tough terrain

[johneymac]

Does anybody have any tips on driving ground rods with a sledge hammer in tough ground.

 

[hillbilly1]

I havn't tried it, but I have heard driving the ground rod through a cup of water lubricates it, making it easier. I use an electric jack hammer with a ground rod driver attachment.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

I'm with hillbilly, I use power tools. If not available, get a bigger hammer. I would imagine a 16# sledge would go through rock or bend the rod.

 

[hot wire]

work smarter not harder..

 

[LarryFine]

Does anybody have any tips on driving ground rods with a sledge hammer in tough ground.

Use a fence-post driver until it hits the ground, then switch to the sledge.

 

[eric9822]

Use a fence-post driver until it hits the ground, then switch to the sledge.

That is a great idea! I did some volunteer work at a charter school about a year ago running feeders to portable buildings and we had to drive all the rods with sledge hammers. I wish I had thought of that then, I had one of those things sitting in my shed the entire time I was cursing the lack of a hammer drill with a ground rod driver.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Use a fence-post driver until it hits the ground, then switch to the sledge.

Larry, I have one I made out of two pieces of heavy pipe with a weight in the end of the top one. One pipe fits over the other pipe and slides up and down. The inner pipe fits the rod and the outer pipe slides over it. It works great, but I haven't used it in years. Ericko makes something like it.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Drive the rod until it will not go any further....then cut the damn thing, it won't be worth a hoot anyway....OOPs, I forgot this is a code forum.
Get an apprentice to drive it, thats what they did when I was an apprentice.

 

[shepelec]

Get an apprentice to drive it, thats what they did when I was an apprentice.

I hated doing that. Hit my knee and wrist so many times, lots of rock around here.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

I hated doing that. Hit my knee and wrist so many times, lots of rock around here.

At least you didn't do like My Dad did when I was a kid.

He was using a homemade driver similar to the one in Larry's post, he raised it up too far on the up stroke and it came off the rod, he didn't realize it until he had already commited to the downstroke. He drove the 5/8" ground rod THROUGH his left hand. Right in the center of the palm

 

[Cow]

Cut the wooden handle off a sledgehammer. Weld a 3/4 pipe handle back on it. Now you have a ground rod driver/sledgehammer.

I still prefer the Hilti though when I have power available.

 

[pitkas]

I start off with a 6 foot ladder. Put the ground rod through the hammer hole and hammer away. As it goes down, move the ladder so the rod goes through the rungs that you don't stand on. This will stabilize the rod as you are pounding it. Or, you can have somebody with a bender stabilize it.

 

[wawireguy]

Get this thing called a concrete encased electrode and you are good to go.

 

[LarryFine]

Get this thing called a concrete encased electrode and you are good to go.

Where can I find the old-work version?

 

[wawireguy]

LOL, better break out the x-ray vision goggles!

 

[tom baker]

Get an adapter for a roto-hammer. hang or stand on the handle. A larger, 3/4" or 1" rod will drive better.
My army grounding manual mentions that C-4 explosive can be used in frozen ground.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Get an adapter for a roto-hammer. hang or stand on the handle. A larger, 3/4" or 1" rod will drive better.
My army grounding manual mentions that C-4 explosive can be used in frozen ground.

They should institute that in the NEC!!!