[TowerTalk] Storing Big Grips Outside - What Happens?

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/29/00 12:12:15 AM Pacific Daylight Time, AD7L@aol.com 
writes:

> Preformed Line Products indicates that Big Grips should be stored in 
cartons, 
> 
>  under cover - preferably shelf storage - until used.  
>  
>  I'm curious, what happens if they are stored outdoors?  
>  
    Nothing really.

>  Our local power company, Portland General Electric, has these little open 
>  trailers just full of hardware which they pull behind their trucks.  They 
>  have all sorts of guy grips hanging on horizontal bars, obviously not 
> indoors.
>  
>  The only thing I can think of is that the weather can somehow degrade that 
>  salt looking stuff that is on the inside of the grips.  It is interesting 
to 
>  note, however, that the grips can be removed and reapplied twice in the 
> first 
>  three months after the initial application.  Obviously they've been 
outside 
>  for three months.....

    Preformed grips are designed to spend their lives outside so hanging them 
on the back of a utility truck is in no way compromising them. The grit 
inside the legs is also outdoor-grade obviously.

    The loss of the grit (and degradation of holding power) comes when you 
remove the grip and leave some of the grit behind. That's why they can only 
be removed twice. The grit provides something like 40% of the holding power. 

    I don't know what the nature of the adhesive is or whether the adhesive 
and grit go through some sort change in the presence of water.

    This is sort of like storing EHS guy wire indoors when it doesn't really 
matter if it's stored outdoors.

Cheers,   Steve   K7LXC
Tower Tech

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