# Insulation Supports For Stakes



## bud69652 (Feb 6, 2006)

See them today at lowes for about $8 for 100 of them. Has anyone used these for windsock stakes? I believe they are 13 gauge. Might not be strong enough to support 30 mph winds. Has anyone used these for a season or two?


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I dont know, their pretty light, at least the ones ive seen. Cheap, but you have all the hassle of installing all of em, than changing them when or if you find they suck.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

I thought about using them before too. But as mentioned the wire was too skinny. I beleive you would be better oiff doing it right the 1st time by going and buying spring steel of correct diameter at a steel supplier.


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## jgat (Oct 27, 2006)

If you have any doubt about them being strong enough, GO BIGGER. It will save you a big headache on a really windy day, and hours worth of work later on.


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## bud69652 (Feb 6, 2006)

All my decoys are on stainless steel stakes now. At .40-.50 cents a piece, I was looking for other alternatives that were a bit cheaper.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Well the sock bodies used with steel/plastic/fiberglass stakes are a bit bgger than the bodies of silosocks are. Meaning more weight and wind load to factor in. Silosocks have the "bounce" becuase there is a correct body weight to air volume to the size of and tensile strength of the stake factored in. A LOT more tinkering was done than many may think to get it right.

So if you are looking to try to get silosock movement with a regular silosock stake with bigger sock, it ain't going to happen.

As for cost, 40 cents a 2' SS is dirt cheap. I can not even buy them that cheap here where I live, and checked many metal suppliers. They normally are sold for $1 per 2' on the classifieds for SS stakes once looped and a point is ground.


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## Traxion (Apr 16, 2004)

A friend of mine is using insulation supports for his SS. I used a caliper and the diameter of my regular SS stakes is nearly identical to that of the insulation supports. Grade might be a bit different, I don't know. Stiffness seems very close. He is using the 24" and pushing them all the way to the top of the head. We've had them side by side in a small wind and they seem very close (this is compared to a SS shorter stake). Time will tell I guess. This is my first year chasing snows with the SS so I don't have much experience with them.


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## bud69652 (Feb 6, 2006)

The socks that I want to put the insulation stakes on are a bit smaller than standard size. (home made) I bought a few stakes today and put them on my socks just to see how well they moved. To me, it seems that they moved the same as a ss steel stake. The only thing that concerns me is the durability. $1 for a stainless steel stake is insane. I don't think I could even find one that expensive around here. Maybe they are gold platted.


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