how to make cracks in a huge rock

[YT2095]

I`de blow it appart with a tamped charge personaly, but if it`s quiet and unexpected you want, then let nature do the hard work, if this rock has existing cracks that run deep (if not drill a few yourself), then soak a packet of seeds overnight (wheat or dandilion whatever) then drop them down the cracks and cement it back up all but for a small gap, then just wait

 

failing that, paint a couple of eyes on it and sell it on E-Bay as the worlds biggest Pet Rock

 

edit: don`t forget to add; Buyer Collects!

[akcapr]

drill a hole and load it with some dynamite. just do it when everyones gone.

[Phi for All]

Why do you want to get rid of this rock anyways? Most people pay good cash for large rocks in their yards.

Bluenoise makes a lot of sense here. You should put an ad in the paper listing "rock for sale". Wouldn't you feel silly if you broke it up only to find out that someone was willing to hire a crane AND pay you a thousand dollars for such a huge rock?

[Externet]

Hi.

Dig a huge hole in the ground next to the rock, and push it in. Then spread the soil all over the yard or where needed. Will take you 15 minutes of excavator rental.

Miguel

[rakuenso]

this rock is quite heavy.. i don't think simply pushing will do the trick

[leidiot]

drill a hole and load it with some dynamite. just do it when everyones gone.

 

Don't think it would work. The rock might blast into his house. Or get one of those plants like YT2095 said.

[Externet]

The excavator won't be capable to push it in ? Then have the excavator removing soil from nearly under it until it falls into the hole. Gravity always works.

Miguel

[Dave]

Personally, if you want to do this quite quietly, then I would suggest drilling holes at strategic locations and using something like liquid nitrogen to cool down the rock to a point where it's easy to crack off with a sledgehammer. I've seen it done before, but you're going to need big drill bits

[akcapr]

basically you wont be able to do this quietly if at all, and if you domanage to do it quietly it will also be at a high cost.

[RyanJ]

I wonder if a large thermite reaction could provide a potential heat source enough to shatter or crack the rock (via heat differential)... I've done it with a paving slad out my garden but never tried it with a rock...

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[H2SO4]

Um explosives? Maybe some homemade flash powder!

 

 

nO JUST KIDDING THIS IS A BAD IDEA (caps lock which i hate) I like the idea of the bonfire next to it to expand it and then cool it real quich.

[rakuenso]

yeah i'm a bit afraid of rocky shrapnel with the thermite method

[RyanJ]

yeah i'm a bit afraid of rocky shrapnel with the thermite method

 

Yup, and the hot moltern iron that coudl be sprayed everywhere

 

I still think the best method would be too create a fire under it then after a few hours throw water all over it, that will make it crack

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[leidiot]

Yep create a big fire but I don't think water would do the trick. liquid Nitrogen should

[insane_alien]

could you not just get some concentrated acid and dissolve it?

[leidiot]

You could but you would need a whole lot to disolve it

[insane_alien]

yes but you could use it to break it up into more managable chunks i.e something you can lift with much less acid. and its pretty much silent and an excuse to make an acid facory in your garage.

[Phi for All]

I hate to keep being all, you know, practical and everything, because I know you really want to somehow dissolve this small mountain, but have you at least called a local quarry to see if they'd remove it for free? There really are people who pay a ton o' cash for landscaping rocks.

 

It might be the easiest route before you start scarring it up too much with hammers and chemicals and explosives (oh my!).

[YT2095]

you forgot to mention the packet of seeds in the cracks and the watering can

[RICHARDBATTY]

Can you hire a large diamond tip circular saw.

[Rasori]

What if it's got gold or diamonds in it? Who'd sell the rock before breaking it then? It could be one of those pretty rocks with the crystals in it, that'd probably sell for more as a landscaper than the rock as a whole. It's a gamble though, because odds are it doesn't have anything good in it.

[rakuenso]

i want to break this rock myself =) I don't really care about how much money it can net me.

[Callipygous]

the fire sounds like your best bet then. BIG fire.... lots of ice water... should do the trick.

[ffsjoe]

screw your neighbours your allowed to make noise on your own property aslong as it doesn't go above whatever the limit is. Your allowed to use leaf blowers and their like 115 decibels. Depending on what type of rock it is i'd be weary of putting a fire around it as sedimentry rocks expode. Could you perhaps take a picture of it and post it on the thread?

 

edit: found a link that you might like to read http://homes.mainetoday.com/homecare/051106chimney.shtml

[[Tycho?]]

If it is a granite rock you're dealing with good luck. That stuff is so difficult to break appart, and almost never has obvious cracks already in it, and even heavy machinery has a tough time dealing with it. I'd think you would need to do some drilling, if anything just to give you a place to put a wedge in. The ol expansion method could work, so could the fire/water thing, but I think the latter in particular would just tend to break off small chunks of the rock from the outside, instead of actually splitting it.

 

I would be interested to hear what method you settle on, and how it goes.