How I spent my summer vacation 2007 long

[tommu56]

I have a cabin as some will call it out in boonies.

The well I got drilled last year only produces 1/2 gallon per minuet.
So I figured i would need a cistern to get through and the best place was were the septic tank is presently (Its just in ground and not used yet).

I had to dig it out

I coulden't reach with the hoe all the way to bottom of tank but I got it out by jacking and blocking it with my high lift jack then I put a rope on and pulled it out by hand.

Really I used my truck.

this is the hole thats left.

 

[tommu56]

Then I had to deepen the trench for the drain field to fit tank and get the correct pitch on pipe.

view down in to trench

diggng

more digging

more digging
t

oops big rock

another view

I forgot camera the couple next weekends
I rented a electric jack hammer and took it back after 4 hours.
It didn't even make a dent in it. Its about an hour one way to rental place.

The next weekend I used my rotary hammer with a 1/2" x 12 bit and to try and make some swiss cheese out of it, strike 2 the rocks winning.
It didn't even make a dent in it.

the next weekend I had some pins and wedges and 2 big chisels.
Drill bigger holes for wedges beat them in still wouldn't move I was drilling right along the side of trench. I started hammering in the chisels in side ways in the grain then sledge hammer down on rock and some would chip off. i did that for about 3 days (felt like I was doing hard time No no I was doing hard work)

 

[tommu56]

Then I could put tank on and plumb it

Here is my link to photo bucket for last year and this year..
tommu56 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[VABlue]

That was a lot of work!! It looks like the BX23 did a nice job digging through all of that rock, so I guess its paid for itself. But I'm confused... Why did you dig up the septic to just lower it deeper into the ground? I thought you were moving it so you could place the cistern where it was?

 

[bones1]

Same question here too.

 

[stumpfield]

Wow! you got some pretty tough soil to work with. That's lot of work just to dig that hole. Thanks for sharing the pictures...
I'm lucky to only have to deal with decomposted granite that works like compacted sand. Here's a couple of pics of my septic install.

 

[tommu56]

VABlue, bones1, stumpfield

I had an excavator dig the oroginal holes for the drainfield and septic tank.
Thats in my photo bucket thing from 2006 the land clearing and well drilling and excavations.

I am pretty mutch a one man band I do it all ocosanilly if I need it I can get a friend to help but it's mostly just me and my wife granddaughter and one of my kids when they have time (I'm not sure who helps more my wife or 4 year old granddaughter).

Then the well (low flow) issue came up and I wanted to keep cistern close to cabin I moved the septic tank to the end of drain field to keep the pitch 1/4" per foot it had to go lower by a few inches at inlet but the tanks about 56' from inlet to bottom so I had to make a divot for tank to sit in.
This whole issue has pushed my plans back about 1 year (next fall) till I finish up and every thing working the way I want it but we have had the cabin (one frienc calles it my wooden tent) for 30 years and an other with out well wont bother us.

Ill take some more pictuers this weekend.

tom