[TowerTalk] Sinking ground rods

[Donald Chester]

>From: "Allen R. Brier" <britech at earthlink.net>

>What is the best/easiest method to sink ground rods? I know the trick of
>using water to fill the hole several times to make it easy, but I have also
>heard that the ground contact is not as good using this method vs. pounding
>the rod in the hard way, in dry ground. Which is best?

I've heard the same thing myself.  I use a metal fence post driver.  It is 
basically a heavy pipe about  2' long, with one end welded closed and a 
couple of handles made from rebar welded to the sides.  You slip the driver 
over the rod and pound into the  ground using the welded-closed end as the  
hammer.  When I get the rod as far down as I can with the post drive, I 
finish the job using a regular sledge hammer.  The hardest part about the 
old fashioned hard way was getting it started, trying to pound the 8' high 
end with the sledge.  I have tried that using a stepladder, and with every 
blow the stepladder felt like it was going to turn over or fall apart 
underneath me.  With the post driver, all the motion is directed precisely 
down vertically on the rod, and even standing on a flimsy stepladder
at the beginning is no problem.

Don k4kyv