[Towertalk] driving ground rods

Tom Anderson ww5l@gte.net
Wed, 17 Apr 2002 22:34:57 -0500


JIM:


Try most any store that sells fencing supplies, especially a farm supply store.
Years ago I found a fence post driver that is a 3-4 inch piece of pipe with
handles on the side and one end welded shut.  Its about 2-3 feet long.  Just
slide it over the top of the ground rod and start raising it up and slamming it
down onto the ground rod.  It will work great for all but the last 2-3 feet then
you have to use a sledge hammer.  Also the fence post driver doesn't flatten the
top of the ground rod like hammering it 6-7 feet with a sledge.  I usually run a
water hose in the area where I put my ground rods and let the water run at a
trickle for a day or two, or use a root feeder.  Really softens up the ground.
Years ago unbeknownst to me I had a small faucet leak in a flower bed where I
was going to put some more ground rods and when I got ready to put them in, the
ground was so soft I was able to push them in by hand probably 4-5 feet.

Tom, WW5L




n1nk wrote:

> I started driving the first of planned 6 8' ground rods in this afternoon.
> ouch.
>
> also stopped by the local hardware store to see if they had or could point
> me to a sliding type drive device.  they were unable to do so.  I am looking
> for simething like the tool sold for splitting wood which has a wedge at the
> bottom, a shaft and a weight that one lifts and is slung downward to impart
> force to the wedge.  works great on wood, don't see why it would not work in
> this application.
>
> took a quick look through grainger and northerntool and did not find such a
> tool.
>
> where next?  and thanks for all the tips and info related to my current
> tower project.
>
> jim
> N1NK
>
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