[Towertalk] driving ground rods

[Mike Fatchett]

Home Depot sells fence post drivers.  I think they were about 20 bucks.  I
never thought about using one to drive in ground rods but that is a great
idea!

Mike
W0MU

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-admin@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-admin@contesting.com]On Behalf Of Tom Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 9:35 PM
To: n1nk
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] driving ground rods


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
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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