as title indicates...

 

I'm trying to make a few cracks in a giant rock i have... any ideas how to do with household chemicals/materials?

 

it doesn't have to be a chemical method, physical /chisels/ any other basic method would work

Pour water into cracks in the rock (you can use a chisel if there aren't any cracks)

 

Freeze... thaw...repeat.

no this rock is HUGE like about the size of a small car

 

I don't think a few chisels is enough

Any small cracks you could make bigger? Is the rock inside or outside? Type of rock? Do you have chisels and/or sledge hammers available?

 

How heavy is it? Could you lift it somehow (rope, hoist, block & tackle), put a metal wedge of some sort (or another rock) under it and drop the big rock on it?

no this rock is HUGE like about the size of a small car

 

I don't think a few chisels is enough

 

Ahh... no freezing it then.

 

Umm... gotta sledge hammer?

right now the rock has no holes/cracks, the rock is outside, not sure about the type, maybe granite?, i can buy some chisels, but can't make too much noise or neighbors will start bitching, so no sledge hammers. It's not liftable

Here's your least costly option (if you're a good salesman you could even make money on this): rent several big sledgehammers (10 pounders) and some safety goggles and tell all your friends you're having a "Take Out Your Agression Party".

 

You can probably sell the gravel that's left over.

lol that sounds too dangerous, too conspicuous, and arouses too much curiosity from neighbors

Why are you worried about the neighbors? Are you not improving your property by getting rid of the rock? Is it your rock?

yes its my rock but neighbors are fiesty as hell, i'd prefer to do it discretely is possible, and i'm not the type to use brute strength to destroy something. Thats why I'm on SFN after all ^-^

dude... if this rock is granite and as big as i think.. its not GONNA break without sounding lie ka small bomb went off.. sorry... I liek the agression party idea.. id DEFINATLY take a wack at it..

Sometimes brute strength is the best way.

 

Can you tell us what you eventually want? Two half-sized rocks? Several smaller rocks? Total removal of the rock? I don't know Canadian law but you should be able to make a reasonable amount of noise if you are improving your property, as long as you do it during business hours on the weekdays.

 

I also don't know of any chemical process that would break down a dense mineral deposit like a rock without posing a much worse threat to the neighborhood than a little sledgehammer noise for an afternoon.

anyways, the rock might be sandstone, i'm not too good with geology to distinguish the different types.

 

I really don't care what size the resulting rocks end up being, as long as it breaks into pieces that one can feasibly remove.

 

some of my friends have been debating over thermiting it, but i think the amount of shrapnel it will give off is just suicidal

I think the best way would be to make a nice bonfire right next to it, let it get nice and hot, and then chuck as much cold water at it as you can.

It should crack some from that, then you can do it again or use another method to break it apart from the cracks.

some of my friends have been debating over thermiting it, but i think the amount of shrapnel it will give off is just suicidal

Sure, just make sure to use that new silent thermite so the neighbors won't object.

 

See, if it was me, I'd paint a face or a name on it (probably Bush, since you're in Canada), announce to the local press that you're donating the money to a local charity and then charge people $1 per minute to sledge the big bruiser to dust. The line would go around the block.

Well, how easy is it to break bits off, just with a moderate-strength blow from a normal hammer?

 

If it's just sandstone, and you don't want to piss off the neighbors too much, you could try a pressure-cleaner or sandblaster and a *lot* of patience (or use those to make it into a sculpture).

 

Hey, yeah, just hire an artist to make it into a statue of you!

 

Mokele

Sure, just make sure to use that new silent thermite so the neighbors won't object.

 

lol besides that.... i wasn't planning to thermite it anyways.. that's just an overkill

I'd drill a bunch of holes in a line, then drive a wedge into the line they form.

Drill some holes in it and drive some tapered punches in them to crack it. Rent a hammerdrill or use a star drill to make the holes. Once you drilled the holes you could also wait for freezing weather and fill the holes with water.

I think the best way would be to make a nice bonfire right next to it' date=' let it get nice and hot, and then chuck as much cold water at it as you can.

It should crack some from that, then you can do it again or use another method to break it apart from the cracks.[/quote']

Ahhh.... the old Hannibal method.......

Not shure if this has been mentioned but dig a hole under it then make a dire under it. After a few horus therock will start to crack and split. If it fails to do so then pour some water on it and that will finish the job!

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

That's exactly what I said.

whats a dire? my old english is not good enough

a typo for fire?

 

Another option is drill a nice big hole in it and put something in that will expand, which is how the water method works, either something that expands slowly and block up the hole you've drilled or something that effectively explods and hide...

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