Fred McKenzie wrote:
In article ,
Ian White GM3SEK wrote:

Probably... the "2 kilogram" drills look like a stretched version of a
normal pistol-grip drill, with a horizontal motor. For example:
http://tinyurl.com/33zcrr

Ian-

Your first example is the one I was looking at.

Neither store had anything like a Ground Rod adapter or half inch socket
adapter in stock. I searched the web and was not able to find a ground
rod adapter compatible with SDS+. I found one comment that such an
adapter would not be sufficiently strong to withstand the forces
required to drive a ground rod.

Nah - we're not talking about pile-driving here.

There were several references to an
SDS-Max adapter, but that may not be compatible with SDS+. Yes, the
prices were high!

SDS Max is the next league up in terms of brute performance, weight and
price. For normal ground rods, SDS Max is probably more than you need.

I did find references to a half inch socket adapter. It is a Hitachi
"1/2 inch Chemical Anchor Adapter", Code No. 303044.

No, it's not that one either...

It seems the magic words might be "nut driver":
http://tinyurl.com/2bohkg

You use the flat end of the nut driver to hammer on the rod, and to
prevent it from skidding off the end of the rod, you snap on the correct
size of automotive nut-driver socket.

These surely must be available somewhere in the USA, if you can figure
out the right name to ask for.


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Ian White GM3SEK wrote in
:

There's a potential language gap here, but "electric hammers" fall into
three broad groups. Working downward in size:

Ian,

The device I use (Hitach PH65) would be called a small electric
demolition hammer or concrete breaker (and it does not have rotation, it
is not a drill).

It has sufficient power to break through / deflect thin shale or small
rocks in the path.

Smaller pneumatic drills which can operate chasing chisels etc *may* work
fine in soft soil for shorter electrodes. It is probably possible to make
a driving adapter by cutting the end off a chisel or point and welding a
peice of pipe of 100mm length and snug fit over the chisel to create a
socket to locate the adapter over the electrode.

I usually place a few wraps of electrical tape over the rod end to reduce
the damage to the copper cladding and reduce spreading or noodling of the
end of the rod, especially if another rod will be driven behind it using
a coupler.

Owen

Owen Duffy wrote in
:

Ian White GM3SEK wrote in
:

There's a potential language gap here, but "electric hammers" fall
into three broad groups. Working downward in size:

Ian,

The device I use (Hitach PH65) would be called a small electric
demolition hammer or concrete breaker (and it does not have rotation,
it is not a drill).

I should have found a URL with specs and a pic, shouldn't I?

Oh well, better late than never:

http://www.hitachikoki.com.sg/produc...ls.jsp?pid=181

It is a bit bigger than 2kg or 4kg... the machine alone is 15kg.

I should take a couple of pics of the machine, my adapter for earth rods,
and a commercial adapter for start pickets, and the thing being used to
drive 2.4m earth rod sections (which can go in behind each other with an
double tapered joiner).

I think the start picket adapter cost around A$160 from Makita, the bull
point I modified for the earth rod driver cost about A$30 and an hours
work to anneal, drill, and retemper.

Owen

Make a slide hammer from a 1 to 2ft length of 3/4" steel pipe with a
pipe cap on one end and a pipe flange on the other. Then stack several
weights from an exercise set on the pipe, slide the pipe over the ground
rod flange side down and pound away. You might want to put some metal
washers inside the pipe cap because you can blow through some cheaper
caps. A longer piece of pipe will give you a better blow to the rod but
will leave you with more sticking out of the soil when the pipe finally
hits ground level.
Bob

Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T) wrote:
Thanks to all for all the information you have provided, including the
latest thread on "ground rods at base of tower". The explanations
received were very well thought out and comprehensive, and make all the
sense in the world when one stops to think for a minute... :-)

Now the fun begins.

I went down to the electrical supply house and bought 3 8-ft ground rods
and started driving one in at about a 45 degree angle under the window of
the shack.

As expected, I am having one hell of a time getting it into the ground.

Every little while I stop and put a pencil mark on the rod down near the
ground, and beat the end of the rod 10 or 15 more times, then look to see
if the pencil mark has moved. So far it is moving but not much... but at
least it's moving so presumably I haven't hit immovable rock yet.

