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21 December 2015

Space Age Flagpole

By Adam Bright


Early flagpoles were simply trees selected for their relative straightness that were cut down, stripped of bark and branches, and then replanted in the ground with a flag attached at the top.

Over the years, the wood flagpole was improved by shaping and sanding the pole until it was straight and had a smooth finish. More refined wooden posts were made with spruce or pine trees, which normally become straighter than hardwood trees. These trees were stripped of bark and branches and afterward altogether smoothed down with drawknives and planes. They were secured with different layers of creature fat to make them weatherproof before being planted in the ground.

Near the turn of the 20th century, steel flag poles became more popular, although they were often simply the recycled materials that had served other purposes. Ships masts were often repurposed as flag poles. Steel section poles used to house trolley lines were employed to make flag poles and eventually, sectional steel flag poles were manufactured for the purpose of flying flags. Wooden poles became obsolete. In the later 1920s, flag pole producers began constructing the long tapered poles so common today.

Manufacturing advances in extruding aluminum poles led eventually to the dominance of aluminum and aluminum alloys as the primary materials for creating flagpoles today. Aluminum is more versatile as a manufacturing material, and as production processes have improved, it has become far cheaper than steel.

The pole used to "fly" the banner planted on the moon by the Apollo 11 group may have been the most built flagpole ever. The pole was planned with an extendable level backing to hold a banner out firmly in the absence of climate, on the surface of the moon. It was made light weight and utilized an extendable outline that could be controlled by space explorers wearing monstrous space suit gloves.

Today, strong, stable flagpoles by The Flagpole Warehouse proved to be the best simple and affordable solutions for the U.S. Army and Navy to serve as lightning rods at the U.S Naval Submarine Base in Kings Bay, GA, and as structures for gun range warning systems at the U.S. Army Strategic Operations installation in Southern California and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Flagpoles of 60 ft. and 50 ft. sporting The Flagpole WarehouseĆ¢€™s perfected solar lighting solutions have also been reconfigured into very effective strobe lighting warning systems. With communication and cell towers popping up somewhere new every day, flagpoles are proving to be economical mounting solutions. From telescoping solutions and other commercial grades hi-tech strong quality construction materials, The Flagpole Warehouse can provide innovative solutions for individual projects.




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