RE: grounding question

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE: grounding question
From: "sundog" <sundog-at-timeship-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 06:49:02 -0700
Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme


As my arms can attest, it wasn't easy to sink that pipe. Erosion placement
didn't work too well, but did keep me nice and cool with a shower of water
(and sand).  Florida is all sand, so it was kinda difficult for me to sink
it, but nothing a hammer and chunk of 2x4 to keep from ruining the pipe
couldn't manage.  For somewhere like Tx...hmm
 When I lived in Tennessee we had a tool we used to set fenceposts. It was
piece of metal sewer pipe with a metal cap welded over one end, and a set of
handles on the pipe.  It was all made from steel. The pipe was .5" thick
walled, about 6" in diameter and 4" long, the metal endcap was just a piece
of plate .5" thick also.  The handles were pieces of steel bars, each handle
was a 3'long, and stood about 3" off of the pipe.  We'd use a sledge to get
the post started, then just slide the pipe over the end of it. We'd lift the
pipe up and let it slam down on the post.  The whole thing weighed between
50-100 pounds, depending onwha was used to make it.  Wasn't a "low effort"
device, but it worked *very* well driving a fencepost, and I've used it with
a long concrete bit to put a hole in a foundation block (3' thick concrete
slab, don't ask).  That may or may not help you, but it works *much* better
than a sledgehammer (and is safer on fingers too!)  Hope it helps!

Sundog - The man with the plan!  Written in dissapearing ink......

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla List [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 2:29 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: grounding question


Original Poster: "Kelly Shutt" <tcatut-at-mail.utexas.edu>

ok... i live down in good old Austin, TX and we have a unique ground
problem... most of the ground around here is Texas rock... you go down about
a few feet or even inches as the case is where I'm trying to drive my rod,
and  you hit what is basically gravel... anyone know any ways to work around
this... i suppose i could get a thin rod and put a point on it to push
between rocks but i don't know how well that would work... also, how do you
people go about driving 8 and 10 foot pipes into the ground... that can't be
an easy task... i would appreciate any help or solutions that any of you
might possess.

Thanks,
Kelly