Someone said something about an electric hammer and that I could drive
the rod into the ground in "minutes". If I go to try to rent one of those,
what should I be looking for?

Also, when I bought the ground rods the guy at the electrical shop showed
me something called a Sluggo-Ox (www.sluggo-ox.com), touted as "the
ultimate ground rod driving tool". It's not much more than a heavy block
of tempered steel with a hole in one end that you place over the rod, and
a LARGE head on the other end that you hit with your hammer. It claims to
makes it easier to actually hit the end of the rod (which I am doing only
about 60 percent of the time when I swing the sledgehammer). It also
costs $120 (!!), at least that's what this place charges for it. I'm
almost ready to go get one if it will help. Well, maybe not quite "almost"
ready... ;-)

Anything else that will make the job a little easier? I gave up for the
day after about an hour and a half (it started raining so I figured that
was as good an excuse as I needed...)... figured on starting in again on
Sunday (tomorrow is booked...).

"Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)" wrote in message
news

Thanks to all for all the information you have provided, including the
latest thread on "ground rods at base of tower". The explanations
received were very well thought out and comprehensive, and make all the
sense in the world when one stops to think for a minute... :-)

Now the fun begins.

I went down to the electrical supply house and bought 3 8-ft ground rods
and started driving one in at about a 45 degree angle under the window of
the shack.

As expected, I am having one hell of a time getting it into the ground.

Every little while I stop and put a pencil mark on the rod down near the
ground, and beat the end of the rod 10 or 15 more times, then look to see
if the pencil mark has moved. So far it is moving but not much... but at
least it's moving so presumably I haven't hit immovable rock yet.

Someone said something about an electric hammer and that I could drive
the rod into the ground in "minutes". If I go to try to rent one of those,
what should I be looking for?

Also, when I bought the ground rods the guy at the electrical shop showed
me something called a Sluggo-Ox (www.sluggo-ox.com), touted as "the
ultimate ground rod driving tool". It's not much more than a heavy block
of tempered steel with a hole in one end that you place over the rod, and
a LARGE head on the other end that you hit with your hammer. It claims to
makes it easier to actually hit the end of the rod (which I am doing only
about 60 percent of the time when I swing the sledgehammer). It also
costs $120 (!!), at least that's what this place charges for it. I'm
almost ready to go get one if it will help. Well, maybe not quite "almost"
ready... ;-)

Anything else that will make the job a little easier? I gave up for the
day after about an hour and a half (it started raining so I figured that
was as good an excuse as I needed...)... figured on starting in again on
Sunday (tomorrow is booked...).


You've received about all the good ideas there are on how to do it. The only
thing I have to offer is an alternative to rods, and that is many square
feet of "hardware cloth" either on top of the ground before seeding or under
newly laid sod. Hardware cloth comes in a number of sizes - - I used 1/2"
square - - and it is galvanized by a dipping process that guarantees
electrical continuity to every square foot. I laid two 50ft runs using 36"
wide material, with the two runs at 90 degrees and my Butternut vertical at
the corner. Of course, you need to solder wires to the hardware cloth at the
antenna base for the ground connection. Watering your lawn can only help,
and in fact you may need only half or a quarter the size I put in if it's
under a watered lawn.

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:16:32 -0400, "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)"
wrote:


Thanks to all for all the information you have provided, including the
latest thread on "ground rods at base of tower". The explanations
received were very well thought out and comprehensive, and make all the
sense in the world when one stops to think for a minute... :-)

Now the fun begins.

I went down to the electrical supply house and bought 3 8-ft ground rods
and started driving one in at about a 45 degree angle under the window of
the shack.

As expected, I am having one hell of a time getting it into the ground.

I have used a big drill bit brazed to a steel rod to drill a pilot
hole. Really hard on a 3/8 drill motor, not easy on the operator.

Some soils are easy when wet, some are easier when dry.

My preferred driver is a weighted piece of pipe with one end closed
and welded on handles. You might be able to borrow-rent one where
chain link fencing is sold. I built mine so I can use it with steel
fence posts as well.

John Ferrell W8CCW
"Life is easier if you learn to
plow around the stumps"