Lifting rocks with skidding tongs?

[schmism]

the other classic way to move rocks was a rock sled... aka old car hood. (roll rock with FEL onto car hood, then hook up to rear of tractor and move to new home)

 

[jim_wilson]

Reviving an old thread.

I'm wondering if using some rock tongs would work to move some granite curbstone I have.

What I'm thinking is - use two tongs - so the piece is stable - and then use my backhoe to pick the pieces up and place them. I'm just wondering if the tongs will actually grip the rocks enough to lift them.

 

[Lincmisn2]

That really depends on the size

 

[Baby Grand]

If I was lifting cut stone, I'd try to use something like a quarry uses:

But these rely on the holes in the stone to get good purchase.
For round or irregular stone, I'd try to make a 3 jaw set:

Rigging two set of tongs (4 points) sounds like it might be troublesome - like a 4 legged milking stool.
The logging tongs might not perform well with the curb stone, as it's probably only 4 to 6" thick. The geometry of the skidding tongs is really designed to apply high clamping when the jaws are spread wider - so the curbstones may slip out.

 

[Branson Bob]

I'll be trying these 3 arm lifting tongs from Northern Tool:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200640287_200640287

The Rock Jaw product and a few others I've seen for lifting boulders utilize 3 arms, not 2 or 4.

As someone upthread mentioned, if it doesn't work real well I might weld on some angle similar to the design of the Rock Jaw.

 

[Branson Bob]

Along with Rock Jaws, there's these though I'm thinking they're pretty pricey:

PAVE TECH - PAVE EDGE & PROBST Tools for Brick, Interlocking Concrete & Patio Pavers