Splitting granite rocks

[Egon]

I have just started into making small rocks from larger ones. The only tools I have are a hammer drill, feathers and wedges and an angle grinder with a stone cutting blade.

It's kinda neat when a rock splits approximately where you wish.

The center piece will be used as one of a series of steps down to a lake front. If the owner approves!

 

[Grrrr]

That is pretty neat

Looks like you can get a pretty accurate cut.

I think I would just be reaching for the explosives

 

[BTDT]

Good job. How long did it take? Where did you pilfer a granite rock from, an old glacier?

 

[EddieWalker]

Egon,

It seems your are always cutting milling something down to workable stock. From previous pictures, you must have a couple thousand board feet of lumber ready to use. Now it looks like you are cutting rocks into workable pieces!!!!!

One of these days you'll actually have to build something. hahaha

Eddie

PS, pretty cool.

 

[Egon]

For the wood I always use the drying excuse to avoid making more sawdust and toothpicks.

For the stone its either stockpile for enough for a complete job or maybe let it sit to give the weathered appearance!

The rocks you did see need a few more brothers and sisters and then they will be used to make a set of steps leading from the lakeside up to the level of the lakeside house. Maybe next week there will be more pictures.

I'm doing some landscaping work on a lakeside cottage/house. There is also a boathouse and woodshed to build!

 

[Lloyd_E]

Egon,

Where did you get your feathers and wedges?

Lloyd

 

[Egon]

Shims/wedges

Miles Supply
P.O.Box 237-143 Boynton St.
Barrie,VT.
05640-0237

802-476-3963

They also have an internet site;

Welcome to Miles Supply's Web Site

 

[scott_vt]

Egon,

It seems your are always cutting milling something down to workable stock. From previous pictures, you must have a couple thousand board feet of lumber ready to use. Now it looks like you are cutting rocks into workable pieces!!!!!

One of these days you'll actually have to build something. hahaha

Eddie

PS, pretty cool.

Mornin Eddie,
If Egon needs help using up that wood stockpile,I know of a good place to use it !

 

[Egon]

Scotty; a bunch of the maple is going rotten. It's got some black streaks running through it so it really ain't much good for anything other than weight holding the basement in place!

 

[MossRoad]

I have just started into making small rocks from larger ones. ....

I almost had a carreer making small rocks out of big rocks, if you know what I mean? (then I met my wife, thank goodness!).

 

[Sigarms]

Miles Supply
P.O.Box 237-143 Boynton St.
Barrie,VT.
05640-0237

Sounds like Barrie, but is spelled Barre

If you want to see some remarkable stonework, the headstones in the cemetary up on the hill in Barre is really amazing.

 

[Egon]

Oh-oh Barre it is.

Sorry about that.

Just ordered 10 more sets of feathers and wedges.

 

[scott_vt]

Scotty; a bunch of the maple is going rotten. It's got some black streaks running through it so it really ain't much good for anything other than weight holding the basement in place!

Afternoon Egon,
Hey thats the spalted maple look, thats worth more $$$

 

[MikeD74T]

Egon, I've split lots of foundation granite. I only drill about 1/2" deeper than the length of the wedge. I think you're spending more time drilling than you need to. My pneumatic drill bits are only 3" long. MikeD74T

 

[Egon]

Mike:

The pictures you saw were the sum extent of my granite splitting expertise.

There is a very long learning curve ahead of me.

Scotty: Are you sure that just ain't rotten Maple??? Hee hee!!

 

[MikeD74T]

Egon, I'm not knocking your work at all, you're just doing more than you need to. The advantage to shallower holes, besides being quicker to drill, is that the 1/2 holes at each edge can be removed with a set leaving a smoother edge. MikeD74T

From the Miles website:

How To Use:​

• Drill holes along your split line at least as deep as your wedges are long ...​

 

[Egon]

Thanks Mike. Next time splitting I will try shorter holes. It will also make it harder to lose the feathers down the hole as I have been doing!

There are many old split rocks around here. They all show short holes.

I was using the long holes as some of the rocks are not even and I was thinking a short hole would spall off thinner pieces rather than getting a clean break.

 

[RobS]

That's pretty cool Egon! The first time I saw that done, I was amazed at the relative simplicity yet the resulting accomplishment is so incredible.

 

[curly]

Egon,

Thanks for the rock splitting primer.

Curly

 

[dsgsr]

Long holes or short holes. It all depends on weather you're splitting quarry granite or conglomerate granite. Quarry Granite can be split with short holes because the grain is uniform, while conglomerate granites' grain is not uniform and should have deeper/longer holes, and you still may not get a uniform/smooth edge.

David