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Re: [TowerTalk] Cadwelding and grounding nightmare

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cadwelding and grounding nightmare
From: Peter Dougherty <w2irt@comcast.net>
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:12:43 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
>     Jerry speaks the truth.  A rented trencher, like a Ditchwitch, 
> would make short work of your trenching project.  I dug trenches 
> for my grounding wires and for my conduit system in one day with a rental.

The problem with a ditchwitch is it seriously wrecks the lawn - a 
real no-no here. With summer here, guests over, etc, that won't fly 
with the war department, if you catch my meaning. covert "slits" in 
the ground will pass muster. We're using AWG 4, not copper strap (too 
expensive).

>     Jerry is also correct in suggesting that the molten shot is 
> running out of the holes in the (I assume) One-shot Cadweld molds.

There was no evidence of this happening. I did 3 more shots later on 
and I think they all held (I'm not about to wiggle anything to "test 
that theory," thus tempting fate, if I don't have to. I went off 
properly, nothing appeared to "leak out" and when I went to break off 
the mold 20 minutes later I bumped the wire coming from the tower and 
out she popped.

>   I had the same problem with the first one I tried.  After I cut 
> off the half-welded top of the ground rod and fixed a second 
> ceramic mold on top of it, I sealed the holes for the side wires 
> and around the rod itself, underneath the mold, with electrician's 
> putty (available at Home Despot, Lowe's, etc.)  I did twelve welds 
> successfully thereafter.

I've never heard of electrician's putty. Is it something that the 
brain-fried clerks in HD could point me to?



Cheers,

Peter,
W2IRT 

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