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[TowerTalk] Separating Aluminum Tower Sections

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Separating Aluminum Tower Sections
From: aa4lr@radio.org (Bill Coleman AA4LR)
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 97 15:38:32 -0400
On 9/28/97 2:18 PM, Jeffrey Maass at jmaass@freenet.columbus.oh.us wrote:

>I've been offered five 8-foot sections of aluminum tower, but the owner
>has been unable to get them apart. 
>
>Any tips? Any techniques (chemical or mechanical) to loosen seized pieces? I
>was considering jacks, but with aluminum I'm concerned about bending. 

I had problems separating the aluminum tubing of my A3S boom. It was 
incorrectly assembled WITHOUT NoAlox or other anti-corrossion compound. 
(I've since learned better)

Best advice I got was to use HEAT. Heat the joint up with a propane 
torch, then let it cool slowly. The heat/cool cycle tends to get the 
surface corrossion to break off, allowing you to separate the joint.

Don't use too much leverage. After all, you wouldn't want to bend the 
tower sections.



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
Quote: "Not in a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901


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