problems Driving a Sand Point

[jhartsock]

I have been driving a 2" x 36" sand point. I started by digging a 7' hole and filling it with water to soften the ground. then put the point in and began to drive. I drove for about 4 hours on Saturday, 2 hours on monday, and 2 hours on tuedsay. With all this driving I am only about 17' down. To drive the pipe i am using a 20lb post driver. Is this pace normal? Also of note I am in OHIO and the clay here is hard.

 

[Bob NH]

You are using a 20 pound hammer to drive about 80 pounds of pipe. That is like trying to drive a spike with a tack hammer.

There is a law of physics called "conservation of momentum" (I won't try to explain it.) that would lead you to wanting a much heavier driver, at least as heavy as the pipe you are trying to drive. With the small hammer you are wasting a lot of energy deforming the drive pipe.

I would be adding about 80 pounds of steel to that driver and have a tripod setup to lift and drop it.

Check out the suggestions at the link below.

http://www.lifewater.org/resources/rws2/rws2d2.pdf

 

[Sponsor]

 

[jhartsock]

Thanks for your reply. But I have a quesiton? If I use more weight isnt there more of a chance that I damage the pipe? Also where do I find a contraption like this?. Must I build it? Where do I find the weights? Could I use weights from my weight bench? Any suggesions for what to use as a weight?

 

[Bob NH]

Weights from a weight bench are often made with ferrocement which would be destroyed by the hammering. Also, it would be difficult to attach them securely.

The best thing would be to weld some steel onto your driver. You can often find steel at a salvage yard. Then you need a loop of steel to attach the lift rope. You might be able to find a piece of heavy steel plate that you could have welded to the top of your existing driver. For example, a 2" thick x 8" square piece of steel weighs about 36#. You could probably lift a 60 pound driver without a tripod.

Concrete would break unless it is completely confined in a pipe, or is a well-reinforced block.