Moving some rocks

npaden · Apr 29, 2006

I've been moving some rocks up around a pond. So far they have all been small enough to pick up with the loader, but the next batch is going to be a little more of a challenge because they are all a little bigger. The heaviest implement I have is the mower so that's why it's on there and I also piled some rocks on the back just for effect.

I think that rock weighed at least 2,000 lbs because I could only pick it up about 6". When I picked it up with the back blade on the rear wheels picked up pretty quick so I switched out for the mower and all was well.

Took a couple pics:

Pretty fun stuff! I couldn't even budge the larger rocks with a prybar once I got them set down.

EddieWalker · Apr 29, 2006

Nathan,

What are you doing moving rocks??? Aren't you supposed to be building a workshop!!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Eddie

npaden · Apr 30, 2006

You can actually see the slab for the workshop in those pics if you look hard enough. I'm not building the building, it would take me too long and with my welding skills it would probably fall down with the first high wind. I talked to my builder and he said it was going to go up this week for sure.

jinman · May 1, 2006

To have fun with rocks, you really need one of these (see attachment). It doesn't have to be used for rocks either. Yesterday, I was moving crossties. I told my wife that I think that was the first time I ever moved crossties that I didn't need gloves. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Nice job with the rocks. Sometimes yuu just have to work with what you have to do these jobs. You made your bucket work very well. Heck, even if you couldn't lift it, you could have gone in reverse and used the bucket as a skid. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

scott_vt · May 1, 2006

Mornin Npaden,
Well, that is one gig rock /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I see you kind of use the same method as I do, which isnt the best method by the way /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Find yourself some steel boilerplate and make yourself a stoneboat, its much easier to drag those big bones than go through all that wrestlin around, think youll find it a liitle easier /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

npaden · May 2, 2006

Okay, I took some more pictures today.

I ended up having to move the rocks because I ended up having to do some more work getting the pond leveled out and sized correctly for the liner that I bought 2 years ago but haven't ever got around to putting in.

I went ahead and threw the liner in there and started filling it up today. I should have taken a picture of it before the liner, but I was already filling it up before I remember to take a picture. Underneath the liner there is a layer of felt to help protect the liner from tearing.

Oh well, here are a couple pics. This is looking at the pond with the canyon in the background and this years christmas tree planted beside it.

You can see the house in this picture. This is a wildlife pond for my CRP land so it had to be on the CRP property which is why it is so far from the house. I got bonus points on my CRP application because there is no other water source for wildlife within 1/2 mile in any direction.

I think I'm going to do a little more modifications to the actual pond on the lower right corner to allow more area for wildlife to get a drink in a shallow pool in the corner about 6" deep.

Here is a picture with one of our 4-wheelers in the background. The pond isn't really as big as it looks in the picture, the 4-wheeler just looks really small because of depth perception. I was using the 4-wheeler to haul medium sized rocks to put around the edges of the pond.

The hose has been running filling it up since around 6:30 tonight. At about 8:00 it started getting air in the line because it sucked the well dry and so I closed it down some and kept filling. I don't think it will be full by morning. I calculated it out at between 3,000 and 4,000 gallons.

Just thought I would share my project with everyone. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Nothing like the other "ponds" several of the others have been showing but it should serve it's purpose. Hopefully it will end up being a nice spot for wildlife and I might put a fish or two in there as well. I've already got some pumps and filters to use on it.

Egon · May 3, 2006

Nice looking job. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Now for a simple question: In Texas would not the granular material in the pictures be considered Pea Gravel? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

tinsnip · May 3, 2006

Nice work on the pond!

As for moving rocks with a stoneboat, I saw a very inexpensive homemade job at a local fair. The guy took the hood (trunk?) of an old VW bug and folded the front edges over a little. Kind of like you would do on a paper airplane, but just the first 6 inches or so. He drove a couple holes (not drilled, maybe he hammered a prybar through it or something) and threaded some chain through it. Claims he can skid the thing along with almost anything in it, even with his 4-wheeler! Looked ugly, but I bet it worked great.

Egon · May 3, 2006

Please note:

When skidding heavy objects on a slipery slide with no sides or hold downs hills and slopes can make strange things happen!

Don't park your truck downhill of where you are working.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

npaden · May 3, 2006

Today's progress:

I filled in a bunch more dirt around the lower edge to slope it out better and changed up the shallow corner like I wanted. Now I just have to get it full and put the rocks around and setup the plumbing.

Here's another pic that shows the shallow drinking area better. I'm going to put pea gravel in the shallow areas.

I'm going to make it where it continually overflows that corner so there will be nice thick grass so the bugs will really bring in the birds.

