A Few of My Favorite Things

[mdshunk]

Get a set! Love mine!

I use mine pretty hard. You'll see a 4' version and a 6' version on the market. Definitely go for the 6' version. That lets you use 1 rod for most tasks. They do wear and get sharp fiberglass splinters hanging off of them. They split, too. I go through about a set a year, so I try to pick up a new set when I notice them on sale at the supply house, for when I'll need them later. You can buy them in 100 packs and various diameters on eBay for a good price, if you have lots of guys. The more stout diameters are good for rodding out underground conduits that have mud in them, such that you can't get a string blown in or a fish tape to pass. Jam in however many fish sticks, pull back a string, and pull your swab through.

 

[Rockyd]

Nothing like an Ingersoll Rand Air Compressor cranking out 150+ CFM (Compliments of the GC for having a machine on wheels) behind a hapless baggie with jet line secured, to clear a pipe!

Make sure to announce "Stand clear the pipe!" prior to cracking the valve...Chases out rocks, dead rodents, things you don't even want to know about out of the line.

Seen things fly out over thirty feet!

 

[ptonsparky]

We used to use CO2 tanks to shoot string lines. Shot one through a hollow core door. Boss wasn't happy. Guy watching for the string line was lucky.

 

[brian john]

I love toys, Uh I mean tools that includes test equipment.

My daily tools

One of 5 meggers I use

 

[tallgirl]

Julie, we used #9 rebar for cages on stadium light pier bases. That is 1 1/8" rebar for those that do not know. The idea sounds like a keen idea only that I don't know if I could lift the darn thing. Remind me never to challenge you to an armwrestling match !!..........By the way, we use a Ramset to drive rods, or a hydraulic attachment on a digger truck we have.

An 18 INCH piece of rebar? Or the entire contraption? And if you can't lift the gadget with two piece of rebar added, how are you going to lift it without?!?

Or are you talking about putting a bend in the rebar? That's what the gas torch in your shop (the one next to your arc welder ) is for.

The idea behind using a phat piece of rebar (for Marc) is making it easier to grasp. I hate carrying things with small handles because they cut into my hands more.

 

[tallgirl]

Why make one?

I have one, but haven't touched it since getting my Bosch SDS-max rotary hammer.

You don't have many friends who can weld, do you?

Back before I learned how to weld, Dad picked up a 25hp side shaft motor for some stupid project he had in mind (that or it was "free" and he just ... brought it home "because"). Well, the muffler was rotten, so he asked one of the welders who worked for him (he was the senior engineer on a repair dry dock in New Orleans at the time) to make a muffler from scraps. The guy welded one up from stainless steel piping and plates and drilled some holes on the end. That muffler is probably STILL in like-new condition, 30 years later.

 

[mkoloj]

You guys who use the Greenlee and similiar brand fish sticks should check out this website:
http://lsdinc.com/content/main
Look at the Creep-Zit sticks.
They are made differently, instead of being straight fiber-glass they seem to be wound in a spiral pattern. No more of those nasty splinters.
They are a lot more forgiving and durable.
I have actually taken the heavy-duty model (1/4" thick) and bent them end to end and mated the end connectors on one rod. The thinner version is even more flexible, you could probably tie them into a knot.
I by far believe these to be far superior to the common version of this wonderful tool.
And they have a version that glows in the dark when charged with a flashlight!
You can find a distributor on their website.
No, I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer.

 

[peter d]

My daily tools

Wow....I've never seen an electrician who brought fireplace tools with him as well. I guess you can never be too prepared.

 

[zbang]

Why make one?

Most of the pre-made pounders I've seen fall apart after 20-30 uses, especially if you're doing fence posts. We've got one on the festival work trailer that's been welded back together 3 or 4 times. OTOH the shop-made ones just keep going, 'course they started as schedule 80 scrap stock :grin:.

 

[tonyi]

As far as I'm concerned, this thing paid for itself the first day I used it installing ground bars in some 4" gutters and tightening down the grounds.

After I bought it, I found out B&D is selling a similar tool for about half the price. Those Greenlee drill/taps are nice. We just got those a couple of weeks ago.

 

[tallgirl]

Most of the pre-made pounders I've seen fall apart after 20-30 uses, especially if you're doing fence posts. We've got one on the festival work trailer that's been welded back together 3 or 4 times. OTOH the shop-made ones just keep going, 'course they started as schedule 80 scrap stock :grin:.

And #9 rebar. Look at how light the handles are on that pre-made basher. Plus, having right angles at the top of the handle insures that the upper weld will break fairly often. I bet if you go back and check the failing weld that it's the weld near the end ...