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Grounding question!

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LAN_403

Sulaiman

Tue May 19 2009, 07:28PM

Registered Member #162 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3140

For 4mm I'd take the metal parts out of a 'chocolate block' (Terminal Block)
connector, one screw for the rod, one for the wire.

This is how I connect to my 1/4" tungsten rods for a static spark gap.

Killa-X

Wed May 20 2009, 01:00AM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

Maybe I'll find time to do like gigavolt said and stop at Home depot. As long as they have a grounding rod I'll be good. And I'm sure they would have clamps or something near the same area. I just need a clamp to hold the wire tight to the rod right? Because what If i manage to get a hole drilled in the grounding rod.. or, do you not want to drill a hole in it..

Billybobjoe

Wed May 20 2009, 01:53PM

Registered Member #396 Joined: Wed Apr 19 2006, 12:55AM
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 176

Killa-X wrote ...

Because what If i manage to get a hole drilled in the grounding rod.. or, do you not want to drill a hole in it..

Just clamp it and get it over with!

As said before, wrapping a wire around it, even with a hole drilled will not make the best possible connection, especially after corrosion has had its way with the wrapped wire.

Bored Chemist

Wed May 20 2009, 04:58PM

Registered Member #193 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022

Do you live in a very dry area?
If not then the connection between the steel and the copper wire will get wet. Whne that happens you will find out about the special sort of corrosion that happens when you have 2 dissimilar metals in contact with eachother and an electrolyte.

Get a length of copper water pipe and the sort of connector used to hook mains electrical earth to water pipes. Use those as an earth connection.
Find something better to do with the hardened steel rod

Dr. Drone

Wed May 20 2009, 10:40PM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
Location:
Posts: 1673

Killa-X

Wed May 20 2009, 11:57PM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

I live in Michigan. A place with 30-40 inches of rain / year or more.

Spark, So basically if I get you right, I want to find a 8ft copper rod from our Home Depot, drill a hole through the top of the rod, place a brass bolt through the holes, bolt the wire to it. And does this wire have to be thick? Right now its around 16-18awg and runs through my window to the tesla. Going to be fun trying to get a 8ft rod down through the soil. It will be very easy to hammer it down, as the soil here is so rich for growing plants that its easy to do that. Fitting it under the deck MIGHT fit..We got a high deck so im sure it will.

Is this copper coated pipe going to be like house-type plumbing but not as solid? I know common house plumbing can be a lot but, was just wondering!

Dr. Drone

Thu May 21 2009, 07:18AM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
Location:
Posts: 1673

Chris Russell

Thu May 21 2009, 04:08PM

... not Russel!
Registered Member #1 Joined: Thu Jan 26 2006, 12:18AM
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Posts: 1052

If you really want the best earth connection possible, a ground rod can only do so much. It's a pain, but consider laying down some radials, if possible. I would think that even a handful of 10 foot radials would make a large difference when it comes to earth loss. It is probably overkill, as losses in the wire will already be quite high, but it seems worth considering.

MinorityCarrier

Fri May 22 2009, 04:55AM

Registered Member #2123 Joined: Sat May 16 2009, 03:10AM
Location: Bend, Oregon
Posts: 312

Where I work we have a Veeco E-beam evaporator for silicon carbide semicon. metallization. The building is over lava floes, (in Bend, Oregon) so it is difficult to get a good ground. The ground post for the power supply is in a well that we have to keep filled with water. It went dry once, and the E-beam supply was damaged. Now we have a water level sensor in the well to add water when low.

Good grounding can be that important

Killa-X

Fri May 22 2009, 07:36PM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

Yeah, I got only 6ft between the ground and deck beams so that would be best. With my 4ft rod that fails, i can push it 1ft into the ground with like no force, and an extra 2ft with force. hammer was needed for tapping to get the full 4ft. I might have to run this to our grass. I noticed under our deck, besides the rocks for looks, is a blue tarp. Blue tarp = no surface water, only way down below, the common water-flow paths. The grass however, is usually an area that will flood if it rains a lot due to all the down flow we have with our hill. It does not matter how thick the wire is? If i place it into grass, it will have to go 6ft to my window, through the window, and to my desk (next to window) 18awg fits easy through my window. A thick wire would most likely not latch the window or leave a gap.

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