPalmer]

Great ideas! Thank you! And I get the snowmobile up on the rack using the skid steer and forks, so it’s currently stuck up there 🤣

[@leroygeorge309]

used a 55 gal drum fill with water and roll it on grass will level out.

[@samuellindahl1114]

Asphalt millings? Keeps the dust down and Is gradable with your machine.

[@orvjudd1383]

Don’t forget to paint it. Good metal primer followed by at least two coats of topcoat.

[@montanasoftware5954]

You could easily make a roller from a concrete filled large drum. Hammer out the reinforcement bends in the sides of the drum to make it smooth. Run a pipe down the middle of it, fill the drum (not the pipe) with concrete, then run an axle through the pipe. To properly center the pipe in the drum, use a string and pencil to make 2 plywood circles the same diameter as the drum. Drill center holes in the plywood circles to hold the pipe in the center of the drum. Cut out portions of the plywood to pour in the concrete. You could take this to whatever level of fanciness you like. You could pull it behind the quad to help level a non-turf runway.

[@robertknight5024]

I think your idea to scrape it, grade it and put down abc and decomposed granite is great.

[@jeffsears2584]

Propeller blades will bend forward when the strike occurs with the engine producing moderate power.

[@roccoVAL]

i lol'd after watching him use that tiny leveler....come on brahhhh lol

[@comeandtravel1]

Be patient with the grass. It will grow in eventually. I'd over seed and water and keep trying to fill in the bald spots.. It may take a few years but I think it'll be worth it..

[@fudogwhisperer3590]

Not sure about asphalt millings for a runway, but it works great for my driveway here in Florida.

[@richardmorris8764]

There are also positive filtered air hoods that force a constant air flow into your hood while welding that doesn’t allow smoke into your lungs, getting the shakes from manganese is not good

[@amanialmighty]

I appreciate the content Trent. Mad respect 🙌... I am just a novice pilot. I hope I get to your standards one day

[@TheMattortola]

Just weld the wing strut already!

[@TrentonPalmer]

🤣

[@michaldemjan1253]

Just get a different type of grass that doesn't grow in clumps. Dunno can you have some desert friendly, but definitely worth googling around :)

[@SayAgain709]

Disc plow the runway and then grade it level. It'll break up and spread the grass clumps and their roots for more even coverage. Then spread more seed. Repeat biennially. This assumes you've got enough dirt to plow.

[@jackbelk8527]

Fill with sand and reseed, just like a golf course does bad divots. You probably don't have enough water for 'civilized' grass.

[@BRCRENTALS1920]

Rolling it never works. Sand dirt mix. box drag it smooth. plant more pre germinated seed.

[@biblemike174]

Dude ? You didn't invite me to come be your wingman? I do like the gravel runway idea though. lava rock maybe ?

[@YouGotJakeD]

idk what you did in the video production world besides copterkids but seems like you've been well reimbursed 😵‍💫

[@stephenreese5921]

For a beginner your dimes a pretty impressive!

[@lindawilkins6075]

Well Trent you certainly have that Conan O'Brien thing going on with the hair look.

[@kidcasco1966]

Welding is looking good. Your table is impressive!

[@av8or971]

on that chop saw... Trent.. let gravity pull it down.. you do not need to push down on it.. your blades will last 100X longer if you do...

[@TrentonPalmer]

It has a gas strut that lifts the saw so it takes some down pressure, but I’m definitely not pushing hard, just letting it find its happy spot where it cuts the easiest

[@OrhanAvcioglu]

Great job with DIY welding setup. Genuine question: I see that you've left the pole totally bare. Not even anti-rust coating on it. Is it because you virtually have no humidity where you live?

[@TrentonPalmer]

Yes, and we like the rusted metal look. So I figured I’ll just let it rust

[@Mike7478F]

Leave grass just fill in with topsoil and seed its summer itl grow

[@shaunroberts9361]

Trent. I live in Grass Valley. Do you ever land here and get gas etc.

[@timothycheuvront8284]

Well done!

[@carlosedcr9351]

goodnight. I want to ask. I would like to know how long the Kitfox flight can last?

[@StanBarankiewicz]

DG is a great surface for your runway.

[@paulwoolner9047]

That 3/4” fitting looks like malleable iron, not to be welded, go for 3000 lb sockets these are steel you can weld.

[@williamhamill813]

Mow it more and lower it will force the grass tp spread and not grow in big clumps.

[@skorpnz]

Why not attach it/put it on top of the hanger?

[@TrentonPalmer]

Then it would be even harder to get up to when I need to service it, and I didn’t want to penetrate the roof for the bolts to mount it. Although that would have been the best for getting the least obstructions from the wind

[@jamesg4728]

Need wind direction/velocity at or near ground level.

[@HiddenWindshield]

@@jamesg4728 For an airplane, the top of a hanger might as well be ground level.

[@jamesg4728]

@HiddenWindshield I've never seen a wind sock at or near an airport or runway that was in an elevated location, such as on top of a hangar or building. I could be wrong, but every private strip or municipal airport I've been to has a wind sock mounted on a pole about 15 feet above the ground or less.

[@HiddenWindshield]

@@jamesg4728 Airports have the same installation and maintenance constraints that Trent does.

[@theflyingk2173]

Sand over the grass. Golf courses do that to smooth out there grass

[@anthonyb5146]

Where did you get the welding table designs and parts?

[@TrentonPalmer]

I just bought the metal from a metal supply in town and started cutting and welding, haha, no real plans just kinda what looked right