Good point. If I could replace my metal compression post with wood, I could
skip the step ground plate and focus on the stays. It would be easier to
install the ground plate than to do that though.

I'm beginning to get the picture. Lightning will go everywhere and the
charge can't be led. It's more a matter of creating shadows, gaps, and
regions of reduced current at critical points like people and watertight
boundaries.

--
Roger Long