splitting rock

[Egon]

I have split some granite rock. Used an SDS rotary hammer drill (Makita) with feathers and wedges. It's also helpful to cut a slot using an angle grinder along where you want the break.

Do not use water. Makes a wet slurry that doesn't blow out.
Granite rocks come in different hardness.

 

[LD1]

rent an excavator and dig a bigger hole.

A rock that I envision as being too large to burry is one that is just gonna laugh at an SDS drill and wedge.

Any pictures

 

[old gray]

Thanks all. Getting an education here. I am trying to take the upper portions of the rocks off so I can drive over them in a gravel lot.

 

[Egon]

Thanks all. Getting an education here. I am trying to take the upper portions of the rocks off so I can drive over them in a gravel lot.

Jackhammer for that type of work.

 

[KennyG]

Anybody remember the movie "Pale Rider"? Make a big guy really angry.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Many years ago I offered to help out the stone mason my brother had worked for when my brother lit out for SF. This old German could lay up the most beautiful stone chimney that you ever laid eyes on be it one, two, three stories, etc.

Anyway, we would go to his "rock field" where he would pick out a certain colored and/or textured boulder that would maybe fill a pickup bed but certainly crush it. He would call for a certain weight sledge which I would retrieve for him. He could "read" the grain of most any boulder and with a few blows, get a crack started. Maybe with a wedge, maybe not, he would break down a boulder slowly but shourly until he had the pickup bed full with the pieces that he desired and away we would go.

He was friends with my dad. Every now and then they would be in the "gin mill" where this guy (and he was in his sixties) would drink everyone under the table with shots yet be up bright and early the next day. What a character!

 

[ultrarunner]

I was lucky... the city was replacing sewer mains in the area... contractor needed access to the rear of my property as the most practical way to get down to the creek.

I had some rocky outcroppings where a bosch hammer would just chip off little hand sized chunks and this is with me standing on the loader bucket.

Told the foreman he could have free access if he helped me out... deal.

Now he thought it would be simple for his big CAT backhoe... no dice.

In the end he brought in an excavator with a hydraulic hammer which took about 5 hours... said it was much tougher than it looked.

Maybe somebody already working in the area will take on a side job?

 

[quicksandfarmer]

If you get one let us know how it works on granite. I'd buy one in a second if it works. One tip on drilling - do not breathe the dust, it can be very dangerous.

My HF SDS goes through RI granite like it's nothing, like maybe an inch per second for a half inch hole. The first time I drilled a hole I was so amazed I was looking around for other rocks to drill. I have no idea how long the drill or the bits last, I've only had call to drill a few holes.

 

[old gray]

My HF SDS goes through RI granite like it's nothing, like maybe an inch per second for a half inch hole. The first time I drilled a hole I was so amazed I was looking around for other rocks to drill. I have no idea how long the drill or the bits last, I've only had call to drill a few holes.

Bought HF sds today. Gonna get to it Sunday or monday. I also bought HF bits. Have they worked out well for you?

 

[Fossil Farm]

A few nice, hot fires around the boulders work nicely if that is an option. Any internal cracks or seams start to show up and will begin to split the stone.