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Tollster · 06-14-2007, 11:01 AM

Just finished terracing 2 hills in my yard using Pennsylvania fieldstone. 39 pallets at 3000lbs apiece. Highest point on walls is about 48" with and average of 36". I hired some of the hands that pick it from the fields. After looking at how they stack the pallets, I figured it was better than I can do. Price was 20.00 a pallet for building the wall. They put 3 slate stair ways in and 1 bench. It would have taken me a very, VERY, long time to do on my own(120,000 LBS of rock). After laying out the curves with a garden hose, I marked the line with ground marking paint, then cut the leading edge using a flate spade. I then removed the sod from the trench area using my BX 23 BH to a depth of about 3-4". Leveling the Backhoe with the outriggers to ensure the base was level for the first course.
The 5 hands laid 17 pallets in 7 hours the first day, the 22 pallets in 6 hours the following weekend. Seemed I held them up the first day using the backhoe...go figure?
My wife and I are very pleased with the wall, and the price. We threw in a nice tip, a charcol grill fired meal, plenty of gatorade, and a bottle of mezcal.

06-14-2007, 11:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tollster Silver Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Benton, Pennsylvania Posts: 138	Pennsylvania stone wall project...:) Just finished terracing 2 hills in my yard using Pennsylvania fieldstone. 39 pallets at 3000lbs apiece. Highest point on walls is about 48" with and average of 36". I hired some of the hands that pick it from the fields. After looking at how they stack the pallets, I figured it was better than I can do. Price was 20.00 a pallet for building the wall. They put 3 slate stair ways in and 1 bench. It would have taken me a very, VERY, long time to do on my own(120,000 LBS of rock). After laying out the curves with a garden hose, I marked the line with ground marking paint, then cut the leading edge using a flate spade. I then removed the sod from the trench area using my BX 23 BH to a depth of about 3-4". Leveling the Backhoe with the outriggers to ensure the base was level for the first course. The 5 hands laid 17 pallets in 7 hours the first day, the 22 pallets in 6 hours the following weekend. Seemed I held them up the first day using the backhoe...go figure? My wife and I are very pleased with the wall, and the price. We threw in a nice tip, a charcol grill fired meal, plenty of gatorade, and a bottle of mezcal.