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Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:52 pm
by rmaher
Has anyone found a good substitute for lead when setting the ubiquitous nail and tags in curbs and other concrete surfaces?
Quickcrete? Sugru? Epoxy?
Just curious if anyone has had success in moving away from lead?
Re: Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:01 pm
by Jim Frame
The Berntsen 1" copper disks are faster to install and are lead-free. I haven't set a brass tag since I began using them.
Re: Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:15 pm
by btaylor
Jim Frame wrote:The Berntsen 1" copper disks are faster to install and are lead-free. I haven't set a brass tag since I began using them.
Ditto.
This should link to them
https://www.berntsen.com/Surveying/Conc ... itemID/405
Re: Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:28 pm
by rmaher
Do you epoxy or just use the insert plug?
Re: Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:28 pm
by Peter Ehlert
Rich: I googled "malleable metals" and found this list... food for thought.
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-7 ... e8247668ee
BTW: be cautious when glueing down with "epoxies" ... the stuff used to glue down Botts Dots aka RPM is real good.
The household kind and stuff sold at plastics stores degrades with the UV rapidly, measured in Months.
Re: Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:39 pm
by btaylor
rmaher wrote:Do you epoxy or just use the insert plug?
No epoxy - just use the plastic sleeve once you drill the hole.
They have a nice bit if you want to buy theirs, which allows you to countersink the disk.
https://www.berntsen.com/Surveying/Conc ... itemID/406
Re: Pb Substitutes
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:40 pm
by Jim Frame
Do you epoxy or just use the insert plug?
I use the polyethylene plug that they come with, along with the (pricey) Berntsen countersink bit. It's a very quick install. Shielded from sunlight by the disk, I expect the plugs will last as long as the concrete.
Shortly after I began using these some years ago, I goofed and set a couple a few tenths out of position. I tried to remove them by knocking them loose with a hammer and chisel, but couldn't get them to budge. I ended up drilling through the cap with a stem-size bit, then covering the recessed stem with quickset mortar. They're very tenacious once installed.