Large boulder must go

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

one thing this will work if you have temp that will freeze I like to lessen to the old timers some things make you laugh and some make seance back then they never had excavators so they would drill by hand holes in the rock then fill with water put in a wood plug over the winter it would freeze and pop the rock easy yes cheap yes work yes hope this helps Ontario if you try it and it works for you reply back

 

[picker77]

I bet you could pass a hat around (I know I'd chip in) to pay for loading that rock on a pickup or a trailer for them to cart home. :laughing:

I'd chip in if I could have a video of that thing being lowered into the bed of somebody's F150. It'd be a big hit on Youtube.

 

[jimmyj]

I'd chip in if I could have a video of that thing being lowered into the bed of somebody's F150. It'd be a big hit on Youtube.

:laughing::laughing:

 

[JFS2295]

I'd be careful with the explosives.

 

[Lil_FarmerJim]

JFS2295: LOL I darn near spit my OJ through my nose with that one.


I would go with feather and wedges and work on the vertical seams, they will pop open like a walnut with a just a little effort.

 

[picker77]

After looking at the Dexpan website, I'd bet that $100 worth of that stuff would easily and safely (and quietly) split that puppy into pieces small enough for a backhoe or even a good sized tractor to handle. Looks like good stuff, didn't even know it existed until the OP mentioned it--but we don't generally have rocks that size around my area.

When I was about 10 years old my dad decided to deepen a ditch with a sandrock bottom for a sewer line with plain old farmer grade dynamite, and for safety laughing he covered the bottom of the ditch with dirt and heavy 3x12 planking. I guess he figured if 1/4 sticks would work ok, then 1/2 sticks might work better. Once we collected all the planks from around the adjoining neighbor's places afterwards (luckily none went through anybody's roof and nobody got killed) it actually did do a pretty good job. Got everybody's attention, too, and of course I thought it was great fun.

 

[dcyrilc]

Put a big sign on it saying, private, do not remove, no trespassing. Then put a lock and chain around it. Should be gone by New Years! :laughing:

Ain't that the sad truth.:confused2:

 

[Lt CHEG]

I'd be careful with the explosives.

That's precisely why I wouldn't recommend C4 for this application. I'm not even saying that this rock warrants the use of explosives at all, but my previous post outlines what I would use to deal with the situation if I was going to use explosives (ANFO, emulite, slurry, etc.). Too high of a detonation velocity will result in all kinds of pieces coming off of the rock and flying away at very high velocity. I still like the idea of dexpan and a rental drill designed for drilling through rock.

Be careful and Merry Christmas!

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Put a big sign on it saying, private, do not remove, no trespassing. Then put a lock and chain around it. Should be gone by New Years! :laughing:

Yep...

 

[Renze]

Go back to the fire, but with a better technique.

The Romans used to dig vertical shafts through rock by building a fire and then quenching the rock with water. That whole rock is about the size of one of their shafts.

A friend of mine has been in Ghana for 3 years, as a construction supervisor. They also dug wells, by hand: They used the same technique: heating it for 2 or 3 days, then dump LOTS of cold water on it, all at once. It shattered rocks up pretty good. If the chunks were still too big to handle, they drilled holes in it with an electric hammer drill and a generator. Labour is cheap in Ghana so i dont recommend the drilling part, but making your burnpile around it for the next few months, will do miracles.

 

[ktm010]

Merry Christmas , Looks like Santa and his elves where busy last night, woke to instant results :laughing:

 

[Lt CHEG]

Merry Christmas , Looks like Santa and his elves where busy last night, woke to instant results :laughing:

Outstanding! Merry Christmas!

 

[crazyal]

Remember when we used to be able to go out and buy dynamite, caps and fuses? Then we had to find a guy who knew how to use just the right amount to do the job and keep from blowing up the neighborhood. I remember one rock that my dad had in his field that he just couldn't put up with anymore. He got the local blaster out there and they tried stick after stick of dynamite and that rock just wouldn't budge. They had enough frustration, so they finally put 12 sticks under that rock. The whole neighborhood shook. Though that was over 65 years ago occasionally we still find pieces of that rock in the field.

A local farmer had a problem with Beavers building dams in his drainage ditches and flooding his fields. After taking out the dams several years in a row only to have them rebuilt in no time flat he decided that the hut was where he should focus. Not really knowing what he was doing he decided that 8 sticks was the correct amount. I learned that a beaver will fly through the air spinning like a Frisbee and cleaning sticks and logs out of a corn field can drive a farmed almost as mad as a family of Beavers can.

Maybe it's not a bad idea that they just don't sell it at the local hardware store anymore.

 

[mjncad]

I'd be careful with the explosives.

"Think you used enough dynamite there Butch?" - Sundance Kid

 

[Redneck in training]

Merry Christmas , Looks like Santa and his elves where busy last night, woke to instant results :laughing:

So how did they do it?

 

[jimmyj]

That's amazing, some of the boulder even split off in perfectly formed bricks and cinder blocks at the left! A miracle!

 

[Dargo]

Put a Harbor Freight label on it and have Dargo come over to play with it....he'll have it busted up in no time:laughing:

With my rubber mallet no less!! (if you listen to my dad)

 

[kday64]

Where are you located? Do you have freezing temperatures? Fiil the holes you have already made with water and let it freeze.

I would also keep the boulder. Drag it to the gate and put your house number on it.

I have used this technique once before and I live is Southeastern CT. I think it will work better for you because it looks like the entire rock is upbove ground. Holes should be drilled approximatly 6-8 apart. Just send the wife out once a day to fill in the holes with more water. She will think it is cool that she can destroy a giant slab of stone.

~Kevin

 

[ktm010]

This was a long winter we never got a break from the snow, so no progress on the rock, untill today. I still can't believe how well this is working.:thumbsup:

 

[RadarTech]

This was a long winter we never got a break from the snow, so no progress on the rock, untill today. I still can't believe how well this is working.:thumbsup:

How big, in feet, is that thing?
I have one I would like to try that with, but I don't want to waste my time...

thanks,
J