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Post by rocklicker on Aug 6, 2009 18:32:23 GMT -5
With the tumblers running most of the time, I have been breaking up rock a lot. Usually put a towell over the rock in the back yard and go to town with a sledge hammer. Lately I've noticed that I tend to ruin the cement pavers in the back yard and have a small area that's all rock chips around a crater that has developed in the middle. There is the remains of a paver under there that gets pounded more and more into the ground. It would be nice to have a rock breaking device. Here's what it needs to have:
-The ability to stand up to lots of rock breaking and not ruin whatever it's sitting on (I can put it on the dirt). -Relatively quiet. basically, it can't have a metal base. I live in a condo and don't want to annoy the neighbors with me clanging on it. -Be able to break rocks up to a football size and keep the flying shards contained and easily cleaned up.
Has anyone here built a rock breaking/crushing device? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Steve
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lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on Aug 6, 2009 18:54:37 GMT -5
How cheap are the pavers? I beat rock on my concrete floor in my basement. I have a few craters there and when I get around to it, I'll use some concrete patch. Another option would be to buy a bag of sakrete and make your own pavers only maybe thicker with some re-enforcing. Another option is to make friends with your local prison warden
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Aug 6, 2009 19:56:25 GMT -5
I've used a vise (with modified jaw inserts) to crack rock by squeezing them. I also invert a transparent plastic box ($3 @ walmart) cut a hole just big enough to force a long cold chisel thru (I use these... www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95812 ) and a 3Lb hammer (wrap a sponge around the chisel to make an isolated handle). I lay the rock on a piece of 10" square x 1/4" plate steel (no difference in noise between it and concrete). Plastic box contains all the pieces. I did make a slide hammer that worked well on very large rocks, similar to a spud (used to chop holes in the ice for ice fishing) but it was inside a pipe (like a sleeve) and you slid the sleeve down to hit the chisel end. It was 7ft long (I never bothered to make a smaller one but it should work fine with enough weight on the slide. Now if you could put a chisel tip on this... www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=5469Then theres always this... www.dexpan.com/But I really like cutting best. Dr Joe .
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Post by texaswoodie on Aug 6, 2009 20:58:56 GMT -5
My nephew has a rock crusher. Don't know what he would charge though. Curt
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 6, 2009 21:23:09 GMT -5
I watched a rock crusher in action once at an old rockshop. It was pretty large and I'm really not sure what the internal mechanism looked like but it was not even super noisy. What was cool is it broke the rocks more along fracture lines and since they were doing Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper, the stuff they turned out was actually pretty nice solid hunks and not as much slivers as we get when we hammer up our stuff. Wish I did know what it looked like inside but all I remember is just a big hopper with a lid on top....Mel
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Aug 7, 2009 0:12:16 GMT -5
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Post by catmandewe on Aug 7, 2009 0:13:02 GMT -5
I saw a guy crushing rocks with a chain type pipe wrench for turning large 10-12" pipes, it worked slick, just popped them right apart. He could pop geodes in two, too. I didn't play with it, but he wasn't working hard doing it either.
Tony
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Aug 7, 2009 7:05:08 GMT -5
Yes, you could use a soil pipe cutter. I've used them on geodes. The type with 2 handles is definitely easier to use. They're available from tool rental shops.
Chuck
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lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on Aug 7, 2009 8:08:36 GMT -5
How about a log splitter? You'd have to weld up a box to contain the shrapnel.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Aug 7, 2009 17:31:16 GMT -5
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Wolfden
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2007
Posts: 1,368
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Post by Wolfden on Aug 8, 2009 12:22:33 GMT -5
I have to disagree on the log splitter self-destructing .. lol I had a 30 ton log splitter that i broke a couple granite boulders with and the rocks gave up before the splitter did lol
Wolf
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Aug 9, 2009 10:25:03 GMT -5
OK, a 30 ton may last a little longer than the one Saskrock suggested ;D
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cdfcal
having dreams about rocks
Member since June 2011
Posts: 59
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Post by cdfcal on Nov 14, 2012 10:32:02 GMT -5
I use my backhoe but it's a little noisy......
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Nov 14, 2012 12:40:35 GMT -5
A variety of hammers from a 3 pound engineer's sledge down to an 8 once does a lot of damage.I like cracking them on hard ground/pea gravel covered hard ground,if avail asphalt.A meduim sized anvil or railroad iron mostly burried is deadly and pretty quiet.Or any solid piece of steel partially buried does well at keeping sound down.Never tried cast iron but thought about it-it's so dense and softish.
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Post by catmandewe on Nov 14, 2012 16:55:50 GMT -5
I have a 30 lb chunk of Biggs that has a concave top on it, it holds the rocks in place and I can smack em with the hammer. I do it on the cement driveway and then just sweep up when I am done. I have broken hundreds of pounds of tumbling rough with the chunk of Biggs and it doesn't even have a dent in it, except for the dent that holds the rocks in place just right.
Tony
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riverrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2010
Posts: 1,395
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Post by riverrock on Nov 28, 2012 17:44:29 GMT -5
I use a fridge box to keep the smaller pieces from flying everywhere. I cut open one end and then cut off the top ( this would be the side of the box if it was standing up right)of the box. Place the rock on top of another piece carboard in the box and smash away.
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Post by geoff on Nov 28, 2012 20:13:39 GMT -5
What about something similar to a Zuber MP5 or MP10?
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Post by mohs on Dec 8, 2012 21:09:58 GMT -5
I think an old shotgun loader would do a killer job I saw one that was made from cast iron a serious tool It had a large lever that brought up a plate on top was 2 large diameter screw fed pointy objects if this was mounted securely you could crank the rock up lock the lever in place and with a monkey wrench turn the pivots screw with pressure and a fracture point CCRRRAAACKKKKK
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Dec 8, 2012 23:41:41 GMT -5
Somehow a drip irrigation setup is not gonna break any rocks this century!! lol I use 2 sledge hammers and a tarp to break up agates. Basically I place a tarp on the ground, place 1 sledge hammer on it , laying down, place the rock on the hammers head, cover with tarp by folding it over,, then hit it with the other hammer and viola!! crushed rock on a tarp, ez to clean up and not very noisy because you are hitting rock not metal to metal!!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Dec 9, 2012 6:55:34 GMT -5
That is a good way to go Mario.Putting sheets down to catch your chips is nice.I seem to get chips stuck in me from time to time and really dress up for the rock chipping affair.Cracking them over a sledge head is killer.A great 'anvil'.If out in the field i cover the rock with rags,sheet plastic or whatever when breaking down large stuff to avoid pieces cutting me.
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