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Re: [TowerTalk] how much rust is too much?

To: towertalk@contesting.com, matthew@matthew.at
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] how much rust is too much?
From: K7LXC--- via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Reply-to: K7LXC@aol.com
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:37:26 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
>  The base of the tower is a pier-pin base on concrete with  the tower 
bolted to the base plate. Some time over the past decades, dirt  fell 
down a slope and covered the base plate and the bottom bit of tower  
(less on one leg than the other two). Near the surface I can just see  
that the galvanizing has worn through, but below that there is  
progressively more and more rust. The tower still feels solid, and I've  
been working on removing the rust to see how much material loss there is  
and it doesn't look *that* bad... but how do I know how much is too  
much? Can I measure the diameter of the leg after removing the rust and  
compare to the non-rusted portions of the tower?
 
    There's an instrument that can measure the  depth of the rust but it's 
probably not too practical. Have you tapped the legs  with a hammer? The 
sound should give you some info. 
 
>  As far as removing the rust, I got some of the  thin areas cleared with 
a 
chelating rust remover gel, and the rust on the  base plate cleared with 
a stripper wheel on an angle grinder, but I'm  thinking a small 
sandblaster might be the best for the legs  themselves?
 
     There's a compound available from hardware stores  that you cover the 
rust with and that'll encapsulate the rust. I'd  follow your plan for 
removing the rust. After it's off, then you can coat it  with something. W3LPL 
recommends painting everything that comes in contact with  soil with a home 
repair type tar; e.g. roofing tar. That'll take care  of it for the foreseeable 
future.
 
    If you're concerned about the bottom of the tower  leg strength, just 
reinforce them with angle iron or aluminum and hose clamps or  similar 
splinting arrangement. This might be more psychological but like  
belt-and-suspenders - it couldn't hurt. 
 
Cheers & GL,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH
 
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