Suggestions for joining 2 steel rods?

Don't butt them together, over lap them about an inch. Weld a bead on one side where they overlap and forget about it. You should be able to build a simple jig to do this. You won't have 8' rods, you'll have 7' 10" but I doubt if you'll notice in your application.

-- Jack

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"Jack Hunt" wrote: (clip) You won't have 8' rods, you'll have 7' 10" (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Alert. Major mathematical blooper! They will be 7' 11". ;-)

Uh .. 7' 11' would only give 1/2" overlap. LOL

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Okay, lets take it in small steps. Roll out a tape measure on the ground. Place one rod even with the zero end. The other end of the rod will be at the 4' mark. Place a second rod end-to-end with the first. The second end will be at the 8' mark. Now, without moving the first rod, move the second rod to produce 1" overlap. The beginning of the second rod will now be at

3' 11", and the end of the second rod will now be at 3' 11" + 4' = 7' 11".

LOL your ownself. :-)

Duhh .. I guess I shouldn't look at this stuff before I finish my coffee LOL Thanks .. I needed that :)

"Glenn" wrote: Duhh .. I guess I shouldn't look at this stuff before I finish my coffee LOL Thanks .. I needed that :) ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Just enjoy your coffee, Glenn. I was pleased with the rigor of my proof, but I'm sure my turn will come to be on the receiving end.

That would happen if it ever occurs to you that the rod could be used as a triangular brace for the tree, which would make it very solid, especially if two or three rods were used per tree.

A single 1/4" rod stuck vertically in the ground surely wouldn't hold much, but when used as a guy wire, will hold a lot more than you'd think.

-- Jack

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Leo wrote: I'm sure my turn will come to be on the receiving end. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ And Jeck wrote: That would happen if it ever occurs to you that the rod could be used as a triangular brace for the tree, which would make it very solid, especially if two or three rods were used per tree. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ And Leo responds: The OP has stated in various places that the trees are about 7' tall, and the diameter of a pencil. The rods are to give support by being pushed vertically into the ground about a foot. Of course. I know that a tower made like a tall pyramid has great stiffness, but that isn't what the OP is describing.*

Various people have calculestimated the weight of the steel in this project, and the time that the welding might take. Further to that, try to estimate what the total of the trees themselves would amount to--each with a seven foot stalk and a root ball. I can't wrap my mind around it, so I wonder what's really going on. ___________________

*Part of the info was sent to me in a private e-mail.

He didn't say that on the newsgroup. There is no such thing as a tree that is

7' tall and the diameter of a pencil, unless the pencil is almost as big as your wrist.

-- Jack

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So join them with termite rods or melt in a linear induction furnace. Hum - jam two ends together and plasma cut between them - and have them jam in on the hot metal ? - Plasma weld ?

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

RoyJ wrote:

The lap weld option might be better in any case, butt welding the ends together and having the rods be able to take a bend around a mandrel (to validate strength) might be tough to do without backgouging at least to some extent.

If the OP is willing to spend some bucks, then preparing one end and using a studwelder and some custom ferrules and fixturing would work as long as the stud gun had the power to overcome the momentum the 4 foot long rod.