FIGJAM wrote:I know it's early, but I DID just say 12".
Because they're just holding the edge of the ground cover down to keep the wind from getting under it, it should be plenty.
I don't tent, so not sure about that.
yeah it's early alright and I have been a bit sleep-deprived 
Felt like you were trying to screw them into a 2x4 didn't it?skippy3k wrote:After seeing how much force it took for my impact driver to sink 12" lag bolts into the ground, I glanced at my 1/2" socket set and decided no way would that be my backup. I am bringing a 1/2" drill as a backup in case the impact wrench craps out. THEN I will use the 1/2" socket wrench to tighten the lag bolts down if need be. I can't imagine the hell of screwing 12" or 14" lag bolts into the playa by hand. And I'm bringing spare socket adapters and sockets.
Awesome, thanks BBadger. So I'm thinking a setup like this:BBadger wrote:Those 3/8" should be plenty. They're solid steel, and longer than I actually expected. Quite frankly if FossaFerox and Figjam are confident in them, I am too, and they seem nice and strong. They're at least as good as that 3/8" rebar people use. I also attached some chains to them for easier tying. The hex head on them prevents the chain from coming off, and if I were really afraid I'd put a washer on them. I got a box of chain at the department store (Fred Meyers in this case), and a bolt cutter in their tool section. You can find that kind of thing at other hardware stores.
My socket set didn't have a connector that was compatible with my impact driver; I had to buy one outright. You don't want to be caught out there without that one small part that you need. The lag bolts have 9/16" heads on them; you need a 9/16" socket to drill them in. I'm almost considering getting another 9/16th" socket just in case this one gets lost to the sands. Otherwise, I'll be stuck with a wrench or need to use a 15mm socket, which isn't quite right. That size is also handy for bikes -- especially a deep one.
The impact drivers use a 1/4" shank with an indented area that the driver grabs onto. They look like this (the small side). In that case, the shank is connected to a 1/2" socket adapter, which then connects to my 9/16" socket I got in one of those many-in-one kits. You could probably get something like this that will attach to the 1/2" (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). I got one of these sets just in case, but I should've really studied the details because you need 9/16" and the largest in that set is 7/16" (so don't buy that set!). In addition to the Dewalt adapter, I got this 3-piece set, just so I could use some of the other sockets with the drill. It's an inexpensive Chinese brand and it's just in case.
Worse come to worst, go to your local hardware shop and ask them what will work. Milwaukee is a good brand, Dewalt too. They're all metal anyway, so even a cheapy would probably be okay. Just make sure you have them.
What if you have like 500 lag bolts sunk? Will it be easy then?FIGJAM wrote:I've snap a few screwing into wood because I didn't predrill.
Easy to back them out with vice grips.
BBadger wrote:. I"m certainly not using 500 of these things.
ygmir wrote:Everyone loves you there, and no one cares a shit about you..........all at once. and vice versa.
FossaFerox wrote: Also, I can't imagine anything less appealing than an after burn party at the sands. There isn't enough chlorine in the world...
The highway, a ton of soap, and my own bed are more my scene, but I don't leave until my campsite (and last year, my neighbor's) is/are pristine.Jackass wrote:FossaFerox wrote: Also, I can't imagine anything less appealing than an after burn party at the sands. There isn't enough chlorine in the world...
Sorry, is the GSR more your scene?
ygmir wrote:Everyone loves you there, and no one cares a shit about you..........all at once. and vice versa.
No, I don't know how long it takes to find someone else to take care of my problems for me. Load it up and be done with it or don't bother with it, rangers aren't really there to pick up batteries that your neighbor left behind. There's a BIG TRUCK and crew that are charged with that sort of thing, the same poor souls that had to retrieve all of the 55 gallon drums that the knuckleheads left behind in my hood.FossaFerox wrote: Do you know how hard it was to find a ranger at 4 AM on Monday last year to help deal with the sizzling, leaking deep cycle battery our neighbors abandoned? With no street signs, major landmarks, our even knowing where they were camped? Delayed our exodus a good 15 minutes to help deal with someone else's mess.
FIGJAM wrote:Ok Jackass, this is straight from experience.
My first year I used 1/2"x18" rebar with a 1" piece of angle steel welded on top for a hook and to drive it into the playa.
Being lazy, I looked for something easier to work with.
As I was building the playapod, I was using lags through the steel frame to hold the 2x4 wood frame to the base.
The holes I was drilling were about the size of a grommet, and that's where the idea came from.
So the second year I found my 3/8"x18" lags and used them.
The drill I took with me is the one in the picture, and when installing the bolts on the playa, getting the last 4"s in the ground would really bog down the drill.
That drill is not quite as strong as a hole hog but damn close.
Never snapped a lag and I'll be using the same bolts this year.
It will be their 4th year to the playa, and I've used them at all the regionals.
IF you CAN be reassured, I hope that does it!!!
...It was leaking acid onto the playa, the ground was bubbling, and the battery itself was making an audible hissing/sizzling sound. We were sleep deprived, physically and mentally exhausted, and lacked the safety gear necessary to deal with our neighbor's "donation" so no, we weren't prepared to haul it ourselves. We only found it because we did a sweep through our neighbor's campsite once we realized they failed to take down their perimeter tape/stakes. We alerted a ranger assuming they could in turn alert someone with the power to limit the damage it was doing. It still showed up as a small red spot on the MOOP map because they probably had to dig the soil out once the battery was transported. Don't you dare try to guilt me for going above and beyond but being unable to magically resolve a fucked up situation.Jackass wrote:Did the ranger help you load the battery into your car? Those cores are worth $10-15 each all day long...
No, I don't know how long it takes to find someone else to take care of my problems for me. Load it up and be done with it or don't bother with it, rangers aren't really there to pick up batteries that your neighbor left behind. There's a BIG TRUCK and crew that are charged with that sort of thing, the same poor souls that had to retrieve all of the 55 gallon drums that the knuckleheads left behind in my hood.FossaFerox wrote: Do you know how hard it was to find a ranger at 4 AM on Monday last year to help deal with the sizzling, leaking deep cycle battery our neighbors abandoned? With no street signs, major landmarks, our even knowing where they were camped? Delayed our exodus a good 15 minutes to help deal with someone else's mess.
ygmir wrote:Everyone loves you there, and no one cares a shit about you..........all at once. and vice versa.
ygmir wrote:Everyone loves you there, and no one cares a shit about you..........all at once. and vice versa.
A hammer drill hammers down on the screw, while an impact driver spins the screw. By definition, the impact driver will do a better job, but that's not to say a hammer drill won't work. I dont know if you risk damaging the bolt or the socket, but i expect that's a possibility. I'd say find some REALLY hard ground, and put a screw in/out 5 or 10 times and see how everything holds. I'd bring some backup sockets just in case. Our camp has 1 impact driver, but I just bought a second one and will keep it boxed in the truck so I can use if needed, or return if not. Impact drivers kick ass.--Ever-- wrote:I understand the difference, but I'm still curious if a hammer drill will work as well as an impact drill, with the latter being the one that people here seem to recommend.
Impact left, hammer right
