2.2. General Tips

While the Dirod kit comes with all its parts pre-cut, you will want to smooth the cuts with a little fine sandpaper for cosmetic purposes. The edges of the metal pipes can be sanded so they fit easily into their fittings. The base can be painted with enamel or polyurethane. Stay away from black or metallic paints, however, as the base should be non-conductive. I give mine a couple of coats of water-based polyurethane, but you may leave the base unfinished if you wish. You may wish to round the edges of the acrylic parts, again for cosmetic reasons. If you round the edges and corners of the base and corona shield with a little sandpaper, it will look nicer and you will avoid painful jabs when you bump into your Dirod. A little acetone will take the writing off of the PVC legs if you wish to do so.

You will need some glue to put your kit together and I can make some specific recommendations in this regard. You will need to finish the ends of the rods to prevent corona loss from the sharp ends. The easiest way to do this is to coat the ends with electrically conductive epoxy. I use "Poxy Weld" made by Power Poxy Adhesives. Most hardwares stores will have an epoxy intended for gluing metals. It is usually metallic gray and, though not conductive at low voltage, it is at the high potentials generated by your Dirod.

You will also need a strong, flexible adhesive for bonding the various parts together. I have found no equal to "Plumber's Goop". Other "Goop" adhesives will also work. Loctite makes "Stik'n Seal" which looks quite similar, though I haven't used it myself. If you want to use other adhesives, it would be a good idea to try them out on scrap acrylic. The bond should be both strong and flexible. Clear epoxy will work in a pinch, but it is much more rigid than Goop and I have had epoxied rods break off the disk in use. This has never happened with Goop.

You will also need something mildly sticky to temporarily fix the rods to the disk template. I sometimes use double stick tape, other times spray adhesive. Rubber cement will also probably work. You will also need electrical tape, a pair of scissors, a knife, and a hammer. It takes me about 3 hours to assemble a kit, spread out over 3 days to allow the polyurethane and glues to dry. You can't rush the glue; trying to do so will only lead to frustration. On the first day, I paint the base and seal the ends of the rods. On the second day, I assemble the disk, neutral support, and base, allowing the glue to dry overnight. I assemble the corona shield on the third day, and the Dirod is "ready to rip". Please read the directions twice through and check your assembly against the figures before gluing anything.