grounding rods

[1idejim]

curious as to what everyone is using for grounding, i have a few ideas that have been swimming and would like some feedback from the population as to what their favorites may be.

[Lead^Tech]

Using a 5' piece of rebar for certain situations. Used a grinder to create a point on one end and welded together a slide hammer to drive it into the ground and it works great when we need to get to wetter soil. Otherwise using the supplied grounding rods that came with my RD units.

[ProfessionalLocator]

Where the ground is hard or frozen a decking nail about 10" to a foot long pounded into the ground with a hammer. Fits into the bag along with the other locating stuff so easy to carry around.

The same nail can be hand pushed into the ground when the ground is soft.

A screwdriver with a really long shank has a handle that makes it easy to push into most soils.

Those 5' to 6' ground rods with slide hammers on them are too awkward and heavy to carry around with all the other stuff I carry to the site. Besides, makes me look like Captain Ahab.

[Lead^Tech]

+1 on the decking nail - good idea.

And we just leave that big 'ole ground rod in the service truck in case we need it. Certainly not toting that baby around a site!

[Goldenboy]

Here is what we use to get through the frost in the winter. I have not drove mine into any utilities yet but I'm sure it happens with these type of ground rods.



In the summer we just use what you get when you buy the locators. Just a piece of 3/8 th round bar with a point on it.

[foefn]

I have used the ground rod pounder in the past but actually prefer a solution I discovered after breaking my last rod. I was in a small town when I broke the last one I had and they had a discount/dollar store there. I stopped in expecting to find anything that was metal I could use, screwdriver, rod, anything. What I found works great! I have had it for more than two years now. Have you ever seen those metal paint stirring bits for your drill? Yep. Cost me a total of $1.99 (plus tax of course). I have two examples that are similar though not exactly what I have. The one I have is less dangerous looking. It is 28" long, however, and works great. The two similar examples:
http://www.tools247.co.uk/Decorators...t_currency=USD
and
http://www.capitolsupply.com/catalog...l?cid=cse_ggl4

Neither one of them do justice to the one I actually use, honestly, but it was the best I could since mine is in the company truck and I am too lazy to go get it (it is, afterall, a twenty mile drive one way).

Have a great weekend and safe holidays! - hit the dollar stores!

[headcipher]

We use 4 ft probe rods that work most of the time. Here we can have hard soils & sometimes can't get a ground with even 4 ft and some liquid poured in the hole so we also have the long slide hammer rods(they're great for grounding through the pavement in the middle of the street). I laugh at the manufacturer supplied ground rods that come with our machines, 6 inches, 10 inches, for here? Give me a break.

[Paint'n & Flag'n]

Once I left my rod at a house so i used a flag for a day and half until I was able to go by that house again. the flag worked great with my 8000.

[4Q2]

Yes, here I am back from skiing. By far my best trick to this thread is a cordless drill. I use an old Dewalt 18v hammer drill I have taken out of service, but have seen $10 cordless drills from Homier (a traveling toolsale) work just as well. Use an old 18" masonry bit and drill into frozen ground, hook your neg direct and go, baby. Works great!!!

[4Q2]

Yup, still drinking RED STRIPE>

[Wingfoot]

Inside the louvered, green, plastic, rectangular CATV amplifier pedestals I find abandoned 24" long 3/8" diameter stainless steel rods. I use these for ground rods.

In my work bench vise I clamp about 5" of one end of the rod. I use my short handle 3 pound sledge hammer to beat a 90 degree bend into the rod. This will be the handle of my ground rod. I then use my bench grinder, or my 4 1/2" side grinder, to form a slotted screwdriver type of point on the long end of the rod.

Slotted Parallel Tip Screwdriver

These hand made ground rods are sweet year 'round! The 5" handle and slotted point work well together.

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[ProfessionalLocator]

Once I left my rod at a house so i used a flag for a day and half until I was able to go by that house again. the flag worked great with my 8000.

One important thing with ground rods is surface area exposed to the dirt. I find if I clutch several flags and splay the bottom of their shafts out I can get a good ground most of the time. By splaying them out they enter the ground at different points, some hit a rock and stop and other go deeper. Then I bunch the tops together and clip my lead to the bundle.

[tequilawombat]

I use a metal roofing hammer, it looks like a hatchet. The extra surface area it has will usually make a excellent ground. In the summer when the ground is hard packed or the winter when it is frozen, it will bust through and make a good ground. When it doesn't, then I use the hammer end and pound in a ground rod. If this isn't enoungh, then I criss cross the two and make a ground field. The hammer by itself works 98% of the time.

[Wingfoot]

I use a metal roofing hammer, it looks like a hatchet. The extra surface area it has will usually make a excellent ground. In the summer when the ground is hard packed or the winter when it is frozen.

Hey wombat - A roofing hammer for a ground rod during the winter months....... What a good idea! Thanks Man!

Oh - Welcome to the'Vine....... Please post often!

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[1idejim]

i've been using many different types, from screwdrivers to copper ground rods. i sometimes use a good quality garden trowel to clean boxes out and have found that they work well, they have a lot of surface area. space is a concern and shock hazard for slide hammers and drills are a drawback for manufacturing.

i know that there will be issues one way or another, thanks for the replies