cheap grounding rod driver

[MarkAndDebbie]

I drove my grounding rod 3ft down today with a dead blow hammer (great hammer - get one before you get a sledge. I find it easier to control. I don't get the power I would from the full arch of a sledge, but I find I am "tapping" with my sledge most of the time - not swinging for the fence.) I did this standing on the truck bed. Then I hit something hard. I wouldn't call it bedrock - just rock.

What do you think about a threaded capped pipe with two T's and more pipe for handles? would that make a good driver? Any way to make it heavier? What size pipe would be best? What would be a solution if this doesn't work?

[tanya]

My landlord came and put in a new grounding rod here a fews weeks ago my son said the pounder he used looked like the fence post pounder but smaller.  I bet a regular metal fence post pounder would work fine just don't pound as hard.  I got my fence post pounder at the farm supply store for around $25.  I have horses and had lots of fencing so it has been a tool well worth the money.  

[glenn kangiser]

That's the same thing I was going to recommend, tanya.

Also - a rotohammer if large enough to fit the rod and having a stop rotation may work, and many times I have driven 5/8 to 3/4 rebar with the Bosch Brute electric jack hammer - you can rent it at rental yards and some Home Depots.  Just put it directly over the rod - using the rod for a bit, and hammer away.

You may also b e able to use a Uffer ground where you just put 20 feet of rebar in your footing with the bent end sticking out.

[tc-vt]

I used my 6 foot step ladder when I drove my ground rods.  The rod was guided straight by placing it through the bars on the opposite side of the ladder from the side with the steps.  I could stand on the ladder and strike from a comfortable height with a small sledge hammer.  Once the rods were driven the first few feet they didn't wobble around so much.  One rod hit a stone with two feet or so left above the ground so I bent the remaining part still above ground.  Each rod went in in a few minutes.

Tom

[MarkAndDebbie]

I learned some things today. I tried to build my own post hole driver (with the galvanized pipe from the other thread - I was using to bend rebar - two birds with one pipe). I put a T on top and busted right through the wall on the third drive. I also busted right through an end cap.

I had asked at the place where I bought the rod if they had some advice - " a sledge hammer and some conviction."

I then bought a fence post driver ($28). I debated for a while which one to buy - spring loaded ($28) or plain ($19). I knew better. My kinetic energy would be "wasted" charging the spring - but it would be easier. The rod didn't move an inch.

Called people for help - really looking for a contractor who knew must have solved this problem or a farmer with some pto hydrolic. Didn't really find anything. My masons were all for cutting it off at 3' in the ground - "what were they going to do to check it - dig it up?"

I finally came to my senses and called the EMC. Or rather I didn't call the EMC - "we did not have this conversation"
Hypothetical conversation
me: what do I do?
hypothetical engineer at a local EMC: just get it in the ground

I am currently post hole digging next to the rod to get it out. Then I'll continue a trench (in a direction the power company won't hit it) down ~ 2' to 3'.

[MikeC]

A t-post driver works well.  If you run into a rock that won't break the grounding rod can be removed for placement elsewhere with a pipe wrench while applying upward force - water helps to lubricate going in & out.  A tip from our electrical inspector - place the ground rod in the electrical trench & you'll have two feet buried in no time.

[tc-vt]

Rereading your post I see your dilemma is that you hit a stone.  One resolution is to buy another rod or two and drive in different areas.  Several rods connected to each other by 4 or 6 ga bare copper wire in a long ground loop around the house is a better grounding system than the minimum rod or two required by the code.

If you are determined to pull out the rod that has hit a stone, jacking it out with a hi-lift jack or a hydraulic jack might work.  Or if you can rigidly fasten a hook to the end of the rod, try using a slide hammer to pull it out of the ground.

Tom

[MarkAndDebbie]

So I couldn't get my first one out (even after digging it out 2ft down with the post hole digger). I didn't have a jack or a chain to tie to my hitch. So I cut it off with my grindoff blade.

I got a second rod, dug a trench with the posthole digger, drove the rod in at an angle at the bottom of the trench, bent the rod up. I didn't get all 8ft in the ground my bend leaves about 3inches up. I think I'll mound some dirt up on top of it.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll let you know when it passes inspection tomorrow.

[desdawg]

I would think that using a T-post driver would work but I think you would want to size it down to a little bigger than ground rod diameter to eliminate the slop. The head of the rod is going to mushroom some but the closer it fits the better it would work IMO. My T-post driver is fairly long (16-18", I have to check it) so I would have to drive the last couple of feet with a hammer. Maybe I will weld a diameter shrinking pipe sleeve inside of mine and experiment.