The steel vibrating head on the end of a flexible shaft or electric poker used to settle castable around anchors and drive out entrapped air. Installers insert it at regular spacing and pull it out slowly. Too little vibration leaves voids and honeycombing; too much, or leaving the stinger in one spot, segregates the mix, sends the fines up and leaves the bottom coarse.
Work that stinger in and out, don't just park it in one spot or the fines will all float up.
Also heard as
- poker
- vibrator
- vibe
- pencil vibrator
Related terms
Castable
Dry refractory mix of aggregate, fines and binder that is mixed with water and poured or pumped like concrete.
Fines
Smallest particle fraction of a refractory mix, which fills the gaps between coarse grains and forms the bond.
Self-flow castable
Castable designed to flow and level under its own weight, with no vibration needed.
Ball-in-hand test
Quick field check of castable water content: squeeze a ball of mix, toss it, and see whether it holds.
Same word, different worlds
Shop name for the electrode holder that grips a stick rod and carries welding current to it.
Electricians' SlangLead that drops from a pole-top fuse cutout to a transformer's primary bushing, in lineman and service talk.
Concrete & CementAn internal concrete vibrator, or specifically the vibrating head on the end of its flexible shaft.