More pics in this directory - http://padens.com/files/pond/

SPIKER · May 3, 2006

npaden:

nice looking pond, one thing though what about deer or large hooved critters/ they can make that nice pretty liner a mess in no time. first wild hog or steer will sure have hin self a good ole time I bet...

you might want to look for some drilling clay, and make a smaller pverflopw pool using that as the liner that way the walking around of critters won't hurt so bad.

I would say a few nice big ole cat fish would sure like the bugs in there hahaha

markM

npaden · May 14, 2006

After some setbacks (a 1,500lb rock dropped in the pond ripping several holes in the liner) I have it all back up and running. I still have several more large rocks to place but after the incident with the rock ending up in the pond I am going to take it slow and place them a few at a time.

Here is what the pond looks like right now. It's hard to see but there is a waterfull flowing down over the rocks.

I had a helper and that made a huge difference in getting the rocks placed. It is very time consuming but I think the end result will be worth it.

It is amazing how many birds I have seen around the pond just in the last week since the pond has had water in it.

npaden · May 14, 2006

After some setbacks (a 1,500lb rock dropped in the pond ripping several holes in the liner) I have it all back up and running. I still have several more large rocks to place but after the incident with the rock ending up in the pond I am going to take it slow and place them a few at a time.

Here is what the pond looks like right now. It's hard to see but there is a waterfull flowing down over the rocks.

I had a helper and that made a huge difference in getting the rocks placed. It is very time consuming but I think the end result will be worth it.

It is amazing how many birds I have seen around the pond just in the last week since the pond has had water in it.

Egon · May 15, 2006

Looking good! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon · May 15, 2006

Looking good! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

npaden · May 21, 2006

Here's the progress from the last week.

I think I have all the rocks set where I want them. I may still put in a few more on the outside edges but all the rocks on the pond edge are officially in place. I'm still going to put a little more gravel down in the shallow areas but I have all the liner covered for now.

Here it was last Sunday:

And here is a picture from tonight:

You can tell that the dogs enjoy the pond:

And this picture gives you a decent idea of the size of the rocks I'm dealing with. I tried to keep the smaller ones (1,000lbs or so) around the edge of the pond and some of the ones around the outside are 2,000+ lbs and I could only push or drag them to get them where I wanted, I couldn't lift them.

Hope that isn't too many pictures. I felt like I made a decent amount of progress this week, I got to spend about 8 hours on it.

More pictures in this directory if you are interested: http://padens.com/files/pond/

I think it is going to turn out okay with a little landscaping around it.

npaden · May 21, 2006

Here's the progress from the last week.

I think I have all the rocks set where I want them. I may still put in a few more on the outside edges but all the rocks on the pond edge are officially in place. I'm still going to put a little more gravel down in the shallow areas but I have all the liner covered for now.

Here it was last Sunday:

And here is a picture from tonight:

You can tell that the dogs enjoy the pond:

And this picture gives you a decent idea of the size of the rocks I'm dealing with. I tried to keep the smaller ones (1,000lbs or so) around the edge of the pond and some of the ones around the outside are 2,000+ lbs and I could only push or drag them to get them where I wanted, I couldn't lift them.

Hope that isn't too many pictures. I felt like I made a decent amount of progress this week, I got to spend about 8 hours on it.

More pictures in this directory if you are interested: http://padens.com/files/pond/

I think it is going to turn out okay with a little landscaping around it.

EddieWalker · May 21, 2006

Very nice. Is alge a concern? What about having the water turn brackish or stagnant over time? Is there any way to aerate it or keep it fresh?

Thanks for sharing the pics,
Eddie

EddieWalker · May 21, 2006

Very nice. Is alge a concern? What about having the water turn brackish or stagnant over time? Is there any way to aerate it or keep it fresh?

Thanks for sharing the pics,
Eddie

npaden · May 21, 2006

Thanks!

I have a 2,000 gph pump running a surface skimmer and that splits off and flows to the waterfall and to another filter. I'm sure I'll have some issues getting everything setup but it should be enough to keep the water fairly clear and clean.

Most of the pictures I've taken are after I've been doing something to stir the water up and make it dirty. When I left it alone with the filters running after a few days it cleared up and you could see the fish in the bottom of the pond. (I added a few 4" koi just for grins)

Here is a picture of the waterfall, I have it split into 2 streams because when it was all flowing in one stream it was more like a fire hose than a stream:

It doesn't look very impressive in that picture but there is a decent amount of water flowing there and it drops about 2' from the top of the rock.

The pond is designed to keep runoff water out and the clean water in. Hopefully it will work that way! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif