Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] Cad Welding tips

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cad Welding tips
From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2016 12:57:54 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Simple works. I just pack damp sand around the form (damp enough top hold its shape, but not wet) In over 30 welds, they performed properly Starting with picture 8 on http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/ground.htm ts using a "one shot" with a late photo showing the sand approach.

73

Roger (K8RI)

On 11/4/2016 Friday 10:36 PM, Gene Smar wrote:
Kim:

       If you haven't already done the Cadwelding (I'm behind on my email 
reading this week), and assuming you're using One-Shots, I suggest you put a 
snake of electrician's putty around the wires and ground rod where they enter 
the ceramic mold.  My first attempt at using One-Shots ended badly when the 
molten material leaked out from around the openings.  I used the putty to plug 
the molds and had no problem with subsequent shots.

      And yes, make sure you immobilize the wires in the molds somehow.

      Good luck.


73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Kelly 
Taylor
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2016 10:14 AM
To: William K Carr III <k5tu@att.net>
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cad Welding tips

For Cadwelding, I'd recommend also to secure the wires from movement, as the 
force generated by the combustion can shoot loose wires free, leaving you with 
a useless blob of weld material and no connection to show for it.

As for using a torch, not sure: the ignition temperature of the weld material 
is deliberately formulated to be very high to reduce the chance of unintended 
ignition. The instructions say most flames are not hot enough, only sparks.

73, kelly, ve4xt

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 1, 2016, at 08:23, William K Carr III <k5tu@att.net> wrote:

I am about to embark on use of cadweld for bonding my ground wires to copper 
ground rods.

Has anyone used a pencil tip propane torch to light the cadweld? It would offer 
a little more distance to protect knuckles, etc.

Also, I have a K0XG rotating tower base. Richard recommends large diameter (in 
my case 4AWG) stranded welding cable to ground the tower (above the rotating 
base) to the ground rods. Has anyone used cadweld on stranded welding cable 
successfully?  Or, just go with a bronze clamp?

Your experience and/or suggestions are appreciated.

Kim K5TU



Sent from Samsung tablet

-------- Original message --------
 From Larry Loen <lwloen@gmail.com>
Date: 11/01/2016  00:22  (GMT-06:00)
To Gary <gary_mayfield@hotmail.com>
Cc towertalk@contesting.com
Subject Re: [TowerTalk] Cad Welding tips

I like that idea of an electric igniter.  Wish I had had one.

Even the gun made me a bit nervous.  This stuff is really hot.  You do
not want it touching you during the "exciting" moment and it is always
a pretty 'instant" (startling) moment when it ignites.  If your hand
is in the wrong place when it ignites, zero chance to escape undamaged.


Larry WO7R

On Mon, Oct 31, 2016 at 5:46 PM, Gary <gary_mayfield@hotmail.com> wrote:

One shots with a battery powered igniter.

https://www.therfc.com/cadweldnew.htm


The RFC will rent you the igniter - works awesome. Standard
disclaimer


73,

Joe kk0sd

[http://www.therfc.com/Images/cadweldscan2.jpg]<https://www.
therfc.com/cadweldnew.htm>

CADWELD Plus - The RF Connection Home Page<https://www.therfc.com/
cadweldnew.htm> www.therfc.com CADWELD Plus. The CADWELD ONE-SHOT
unit consists of the ceramic mold which contains the CADWELD WELD
METAL, a metal disk, a flared sleeve or sleeves and cover.





________________________________
From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of Bob
K6UJ < k6uj@pacbell.net>
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2016 7:36 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cad Welding tips

Larry,

Thanks for the info.   I will get the igniter gun too.
Safety first !

Bob
K6UJ

On 10/31/16 5:26 PM, Larry Loen wrote:
You can get the one shots all over the web.

This link:  http://kf7p.com/KF7P/HargerUniShot.html
Harger® Uni-Shot - kf7p.com<http://kf7p.com/KF7P/HargerUniShot.html>
kf7p.com
What is it? Exothermic welding is a welding process for joining two
electrical conductors. it uses a superheated copper alloy to
permanently join to conductors ...



. . .includes various one-shots.  Study carefully to find the exact
right one, including the diameter of your ground rod.  That, you can
get a lot
of
places.  The real value is the little "igniter gun" farther down the
page.
Scroll down until you find their igniter product that looks like a
little gun.  We had a lot of cadwelding to do and accidentally
experimented.  I tried a couple of other methods and frankly, as we
discovered, they were dangerous.  Some use ordinary sparklers to
ignite these things and we had some singed knuckles when we tried
that.  Likewise, ordinary flint-and-steel of various sorts.  Never
again.  Could have easily had
3rd
degree burns.  This little "gun" version of it gets your hands just
far enough away to be reasonably safe.  Try and ignite it at an
angle for further safety -- the stuff mostly goes straight up.  But,
you need a gap between you and the actual ignition.


Larry WO7R

On Mon, Oct 31, 2016 at 5:12 PM, Bob K6UJ <k6uj@pacbell.net> wrote:

I will be connecting no. 6 copper wire to 8 foot ground rods and
plan to bury the connections.  I did my homework reading Tower Talk
archives and have concluded that I will cad weld the connections.
I am a newbie at Cad Welding any advice,  and where is the best
place to get cad welding supplies ?


Bob
K6UJ
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
listinfo/towertalk>
lists.contesting.com
TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction topics.
TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share it.



_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
listinfo/towertalk>
lists.contesting.com
TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction topics.
TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share it.



_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
TowerTalk Info Page - Contesting<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/
listinfo/towertalk>
lists.contesting.com
TowerTalk is for discussion of tower and HF antenna construction topics.
TT members have lots of helpful information and are happy to share it.



_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk


--

73

Roger (K8RI)


---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus


_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>