[TowerTalk] Cadweld Question

[Dick Green WC1M]

When I bought my first Cadweld materials, I purchased a ground rod driving
adapter (or whatever it's actually called.) I believe it's a standard part
supplied by Erico. At any rate, I got it through The RF Connection. It's a
short pipe, closed at one end, that slips over the top of the ground rod.
Not only does it prevent the top of the rod from mushrooming, but it also
provides a much larger target for the sledge hammer (or whatever you use.)
I've driven about 30 rods with mine and it's still usable, though the head
is quite mushroomed at this point. But that makes for an even larger target.

73, Dick WC1M

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darrel J. Van Buer [mailto:darrel at vanbuer.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 2:17 AM
> To: Mark Robinson
> Cc: Tower; Roger (K8RI)
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cadweld Question
> 
> I did my first Cadweld one shots a year ago.  The hardest parts were
> mechanical - had to touch up the ends of each ground rod with a file in
> spots where it was mushroomed out from driving it, and getting the mold
> over the end of the rod (I might have had a slightly-too small size) -
> the rubber gasket is pretty snug.
> The rest was easy.  Poured in the powder, grazed each with a propane
> torch at arm's length (wrong tool, might blow away some of the powder
> but... hot enough, running fairly low flame).  It really only burns for
> a moment, though the molten copper takes a few minutes to cool.
> 
> A brazing rod is certainly cheaper than a one shot, but also requires
> the right (expensive) tools and a lot of skill
> --
> Darrel J. Van Buer, AK6I
> darrel at vanbuer.net
>