Who else likes rocks?

[wroughtn_harv]

Re: WraughtnHarv...

She never followed through. My plate's been full. So it's still sitting out there. With my luck just about the time I'm so busy I can't see up for down she'll come back with a picture and want it done ASAP.

Son in law to be was given a beautiful etched marble picture as a gift the other day. He said it was supposedly done with a laser. It sure was gorgeous.

They'd inked the grooves in with some black ink and the marble was white. It looked like big scrimshaw like they do on a knife handle. It sure was pretty.

Just so many ways to skin a cat, it's a wonder there's any cats left out there.................

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Re: WraughtnHarv...

Too bad you didn't put that laser etcher on Sammy Claw's wish list a few weeks ago! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I was thinkin' about that project and remembered what my kid did with some mirrors and glass panes and such. The blasting medium, distance, pressure, the substraight. It was an education for me. I've seen laser work in wood, too. Tie that in with your computer and you can do some real magic! hmmm....tie the plasma torch in to the computer....hmmmmm....

 

[GregJ]

Thought I'd post my little rock project that I've been working on for the last couple of months. I had 15 ton of Frasier River granite delivered. They are all 1/2 to 1 man rock, so I was able to place most by hand. We have a circular driveway and the wall ranges from about 18 inches to about 4 feet at the highest point. We are now placing about 4000 brick around it creating pathways and trimming up to the asphalt. It's been a lot of fun putting this together. I'll post a couple of pics. This pic shows a section of the wall and trail and my "Dump Truck".

 

[GregJ]

Here is another pic of the wall and all of my "Earth Moving" equipment. I have actually gotten a lot of use out of the little rubbermaid utility cart.

 

[Bird]

Looks like a big project, and pretty, too.

 

[Egon]

Excellent work.

Egon

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Very nice!!! keep us posted on the progress.

John

 

[karmakanic]

Sure is heart warming to see how many of you folks also have a soft spot for rocks. And the various projects posted are a real inspiration. Thanks, and keep them coming.

Here's a few pics of our latest fun with rocks dance. A couple of retaining walls for some "volunteer" trees
that sprouted up on the back side of the just finished pond dam.

I like volunteer trees. You know, the ones that just suddenly appear without you having to do anything. Not only do they save you the trouble and expense of planting them, but I figure you can safely ignore watering or otherwise caring for them like you have to with those store bought sissys.

This first volunteer is a multi-trunk blackjack oak that's just a little too close to the dam embankment. That's the only trouble with volunteers, sometimes they volunteer in inconvenient places. We have a number of these multi-trunk trees coming up all over the 60 acres that was previously a hay meadow. And they're growing much faster then you would expect from a hardwood working to sink it's roots in our hard clay ground. My theory is they were topped off repeatedly by the previous owner each year as he cut the hay, and that gave them an overdeveloped root system and the multi trunks. Now that we're letting them grow, they're like hormonal teenagers, limbs and feelers going ever which way.

This first pic is of the excavation needed to make room for the rocks. Naturally, I decided to make this retaining wall only after it dawned on me the tree and the pond dam were both trying to occupy the same space.

Dave

 

[karmakanic]

A closer look at the initial excavation. At it's highest, the retaining wall will be around 5 feet tall, and will use 3 courses ( Is that the right word,,,any masons out there?) of rocks

 

[karmakanic]

After digging a spot for the rocks, now it's time to go collect a few. I feel like the richest man in three counties when I go driving up to the rock piles. There's the big boulder pile and the small boulder pile. The river rock pile and the sandstone pile. The unusual shaped rock pile, and the lichen rock pile. If rocks are worth a nickel apiece, I'm as rich as I ever wanna be. The pic is of a small part of the small boulder pile. For perspective, the upright pointy one on the right is a little under 6 feet tall.

 

[karmakanic]

Here's the first course of rocks laid in place. The larger ones at the rear weigh in at better then a ton each. Too heavy to be carried into place with the L35. They basically have to be slid, bumped, prodded, nudged, and whatever it takes to get them in there and facing the right direction

 

[karmakanic]

One useful thing about making retaining walls out of boulders is you can make the first course large enough to get on top of it with the tractor in order to position the second course.

 

[karmakanic]

And here are a couple of views of the finished product. First a close view.

 

[karmakanic]

And a long view

 

[karmakanic]

This is a one course wall around a little volunteer pecan. Talked the wife into standing by to capture the drama of the nudging and prodding process used to get the rocks into place. Somehow, the drama is more dramatic in real life.

 

[karmakanic]

And a finished pic of the pecan tree wall

 

[karmakanic]

And finally, I couldn't resist posting this pic, even tho I 've posted the subject already. These rock steps are now about a year old, and are starting to bed in nicely. They're looking like they're gonna be around for a while. Hopefully, long after I'm gone.

Thanks again for everyone's posts. I've really enjoyed the projects shown, and looking forward to seeing more.

Sincerely,
Dave

 

[MikePA]

Great looking work, Dave! You should be a landscaper!! /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

'em are some large rocks.....and your ability to move them around appears to be second to none...and your eye to place them naturally is pure and real...need I say more? Oh.....great job!

 

[GregJ]

Beautiful work Dave. I really like your stairs. Those rocks are huge. I have attached another pic from my project from a different angle. My rocks are quite a bit smaller, but some say size really doesn't matter.