[Boatanchors] Your input needed

[Ron]

Just my 2 cents.

I planted a big circular tube as a tower base...about 3 feet in diameter 
and about 5 feet deep ... with angle stock welded across the top then 
posts that went into the tower legs welded to the angle stock. 

I was sure that the thing would rot out but the tower tubes filled with 
water and rusted and split before the sheet to angle welds gave way.

I think the key here is that if you run it underground, there is no 
oxygen to form oxides to cause the iron to go to iron oxide (rust).
I find that to be somewhat true as I have dug up things that have been 
buried for years and have surface rust but not totally gone.

I find the same true with rusting on cars where Iron oxide (Fe O2 that 
is brown and not stable) can be treated with chemicals to form another 
Iron oxide (Fe2 O3? but black in color ) that is stable and will not 
rust further.

Another thought is that keeping the ground basic by spreading Limestone 
should help as Iron will not form a hydroxide.  

THe center of my current tower is not concrete and I keep a limestone 
bed there.
---
Ron


telegrapher at att.net wrote:

> I planted the base stubs for my tower yesterday in almost 6 yards of 
> concrete.  Big hole and the little brown guys that did the work really 
> hustled to get it done before the bees returned.
>
> The stubs are 5 ft long and hollow, sturdy material at the least.  My 
> question is, what type liquid should i pour down into them to keep the 
> moisture (what little we get other than my sprinkler system) from 
> eating them out for the inside.  Back in the 40's i have learned that 
> in the main spar of some of the airplanes, which was hollow btw, they 
> used fish oil.  Stinky stuff when the spar was cut open.  I'd like to 
> pour some sort of non-toxic oil in them and then seal the top of the 
> opening with paraffin or something meltable and pourable.  Any ideas 
> of what would work.  Manufacturer said to pack sand down inside and 
> then seal the opening.  BRRRRRRRP!  I wouldn't think sand would be a 
> good option and besides i don't want this thing to come tumbling down 
> in 10-15 years due to the base stubs rotting out from the inside.
>
> Any ideas here?  Cooking oil, vegetable oil etc. etc.?
>
> Larry
> W0OGH
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boatanchors mailing list
> Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
> ** List Administrator - Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE **   ** For 
> Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **         $$ For vintage radio info, 
> see the HCI web site $$      http://www.w9wze.org   
>
>