Who else likes rocks?

[Taylortractornut]

I love rocks myself Im a heavy machinery operator, In the 8 years ive been an operator id never been in rocks
then one day I got a job in Alabama. Dad had worked all over Tennessee and Alabama for several years and gave me a good warning about them. I have several from soft to hard limestone formations. Id take the 300 Komastsu and hoe ram and make big rocks into square ones.
Then we had a fellow come by that had come into alot of money that wanted a freind to haul the larger rocks to his house. hes got some now that weigh in around 25 tons. I still have to get an almost perfectly round one that wieghs 5 tons

 

[DaveNH]

<font color=blue>ship'em to the Dave & Linda home for unwanted rocks. </font color=blue>

US Priority mail or UPS?

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Dave,

I've got a lady customer who ran my obstacle course to customerhood just to get me to build her an address thingy for her home.

Right now the tentative plan subject to change at my whim and her approval is a large flat rock similar to some on your photos around six to eight hundred pounds. I'll lay this one flat, drill a couple of holes for twisted iron posts and some plants. On top of the will be a five to six hundred pound rock. This one will have their street number carved in it and again some holes for plants. The top one I'm thinking of being more of a damaged softball shape. Sorta like a grapefruit that's gone flat on one side kinda.

The iron I want to be two inch or so square bar stock with twists and bends to give it character. The rocks I'd like to find a way to keep damp so moss will proliferate and the plants will grow.

I just thought I'd share the dream. You ain't the only soul in Texas with a weakness for wrocks, some like wrought too.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

When I double checked my post I noticed I'd replied to Tejas Dave and it looks like was trying to talk to NH Dave. But I do like that rock you got there, just the freight might be a fright Dave in NH.

 

[MarkV]

Harv,

I haven’t tried it but I am told that you can get moss to start on rock by spreading natural yogurt on the stone. Have you ever heard that one? Though it might be worth an experiment with all the rock art you do.

MarkV

 

[dmccarty]

MarkV,

I have heard the old milk causes moss to grow. I did throw
some on some of my rock walls but I never did see anything
and I only did it once.

Later...
Dan

 

[Von]

Dan, I have heard that you mixed the milk with some moss in a blender and then spread the mixture where you want moss to grow. I have never done it, but a buddy of mine told me thats how he did it for a rock wall and brick walk way.

 

[MJB]

How 'bout this rock?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[thumbtrap]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>


You're right, it doesn't take much to sustain some plants, usually the ones we don't want.


<hr></blockquote>



If anyone asks me about my lawn, I tell them "I like to call it 'Native Groundcover'". I like rocks too, but isn't it easier to move your house to the rocks than the rocks to your house?

 

[karmakanic]

wroughtn_harv,

I think you and I are sharing the same dream catcher. My dream includes a metal working and blacksmith shop there at the farm to make hardware/fixtures for our retirement home and metal accents for some of the rock formations. For instance, one of my more sensible plans is to add a free form railing to the rock steps. But I've also got the idea of adding a sheet metal carpenters cap and spectacles to the carpenter rock and tusks and whiskers to the walrus. That one is pending approval of the better half, who luckily tends to use better judgement then I when it comes to artistic expression.

I've been accumulating equipment for the past 30 years and the shop is about finished so someday it may be reality. But I've still got a few pieces of equipment I need to hunt down. I wanted to ask, I see you do a lot of work with curved pipes. What are you using to make the curves, a roll? Your curves look a lot better and more gentle then what you can get from a mandrel bender. I have some ideas that require pipes with compound curves. Have you ever tried putting a compound curve in a pipe? Any ideas on how it could be done economically?

Dave Perry aka karma-kanic

 

[karmakanic]

MJB,

Man, that's a heck of a rock. I wonder how much it weighs,,,75 tons?

Looks like they loaded it in the center of the bed and it fell over taking the turn,,,musta ruined somebody's day.

Dave

 

[karmakanic]

"I like rocks too, but isn't it easier to move your house to the rocks than the rocks to your house?"


Wellllll,,,,after we spent two years clearing the honey locust and ceders from the place, the wife said she'd shoot me if I ever talked about moving.

And we do have one thing on our rockless plot a lot of places around us don't have. A stand of native oaks, some 100-150 years old, which is what drew us to it in the beginning.

 

[riptides]

Neat rocks, there is only one thing worse.....
A gazillion small ones. Quartz hill farms is what we ought to call this place. The greyish, white hazy line in the pics are the problem. They range in size from annoying to tripping. Been raking and picking by hand. Any ideas?

-Mike Z.

 

[MJones]

I really like rocks, but I prefer to have them in masonry like in this wall my father-in-law and myself started at his house last weekend in the photo attached.

 

[MJones]

Here is another picture showing the length of the wall after completion and the rock we are using to build the wall.

 

[pajoube]

Very nice job, you guys sure know what you are doing. Did you have the rocks available in your area or did you have to purchase and haul in?
PJ

 

[karmakanic]

"Any ideas?"

Hmmm,,,
maybe put up a sign "Acient Indian battleground,,,$10.00 for all the arrowheads you can carry"

The tourists oughta lap it up.*G*

 

[karmakanic]

MJones,

That's a great looking retaining wall. Really nice fitting work.
I didn't see a chipping hammer laying around. Surely you've got one hidden away. I can't believe you've got the rocks fitting so closely without a little persuation.

Dave

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Michael I love your work. The problem we have with that method of construction here in norte Tejas is our soils moves, and moves, and moves. The clay moves as it dries or absorbs moisture.

So when I do a wall like that here I always first pour a reinforced concrete wall then the rock is put up as a decorative surface. Of course in other kinds of soil this is not required.

What are you paying for your stone? Couple of hundred a ton?