Adapter to drive hooks into house?

[PowerSupportElec]

My PoCo (PSE&G) provides service points of attachments, they are larger hooks that you thread into the framing. This can be a pain, especially from a ladder when in a bad position.

I was wondering if anyone knows of an adapter that can be put into a drill or impact gun and somehow attach to the hook/eyebolt and drive it into the wood?

These are the times that I wish I had a welder

 

[GoldDigger]

I was wondering if anyone knows of an adapter that can be put into a drill or impact gun and somehow attach to the hook/eyebolt and drive it into the wood?

Do you drill a pilot hole first?
You could just take a standard (or deep socket) which is just large enough to go over the head of the eyebolt, then fill in the two sides of the socket with epoxy to create a slotted socket instead. If you do a little experimenting you may be able to find a six-point or square socket that works without modification.

But if you prefer to buy something, there is this from Ryobi.

 

[PowerSupportElec]

Do you drill a pilot hole first?

Yes, but I don't like to make too big of a hole since there could be a lot of weight on the POA.

You could just take a standard (or deep socket) which is just large enough to go over the head of the eyebolt, then fill in the two sides of the socket with epoxy to create a slotted socket instead. If you do a little experimenting you may be able to find a six-point or square socket that works without modification.

That's why I asked, I knew I'd get some good ideas :thumbsup:

But if you prefer to buy something, there is this from Ryobi.

Even better!

Only I wonder how quickly I would snap that with an impact gun, it's only Ryobi lol.

Now that I look at it, the slot seems to be the same size as the 1/4" drive. The hooks I am talking about are thicker than that.

 

[Smart $]

repeat

 

[GoldDigger]

Even better!

Only I wonder how quickly I would snap that with an impact gun, it's only Ryobi lol.

Now that I look at it, the slot seems to be the same size as the 1/4" drive. The hooks I am talking about are thicker than that.

If you go with a standard socket that fits, you can use an impact driver socket and avoid that problem. Maybe drill a hole sideways through the socket and put a removable pin or a bolt in it.

 

[PowerSupportElec]

I actually just found a tip somewhere else. Just chuck a second hook into a drill, hook it into the hook on the house, and press the trigger to thread it in.

 

[GoldDigger]

I actually just found a tip somewhere else. Just chuck a second hook into a drill, hook it into the hook on the house, and press the trigger to thread it in.

Just be careful if you do that since to keep the two firmly together you may have to pull out rather than pushing in. And if it slips you may end up with your driver swinging around sideways on you while you are on top of the ladder.

 

[PowerSupportElec]

Very true.

Tomorrow I am going to check out what size impact sockets I have in the shop and see about doing your original idea.

This is actually the perfect situation to use one of those Gator-Grip socket thingies.

 

[ceb58]

Contact suppliers of drop ceiling grid work. They make a tool for a drill for screwing eye bolts into wood beams to attach the grid wire to.

 

[GoldDigger]

Contact suppliers of drop ceiling grid work. They make a tool for a drill for screwing eye bolts into wood beams to attach the grid wire to.

Worth a try, but usually they use eyebolts rather than hooks, and not the size that POCO would want to support an aerial service wire.

 

[mjf]

My PoCo (PSE&G) provides service points of attachments, they are larger hooks that you thread into the framing. This can be a pain, especially from a ladder when in a bad position.

I was wondering if anyone knows of an adapter that can be put into a drill or impact gun and somehow attach to the hook/eyebolt and drive it into the wood?

These are the times that I wish I had a welder

I thought PSE&G was now requiring bolt-through POA's on all new construction or if the POA is being relocated.

 

[PowerSupportElec]

I thought PSE&G was now requiring bolt-through POA's on all new construction or if the POA is being relocated.

Ya know, when I saw this post from you I just remembered that I forgot to reply to your PM. I meant to go back, but got sidetracked. That was rude of me.

Anyway, I'm from NJ, the NY in my profile was a typo that I forgot to change as well.

PSE&G in NJ is using galvanized hooks, I just picked one up today with the meter pan.

 

[mjf]

No problem. Life is busy. I think I forget more stuff than I remember!

My POCO is requiring the bolt-through POA's now. I don't work in PSE&G's area... (I thought) PSE&G requiring them was one of those things that a fellow EC that works down that way mentioned at one of my local EC meetings last year.

My local POCO must have decided that ripping the service off of the side of the house when a tree falls on the overheads wasn't sufficient....they want the whole side of the house to get ripped down

 

[mjf]

Just noticed you said you picked the hook up WITH the meter pan....nice, they still provide them. POCO stopped supplying us with meter pans years ago.

 

[PowerSupportElec]

Thinking about the last few service upgrades that I did, all of them would be very hard to bolt thru. Either I would have to open up the wall inside living space or I would have to crawl through very tight attics.

No thanks!

 

[PowerSupportElec]

Just noticed you said you picked the hook up WITH the meter pan....nice, they still provide them. POCO stopped supplying us with meter pans years ago.

Yeah, it's a $60 savings which is nice. The meter pan includes a meter hub as well.

 

[zbang]

Do you drill a pilot hole first?

Yes, but I don't like to make too big of a hole since there could be a lot of weight on the POA.

FWIW, pretty much every reference I checked indicates a pilot hole of 40-60% root diameter of the screw when used in softwood. Most of them also say that you can lubricate the threads with soap or similar for insertion and that it doesn't affect the pullout strength.

http://www.pdhcenter.com/courses/s167/s167content.pdf says:

The proper installation of lag screws in either withdrawal or lateral loading
typically requires a pilot hole drilled to two different diameters. The hole for the shank is
drilled at the shank diameter and length and the hole is continued for the rest of the length
of the lag screw at a reduced size. The recommended sizes for the threaded portion are
based on the shank diameter, D, and the specific gravity, G, of the wood as follows: for
G >.6, 65% to 85% of D; for .5 < G ≤ .6, 60% to 70% of D; for G ≤ .5, 40% to 70% (Ref.
1, p.66). Lead or pilot holes are not required for lag screws of 3/8? or smaller diameter if
they are loaded primarily in withdrawal in wood of G ≤ .5. The use of lubrication to
facilitate insertion of the lag screw does not affect its allowable load. Lag screws are to
be screwed in, not driven in. When washers are used with lag screws the thickness of the
washer must be considered in calculating depth of penetration.

And there's also http://www.fastenermart.com/html/lag-bolts.html

Probably more than you wanted to know.