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I use a combination of a sledgehammer and jackhammer to drive [straight] rebar for use in retaining walls . The former gets the stakes started and the latter really drives them home with authority. How can a J-hook rebar be driven with similar force as the jackhammer provides for the straight stakes ?

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    If needing a jack hammer to drive them down, at 3/8" would use the straight ones and bend them after. The bent ones probably not made for hard ground. Not sure if a sledge would deform the bend too much.
    – crip659
    May 8, 2022 at 18:31
  • Try making a wood "socket" to fit over the end of the bar and give you something to pound on.
    – Hot Licks
    May 8, 2022 at 18:37
  • @HotLicks That's a good idea - i was looking for an appropriate "adapter" but it does not exist: so that's what DIY is all about
    – WestCoastProjects
    May 8, 2022 at 19:07
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    re-bar driven into the ground for a retaining wall? - I hope that's a temporary wall.
    – Jasen
    May 9, 2022 at 4:51

2 Answers 2

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A: get someone to hold it for you. then hit it with the sledge hammer

your assistant will probably want a hard-hat and tongs or long pliers.

B: use a "Y post" driver. to start them.

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  • A. A sledge does not even begin to touch the effectivness of the pile driver. B) I'll look up what a Y post driver is and get back. Update: I found a smallish y-post driver from Zoro. Too small for the 3/8 rebar and it's a 1/4" shank which is for a small hand-held hammer-drill not for my jackhammer. Unless my google foo improves I'll continue on the path of planning to construct an adapter out of wood
    – WestCoastProjects
    May 9, 2022 at 5:07
  • I'm thinking the manual type, a tube with handles both sides and one end blocked
    – Jasen
    May 9, 2022 at 5:17
  • Assuming you're referring to the fence post drivers - I've been eye-ing one of those at the local Ace. I have been assuming the head diameter were a wee bit too small but will double check. The J-hooks are a bit over 3 1/2 inches at 1/2 inch below the head - so a 3 3/4 to 4inch diameter driver would be best. Will check at Ace in couple of days . Update: "wee bit small" is correct : the manual posthole driver is 3 inches
    – WestCoastProjects
    May 9, 2022 at 5:21
  • Another update: a 4inch diameter driver does exist - but it's $238 which obliterates the budget. will look more
    – WestCoastProjects
    May 9, 2022 at 5:28
  • in the photo it looked like 2" so that may not work.
    – Jasen
    May 9, 2022 at 5:28
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I found a tent stake driver that has a gigantic 5+ inch diameter. This is another potential option besides the hand-held post-hole driver suggested by @Jasen

enter image description here

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  • This won't help in case of the J-hook the asker is trying to drive in though!
    – MiG
    May 9, 2022 at 9:18
  • @MiG the asker and the answerer are the same in this particular case. ;)
    – FreeMan
    May 9, 2022 at 12:06
  • Good point :) I don't see how that particular item will help though, considering the top of the hook is a much larger diameter bend, rather than just the pointy tip if it were a straight bar.
    – MiG
    May 9, 2022 at 12:16
  • @MiG the diameter here is sufficient - that's why I am looking specifically at this one
    – WestCoastProjects
    May 22, 2022 at 17:36
  • @WestCoastProjects I'm not sure if it will work well. You'd have to put that thing on top of the bend, and because the hammering force is not in line with the rest of the bar, it will turn that 180 degree turn into a curl. Unless that's no problem of course.
    – MiG
    May 22, 2022 at 17:52

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