Ian White GM3SEK wrote in
:

There's a potential language gap here, but "electric hammers" fall into
three broad groups. Working downward in size:

Ian,

The device I use (Hitach PH65) would be called a small electric
demolition hammer or concrete breaker (and it does not have rotation, it
is not a drill).

It has sufficient power to break through / deflect thin shale or small
rocks in the path.

Smaller pneumatic drills which can operate chasing chisels etc *may* work
fine in soft soil for shorter electrodes. It is probably possible to make
a driving adapter by cutting the end off a chisel or point and welding a
peice of pipe of 100mm length and snug fit over the chisel to create a
socket to locate the adapter over the electrode.

I usually place a few wraps of electrical tape over the rod end to reduce
the damage to the copper cladding and reduce spreading or noodling of the
end of the rod, especially if another rod will be driven behind it using
a coupler.

Owen

Fred McKenzie wrote:
In article ,
Ian White GM3SEK wrote:

Any SDS+ drill with the "rotary stop" option will make a very effective
hammer for earth rods.

Ian-

I found SDA+ hammer drills in a couple of the local hardware stores
today. The smallest was around 3 kilograms (6.5 pounds), but I suspect
is the "2 kilogram" class you refer to.

Probably... the "2 kilogram" drills look like a stretched version of a
normal pistol-grip drill, with a horizontal motor. For example:
http://tinyurl.com/33zcrr
http://tinyurl.com/3algeq

(I have no idea why the store calls one of these drills "3/4-inch" and
the other "7/8inch". There is only ONE size of SDS+ chuck and drill
shank.)


The "4 kilogram" drills are "L-shaped" with a vertical motor, and are
much heavier and harder to control. For example:
http://tinyurl.com/37w97w

For most applications the extra power of the 4kg drill is not necessary
- certainly not for hammering or drilling for grounds rods.

One question the sales people couldn't answer, was what you meant by
"rotary stop". The drills I saw all had a linear stop in the form of a
rod that can be adjusted to stop penetration of the drill bit at a
desired depth. Do you mean that kind of stop, or do you mean something
like stopping rotary action, leaving only the hammering action?

That's correct. The rod is usually known as a "depth stop".

Check for the following features:

1. "Rotary stop": ability to stop rotation and use hammer only. On
better drills, this also allows the chuck to be locked in a number of
pre-set positions for use with a chisel bit.

2. "Hammer stop": ability to switch off the hammer action. Very good for
starting holes in exactly the right location.

3. Safety clutch: DON'T BUY a drill that doesn't have one!

4. Very good trigger-operated speed control, that will allow the drill
to be started at a slow crawl. This is something that you can only check
by trying the drill in the store.

More information:
http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/powertools/sds.htm


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Owen Duffy wrote in
:

Ian White GM3SEK wrote in
:

There's a potential language gap here, but "electric hammers" fall
into three broad groups. Working downward in size:

Ian,

The device I use (Hitach PH65) would be called a small electric
demolition hammer or concrete breaker (and it does not have rotation,
it is not a drill).

I should have found a URL with specs and a pic, shouldn't I?

Oh well, better late than never:

http://www.hitachikoki.com.sg/produc...ls.jsp?pid=181

It is a bit bigger than 2kg or 4kg... the machine alone is 15kg.

I should take a couple of pics of the machine, my adapter for earth rods,
and a commercial adapter for start pickets, and the thing being used to
drive 2.4m earth rod sections (which can go in behind each other with an
double tapered joiner).

I think the start picket adapter cost around A$160 from Makita, the bull
point I modified for the earth rod driver cost about A$30 and an hours
work to anneal, drill, and retemper.

Owen

In article ,
Ian White GM3SEK wrote:

Probably... the "2 kilogram" drills look like a stretched version of a
normal pistol-grip drill, with a horizontal motor. For example:
http://tinyurl.com/33zcrr

Ian-

Your first example is the one I was looking at.

Neither store had anything like a Ground Rod adapter or half inch socket
adapter in stock. I searched the web and was not able to find a ground
rod adapter compatible with SDS+. I found one comment that such an
adapter would not be sufficiently strong to withstand the forces
required to drive a ground rod. There were several references to an
SDS-Max adapter, but that may not be compatible with SDS+. Yes, the
prices were high!

I did find references to a half inch socket adapter. It is a Hitachi
"1/2 inch Chemical Anchor Adapter", Code No. 303044.

Fred
K4DII

Fred McKenzie wrote:
In article ,
Ian White GM3SEK wrote:

Probably... the "2 kilogram" drills look like a stretched version of a
normal pistol-grip drill, with a horizontal motor. For example:
http://tinyurl.com/33zcrr

Ian-

Your first example is the one I was looking at.

Neither store had anything like a Ground Rod adapter or half inch socket
adapter in stock. I searched the web and was not able to find a ground
rod adapter compatible with SDS+. I found one comment that such an
adapter would not be sufficiently strong to withstand the forces
required to drive a ground rod.

Nah - we're not talking about pile-driving here.

There were several references to an
SDS-Max adapter, but that may not be compatible with SDS+. Yes, the
prices were high!

SDS Max is the next league up in terms of brute performance, weight and
price. For normal ground rods, SDS Max is probably more than you need.

I did find references to a half inch socket adapter. It is a Hitachi
"1/2 inch Chemical Anchor Adapter", Code No. 303044.

No, it's not that one either...

It seems the magic words might be "nut driver":
http://tinyurl.com/2bohkg

You use the flat end of the nut driver to hammer on the rod, and to
prevent it from skidding off the end of the rod, you snap on the correct
size of automotive nut-driver socket.

These surely must be available somewhere in the USA, if you can figure
out the right name to ask for.


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

In article ,
Ian White GM3SEK wrote:

No, it's not that one either...

It seems the magic words might be "nut driver":
http://tinyurl.com/2bohkg

Ian-

The Hitachi half inch socket adapter looks like your nut driver in the
one illustration I found. It adapts a "standard socket" to SDS+.

I'll take both pictures when I go back to the stores.

Fred
K4DII

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:16:32 -0400, "Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T)"
wrote:


Thanks to all for all the information you have provided, including the
latest thread on "ground rods at base of tower". The explanations
received were very well thought out and comprehensive, and make all the
sense in the world when one stops to think for a minute... :-)

Now the fun begins.

I went down to the electrical supply house and bought 3 8-ft ground rods
and started driving one in at about a 45 degree angle under the window of
the shack.

As expected, I am having one hell of a time getting it into the ground.

I have used a big drill bit brazed to a steel rod to drill a pilot
hole. Really hard on a 3/8 drill motor, not easy on the operator.

Some soils are easy when wet, some are easier when dry.

My preferred driver is a weighted piece of pipe with one end closed
and welded on handles. You might be able to borrow-rent one where
chain link fencing is sold. I built mine so I can use it with steel
fence posts as well.

John Ferrell W8CCW
"Life is easier if you learn to
plow around the stumps"