Rock hammer for bolders?

[trueg50]

I've got a very rocky property with some large boulders forming a loose wall. I'm looking to move them back a ways (maybe 30 feet) but they are far too large for anything I can rent (KX057 size). I was toying with the idea of renting a mini-ex for a weekend with a rock hammer to break them up as well as break up some boulders that are partially exposed above the lawn, one in the drive way, and a few in various other places. Then maybe next year rent a machine for a week to do the rest of the project. Has anyone ever rented/used a hammer for this? any tips on the size of the machine/technique? I find a bit on using hammers for bedrock etc.. but not much for boulders/large rocks.

 

[seville009]

Can’t answer your questions about rock hammers, but what I did with a pile of large rocks/boulders that i had piled up over the years was to bury them.

I had a large used excavator (Hitachi ex60-urg) with a manual thumb.

I wanted a pile of dirt instead of a pile of rocks, so i dug a big hole, used the excavator to carry/push/pull the rocks into the hole, then covered them with some of the dirt.

I mention this because maybe that is an option for your situation.

Whatever you do, rent equipment that is more capable than you think you will need……it’s always better to have more than less.

 

[JasperFrank]

What rock are you dealing with? In Vermont, I can only assume it is granite. A Pic would help.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

You'll probably need to stitch them boulders. Kinda like breaking a large block of ice, or bricks and cinder blocks. I used to have one for a skid steer. I have no doubt it will break rock. Just beat a line across the rock about 6" apart, then hammer on that line until it breaks. Best to break in half, then break the halves in half. Until you can manage them.

 

[M59]

Pictures of the areas and rocks of concern would be appreciated and will benefit you because contributors will provide comments/ solutions/ options more appropriate to your situation

 

[Captain Dirty]

. . .as well as break up some boulders that are partially exposed above the lawn. . .

My recent experience breaking rocks has been low power--feathers and wedges. I drill 1/2" holes with an electric rotary hammer (not to be confused with its smaller cousin, the hammer-drill) about 6" apart along the desired fracture line, set up the feathers and wedges, and hit them with a 3 or 4 lb. hammer. It works fairly well with rocks above grade. It is easy to underestimate the buttressing effect of soil on the sides of partially exposed boulders. There needs be space for the rock to split into.

 

[/pine]

They make expanding chemical compounds that will bust the biggest boulders...Google it...!
Good Luck...

 

[oosik]

I have one large - size of VW bus - rock. Smack dab in the middle of one of my fields. Started figuring how many times it would need splitting - so I could handle it.

Easiest solution - work around it.

 

[Raul-02]

I have one large - size of VW bus - rock. Smack dab in the middle of one of my fields.

I think I've seen it

 

[Rockbadchild]

yeah if its sedimentary rocks its shouldn't be a problem but if its mafic rocks then they are hard to break you have to look at the grains of the rock and hammer it in the same orientation of the grain / foliations and chip away at it ... of course it depend what you consider ''larger boulders'' I would suggest a bigger excavator rather then a small one and even then its a slow progress ... and for the rocks burred in the ground good luck with these one if the foliation is horizontal you wont be able to rotate them so you wont make much progress on them ... I suggest a Hilti drill and a hydraulic rock splitter instead or simply rent a big excavator and move the rocks without breaking them if they are mafic rocks.

 

[Rockbadchild]

There is this stuff also, its works.

Dexpan is a cement with amazing 18,000 psi expansive strength when mixed with water. Poured into pre-drilled holes, Dexpan can break concrete and rocks safely and quietly, while providing silent cracking. It is safe, easy and cost effective.

 

[Cataclysm]

I use a hammer on a 6 ton mini excavator. I break limestone, sandstone, iron rock and rarely some granite. It does a great job on anything that's brittle/hard.

Some of the sandstone we have is spongy and soaks up the hits. Rock teeth will cut that sandstone pretty good.

Breaking up rocks in your field wouldn't be a problem for it.

 

[trueg50]

It's tough getting shots these days but here are a few examples. The first bolder is one I need to move, I put a key fob on it for scale. This is the biggest of them, there are 2-3 others in this wall that are this size and the rest look small enough to move with a mini-ex.

Second picture are 2 sticking up in the lawn and causing issues. One is 6" above the area and the other one is just sticking up a little. I don't want to tear up the whole area taking these out whole, i was thinking about trying at least take the tops off so i can put dirt over and level the area off.

 

[ultrarunner]

I worked a long time on a rocky out cropping using my loader as a platform and BOSCH hammer...

A construction crew was doing utility work and asked if they could park equipment on my property and one was an excuvator with hammer... I said yes but break up the rock.

Came home and they had packed up and did not break up the rock.

Tracked them down and said they forgot but did come back two weeks later and it was some difficult rock but he got it done

I bought Dexpan but never used it.