I had a neighbor at one time (pre-cable TV) that made a 100 foot TV tower
from oilfield SURPLUS equipment:
1.) 7/8" sucker rods. These are the rods that may go thousands of feet
deep to a rod pump. You have seen the pump jacks working? I don't have the
spec data here at home, but they should have excellent strength factors.
Sucker rods normally come in 30 foot length with a threaded coupler. These
could be cut off and direct weld the rods together (For appearance sake
only, as the threaded connection is very strong.)
2. For the cross braces, he used tubular casing thread protectors. These
go, in this case, on the pin end (male) protect the casing during
transport and when lifting up into the derrick. Think of them as a very
large...wedding band. The larger, more popular casing OD sizes would be
20", 13-3/8", 9-5/8" and 8-3/4".
He started out with the larger sized thread protectors and tapered the
tower...ever so often with the next smaller thread protector. I don't
recall the tapering change intervals. One could just go all the way with
one size, of course.
Source's:
1.) Sucker rods: These are pulled out of the well for one problem or
another and sold as scrap. Normally, the rods break ( "part") or are worn
excessively. I would avoid the ones with too much wear on the OD, as you
loose diameter or section,.....and strength.
These would be found around scrap yards in the vicinity of oilfield towns.
You don't want to ask what new material costs !
2.) Thread protectors: These are removed at the rig site and 'normally'
sold back to the oilfield supply store, a thread protector company or a
scrap yard for, I am sure, a little bit on nothing.
Should be very strong...I 'dunno about 200 feet ! ( I do recall his tower
being very 'stout'.)
73 de Mike , K5UO
Mike Bragassa,K5UO
ex-NS7Z, AA5NK
Conroe, TX,/ Moscow, Russia
USA: k5uo@contesting.com
Russia: bragassa@glasnet.ru
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