[Towertalk] cadweld suggestions needed

[Steve G.]

Hi Jim,

Here are a couple of obvious suggestions, but some other helpful ones (I hope).

1.  Use the proper size cad-weld form for the wire ground rod sizes you have.
2.  Make sure your rod and copper cable are clean and free of 
oxidation.  Use some
light sandpaper and/or steel wool to accomplish this.
3.  Complete the cad-welding on a DRY day with low humidity, otherwise it 
might not
be easy to ignite the powder.  I worked for about an hour to ignite weld 
several years back
in a foggy environment.  I finally got it...
4.  Take care in making sure the fine powder is placed on top of the coarser
mixture in the cast or form.  This finer stuff is the only powder that 
ignites from
the spark.  Without it on top, I just wouldn't know how to safely set off 
the cad-weld.
Sometimes the fine power is located under the cap of the mixture container.
5.  Use a good spark producer to ignite the powder, so you can back off as 
it ignites.

I'm sure others will have suggestions.  73 and GL

At 09:49 AM 6/28/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>I am about to tie my ground rods to the tower via #4 copper wire with the
>ground rod end buried and tied together by a cadweld fitting.  I have the
>wire, rods, and the cadweld hardware.  Never having done or seen cadweld
>done, I would appreciate tips on doing it right the first time.  the array
>will be a 3 pairs of rods, each pair tied to a tower leg.  one rod will also
>tie into the entrance panel which houses the polyphaser protectors.
>
>also, I would like to tie the entrance panel to the rod by copper strap.
>but I have not found a source for a fitting that marries the two.  easy to
>do with wire.  would appreciate a lead on this aspect as well.
>
>jim
>N1NK
>x AB6R
>
>anybody needing newport county, rhode island on any band, let me know and we
>will set up a schedule
>
>
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