| Author |
Message |
    
Funtimebob
Intermediate Member
Username: Funtimebob
Post Number: 187
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 1:42 pm: | 
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ever try driving a 8 foot copper ground rod in with nothing but a roofing hammer? loads of fun  |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 9715
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 6:06 pm: |
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Funtimebob,
The EASIEST way I have found to install Copper Ground Rods is to use a piece of galavenized pipe slightly larger the the size of the ground rod and install a screw on cap on one end of it.
Then slide it over the rod and use it as a Slide Hammer UP & DOWN.
Works a lot Faster and Easier than pounding the darn things in with a hammer and keeps the Top of the rod nice and round to slide your grounding connector over. 
Lon
Tech08
CEF808
N9CEF
CVC#2 |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 779
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 9:12 pm: |
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Ha! The EASIEST way is with water. Trickle water onto the ground push the rod in a few inches, back it out it will pull water in rinse lather and repeat. You can drive a rod with one hand if you want and you aren't going into shale That's another story! When the rod pulls the water in it utilizes hydraulic action to displace the soil while pushing down. It took me about 10 minutes or less to drive each of my rods and I did not get winded.
Chad |
Kid_vicious
Senior Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 1409
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 11:00 pm: |
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you guys with that rich midwestern soil make me sick!
one handed hammerless ground rod driving. HA!
not here! (las vegas)
i can only dream of what that must've been like chad. (makes Yosemite Sam noises)
i actually tried Lon's idea with some degree of success.
i made mine into sort of a "slide hammer" using a 18" length of threaded pipe, a screw on cap, and a coupler on the other end.
i slid three 10lb. dumbell weights over the pipe and added the coupler so they would have something to srtike against.
slide the pipe over the rod, pick up the weights, throw them down at the ground, voila!
for about the first three feet! then i hit "coliche" as we call it here, but it is hard clay that will triple the price of a pool install if found in your yard. big deposits of it ALL OVER las vegas. like every 100 feet or so.
there is a story of a contactor here who got a bid to build an underpass, and bankrupt his company trying to remove the stuff back in the '60's.
but i digress.
the slide hammer worked great until i broke the darn threads off the end of the pipe!
next time, the coupler went.
after that it was sledge hammer time.
if lowes pipe wasnt made in china nowadays, it might have worked.
roofing hammer?! good @#$#$%$!
i would have been reaching for the hacksaw!!!
from what tech 833 tells me; you can drive a ground rod into nearly solid granite using a ground rod driver or similar jackhammer device.
ive not tried it yet, but this is not my permanent install, so i will wait.
nice job, thats some perseverence!
matt |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 780
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 9:34 am: |
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Try wetting it anyway and doing the in/out thing. You would not believe the power water can make in that situation. I helped my father in law wire the place in tennesee and the shale was brutal. The water, although much less effective, DID help oodles!
Chad |
Kid_vicious
Senior Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 1420
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 10:43 pm: |
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maybe i did it wrong, but i tried that method here, and all i ended up with was muddy pants.
matt |
Vanillagorilla
Advanced Member
Username: Vanillagorilla
Post Number: 531
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 3:36 pm: |
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I did like Chad did...HYDRO-DRILL
Even easier with copper pipe
Hank CEF559 |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 2708
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 5:20 pm: |
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put a piece of 1 & 1/2 or 2" pvc in the ground a few inches 1st, fill it with water, & push the ground rod in. makes it even easier. |
Goat373
Intermediate Member
Username: Goat373
Post Number: 201
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 6:31 pm: |
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thats the same way we used to sink pilons for docks at river houses on the combee river...hydro-drill, the darn 12" poles are so heavy you just pump water into the hole untill the pilon is about 2 feet above the level you want it and have a guy go jump around on it...level all posts evenly with 18" husquvarna...apply 5/4 bords and viola...fisin' time. |
