Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[lithicbeads]

Normally the saw is bolted to a very strong and heavy platform and the rock is chained to the platform as well.I can move the rock with my tractor. Years ago I found a good way to make boulders easy to move. I got piles of old cable chains from the dump and make a mesh container for the boulder in the field. Small stainless screw carabiners hook the chains together. One the rock is completely encircled ( a six foot bar used properly will turn over most one ton boulders) then folks around here either use pulleys from trees or drag it. I use an old climbing rope and from one point on the mash cage I tie a bunch of six foot stands with a loop on each end. A group of people can move a big rock quickly this way  and just two people can move a few hundred pound rock up hill over rough ground pretty quickly. My record rock move was a head high round basalt boulder that landed on a one lane very steep four wheel drive road while we were jasper collecting.We were on the edge of about a 600 foot cliff so there was no way around. The guy I was with and my son freaked out but I laughed.I asked my son to get me a rectangular rock about nine inches high and use it to pry the boulder down the hill then off the cliff.Trundling is what we call it when we clear mountain climbs of dangerous rocks.The results can be spectacular.I miss that young guy stuff.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Frank, I really enjoy hearing about how you go about getting things done.

I'm sitting here chuckling, thinking that's exactly how an old ironworker would rig and move loads like that. People are amazed at what can be moved with just my old 30" sleever bar. Have also used the same kind of setups for carrying heavy loads. I think we'd probably work well together - which would be good, 'cuz it might take both of us to do what either of us used to do by ourselves.

I'm picking yer' brain about this just in case I'm ever lucky enough to have to do the same thing. I'm assuming if you'll be building a platform for this project that there must be some kind of oil collection pan beneath where the boulders will be chained down. I'm already visualizing how I could cobble together some scrap iron and such to build one!

[lithicbeads]

These are run with a water pump in the field or a garden hose at home . A lot of water is used .I will find some pictures today.

[Stonemon]

Frank,
I am assuming you will use a thicker granite type blade? It seems like the large lapidary blades would take on a bunch of wear quickly running with water.
I am also looking forward to pics...
Applied physics as described in your earlier post seems like an art that is being lost in the day of smart phones...

[lithicbeads]

Here are a couple of pictures of essentially the same saw but different methods of securing the rock. I have seen pictures of these being used in Canada,
Alaska, New Zealand and Russia. The bade type  and speed I can get by asking a retired jade miner who used these. Water is the only lubricant they used.

[Stonemon]

Looks great! Maybe a bit steam punk but workable. What are they using for power? Are you looking at internal combustion or generator and motor? Can I come watch?
Looks like a worthy project to me...
Best!

[lithicbeads]

Generators power them in the field.

[Picture Rocks]

Sometimes on the LS14 we have I'll use counterweights for softer or more fragile rough. I don't know how much the original motor weighed on this saw so it seemed logical. I just hang them off the back end of the saw arm under the motor. It was the easiest "adjustment" that came to mind... .

The manual for this saw said up to 5 lbs of additional weight could be added to the arm, but I don't know how much downforce there was with the original motor on the back end.

I measure 10lbs of downforce on my LS14 machine (with inaccurate bathroom scale)

[lithicbeads]

The 36 inch saws are using 40 pounds it seems.