[TowerTalk] Cadweld Question

[BRENT BAUM]

One thing to watch out for with mushroomed heads on metallic items intended to be driven with a hammer: Shrapnel. 
 
Pounding against a mushroomed head can make flakes fly off with the speed of bullets and they always seem to bury themselves in tender body parts such as eyes, chests, etc.
 
Be safe, grind down the mushroom and then pound to your heart's content.
 
K7MEI> From: wc1m at msn.com> To: darrel at vanbuer.net; markrob at mindspring.com> Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 15:36:59 -0400> CC: towertalk at contesting.com; K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cadweld Question> > 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> > > > > _______________________________________________> > > > _______________________________________________> TowerTalk mailing list> TowerTalk at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk