Cutting Granite

[Transit]

This is way off the subject of welding. I have six granite boulders, that is, I think they're granite. About 4 ft in diameter, that weigh about 2.8 tons each. I can roll them with my tractor, much too heavy to lift. I've been trying to drill holes or cut groves in them without much success. The stone is harder than any tungsten carbide drill I have. I've tried a diamond saw blade too and nothing makes a dent. These boulders are the world's largest diamonds or they're from outer space. What have I over looked?

 

[Scooby074]

Your going to need a pneumatic rock drill. Think jackhammer

Local rental store should be able to gear you up

A large hunk of granite will usually laugh at a electric hammer drill unless its one of the very large models.

Once you get holes drilled, you can fill them with expanding cement(dexpan) and split the rocks to a more reasonable size, or use feathers and wedges manually.

Or hire this guy for $5 a day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDoXOYDyfXw

 

[tommu56]

Are you using a rotary hammer a good hilti or equal should drill right through it you need percussion and turning.

A rock drill and tag along compressor will knock it out faster than any electric tool.
Then use dexpan to brake it up.

Demolition Agent Dexpan, Dexpan Non Explosive Demolition Agent, Dexpan Silent Demolition, Dexpan Controlled Demolition Agent for Non Explosive Demolition


tom

 

[Egon]

Up here I use a Makita hammer drill and angle grinder with a stone blade in for cutting the local granite boulders. Then wedges and feathers for splitting.

The rocks I've been working on have much much smaller though.

 

[tawilson]

How do you know how much they weigh?

 

[dave1949]

Up here I use a Makita hammer drill and angle grinder with a stone blade in for cutting the local granite boulders. Then wedges and feathers for splitting.

The rocks I've been working on have much much smaller though.

Egon, about how long does it take to split your pictured rock into the three pieces? The middle piece looks very useable. BTW - I notice you haven't worn the label off your hammer yet
Dave.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

I have to agree with Egon and some of the others. I have made alot of big rocks into littler rocks with an electric hammer drill and some feather and wedges. If your looking to get some usable slabs the feather & wedges work great for making a controled split. Egon's picture shows it perfectly. If you want to waste money, make alot of noise and wind up with a pile of rubble, go for the air compressor

 

[Transit]

How do you know how much they weigh?

That's the easy part, the boulders are almost spherical and 4 ft in diameter. Calculate the volume in cubic feet. Knowing the density of granite in pounds per cubic foot. Vol x den = weight.

 

[Transit]

Up here I use a Makita hammer drill and angle grinder with a stone blade in for cutting the local granite boulders. Then wedges and feathers for splitting.

The rocks I've been working on have much much smaller though.

Once I can get past drilling holes, the rest is easy. What I'm seeing is my tools are not up to granite.

 

[tawilson]

That's the easy part, the boulders are almost spherical and 4 ft in diameter. Calculate the volume in cubic feet. Knowing the density of granite in pounds per cubic foot. Vol x den = weight.

I've got some boulders I want to move around, and I guessed they were around 2 ton, so I guess I was close. This is one rose out of the ground a little more each year became a traffic hazard.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Push it to the side of the road and slap a sign on it... Your new entrance marker...

 

[Transit]

I've got some boulders I want to move around, and I guessed they were around 2 ton, so I guess I was close. This is one rose out of the ground a little more each year became a traffic hazard.

Supervising, hard to believe something that size weighs that much. Granite is 168 lbs / cubic foot. That boulder is easily 2 to 2-1/2 tons give or take a once.

 

[SPIKER]

I have a few of those Canadian Boulders down here in Ohio that the dang ice sheet left on my place. usually one right where I am trying to dig a hole or trench! I have not tried to split any yet but have some about that size only pretty round from all that rolling around under the ice... the flat sides would make me want to CUT them myself somehow for steps et... Not sure if they can be cut for table tops with some sort of abrasive setup? that might be cool.
Mark

 

[Egon]

Egon, about how long does it take to split your pictured rock into the three pieces?

That takes me about 1/2 of an hour I think. Never timed it.

Note: There are many different kinds of Granite of varying hardness. There is one type of granite here that I don't even try to split as it takes too long.

Did someone mention granite steps?

 

[dave1949]

That takes me about 1/2 of an hour I think. Never timed it.

Note: There are many different kinds of Granite of varying hardness. There is one type of granite here that I don't even try to split as it takes too long.

Did someone mention granite steps?

Thanks Egon. That's quicker than I would have thought.
Dave.

 

[brin]

I've got some boulders I want to move around, and I guessed they were around 2 ton, so I guess I was close. This is one rose out of the ground a little more each year became a traffic hazard.

Just so you know folks here in Georgia...Atlanta area in the gated communities pay big bucks to landscape architects for boulders like the one you are standing with..It would probably go for about $600.00 plus delivery and installation...thought you might get a laugh out of that...Now that was up until 2 yrs. ago when this economy went south..so maybe not so any longer but ther was a time.

 

[forgeblast]

Those are awesome steps egon did you split them all yourself?

 

[Egon]

Yes I did.

 

[Willl]

Transit, are you splitter it for a landscaping project ?

 

[Low Bucket]

I notice you haven't worn the label off your hammer yet
Dave.

Maybe Egon just bought a new hammer.- Looked like a lot of splitting done on those steps!

Those steps look nice Egon.