How to attach lights to posts

[speediva]

Okay, so I had problems with my mailbox that people would repeatedly hit with their car (like mirrors or big trucks over the line) and the problems culminated with someone bashing in my weeks-old replacement with a baseball bat.

I solved THAT problem with the posts (those are 8' posts pounded into the ground btw) you see in the picture. But now I have these ugly posts. I bought some of those hoaky solar ground stakes and I've got this crazy idea that I can use some sort of product - I'm thinking JB Weld but open to others - that I can use to "plug" the base post and suspend the solar stakes to create little lantern type things.

Anyone got ideas that might be classier than my ghetto JB Weld idea?



ps - I can't just stick the lights in the posts because the lamp part is smaller than the diameter of the posts so they sink in - kinda like these.

[Knifeblade]

Qiuckcrete the insides of the poles, and then set the solars into the cement, if nothing else, all they can do is bash the lights off again. But then you have a post sticking out of a post, so why bother?????????? Sheesh, throw on some reflective tape around the posts, save the hassle, and my time.

[danielsatur]

Liquid nails!

[speediva]

Originally Posted by Knifeblade

Qiuckcrete the insides of the poles, and then set the solars into the cement, if nothing else, all they can do is bash the lights off again. But then you have a post sticking out of a post, so why bother?????????? Sheesh, throw on some reflective tape around the posts, save the hassle, and my time.

Thanks for your brilliance! Gosh, because reflective tape clearly solves the problem of UGLY POSTS! Why didn't I think of that?

The whole point of this project is to have a reasonably sturdy lamp/lantern so the posts appear to have some purpose other than breaking stupid kids' arms...


I'm thinking about just buying a different style of solar light that won't fall into the posts so I don't have the same problem.

[Knifeblade]

Well, gee I never would have thought of that, or EVEN considered moving the box and post back a foot or two . Guess it's easier to dig two holes and put in the ugly posts in the first place and then complain about how you uglied it up in the first place, than to dig one hole and move the thing, huh?

[speediva]

Um, there are USPS regulations on how far your mailbox can be from the road. So much for moving it back. The post office won't deliver if the mailbox isn't up to codes. Plus, I doubt the mail delivery person would like trying to teeter on the edge of a 2.5 foot-deep drainage ditch that runs the whole length of my front yard - although it's not 100% clear of how deep the ditch is in the picture, so you couldn't have known how dangerous of an idea that was.

Not to mention, moving the mailbox back doesn't keep stupid kids from using baseball bats on the mailbox... so next time the little twerps come by, their broken arms tell the tale of how they tried to do something painfully stupid.

Besides, I never dug any holes for the mailbox or the posts. Fence posts like that are driven into the ground using a fence post driver.

[-Josh-]

My vote is to pull the posts out, take them to a painter and have them powder coated pink.





Disclaimer: Idea may be stupid.

[Gohan Ryu]

Whatever you do with the lights you should paint those things black, or brown, or anything other than lead-pipe grey.

[speediva]

I usually put decorations on the posts for each holiday, but I took a picture of them while plain. It's easy enough to paint them to match the lights or at least coordinate with the lights - I've just got to find a way to suspend the lights so the lamp part shows! LOL

[blazee]

Buy some 1/2" or 3/4" PVC. It's only around $1.50 per 10' stick. Cut to length and drop it down inside your metal posts. Now, you can drop your solar lights in and the PVC will stop them from falling all the way down.