Hi,
I want to build stairs on our land, but need to drill into rock (granite i think) in order to make posts to connect the stairs to. My question is... is there a drilling tool (preferably as powered and portable) that will drill through rock and make a nice big hole?
Thanks!
Do a search for rock drills. You should find plenty of equipment.
NL:
Call your rental yards. Ask for Cobra, Berema or Pionjar gasoline-powered drills. Tell them what hole size you need to see if they stock the bit. If you have granite, it should be no problem. Plain quartz is an entirely different story. Make sure the unit starts and runs nicely in the yard and take notes on any control adjustments. If you get a combination breaker/drill unit, be clear on the selector control and be positive it is FULLY seated in the selected position.
Unless you want to bell mouth your holes, you will need to have a flattened surface to start your drilling. If that means chisel and grind or just plain grinding for accuracy, that isn't a problem. Begin your hole as perpendicular as possible, slowing down the rpm on the drill and use an assistant or your foot on the bit to help with accurate placement. If you want a really clean job, start with a drill and a sledge to make a smaller, shallow pilot hole the bit will seat in.
Once you are accurately seated, let out the rpm to a manageable range. Carefully pulling the unit up and down every so often will help clear the drilled spall from the hole, making for easier operation. Whatever you do, don't drill all the way through the rock. That would not lead to a joyous result.
Also, the usual caveats about a cartridge mask, eye protection and ear muffs apply.
Regards,
Edward Hennessey
Ed! You are a gentleman and a scholar!
Your response really led me in the right direction. I have a few more questions.
Is this a job for someone unexperienced like me? That is, should only people who really know what they are doing try this? Also, what happens if I drill al lthe way through the rock? This is pretty much bedrock, so I think it goes down for quite a while. Also, what if there is a quartz vein or something? I'm not sure if there is, but perhaps I can't see it all... would this damage the drill or cause the drill to explode in my face? Finally, what is the difference between a drill and a "breaker unit"?
Thanks so much for you expert help, Ed!
NL:
You sure you got the right Ed?
If you were near me or another experienced operator, the more holes you have and the more precisely you need them positioned on irregular rock is something you would balance against the cost of the rental, your inexperience and mistakes that may be troublesome to reverse. That said, this isn't brain surgery. If you practice on similar spare rock first, you should be able to handle it--or know you can't.
Also, what
First, you don't want to for your installation. You want to drill a bit deeper than the posts you are going to put in. Stainless posts would be nice. If you manage to poke through with a long drill shaft, especially in harder rock, the drill can get stuck or bent and the machine can toss you if you don't shut it off when it binds and starts to overspeed.
This is pretty much
Granite tends not to have big, metamorphosed quartz veins and they are usually not terribly tough when present. The other kind of white granitic vein would be feldspathic and feldspar is a very soft mineral. My concern for whether you could do this was basically pointed at solid quartz. If you go to the library and get out a rock/mineral field identification guide, you can probably figure out what rock type you have.
I'm not sure if there is, but
If your rental unit was gauging drill wear and you kept at some resistant layer without progress, even with the carbide bit I recommend, you might get a wear charge. Otherwise, there is no danger.
Finally, what is the difference between
Some of the machines described are both jackhammers and drills. The selector lever down near the chuck controls which function is operative. Many times the lever won't fully seat in the proper position unless you grab onto the drill shaft and use it to turn the chuck until the gear mechanism is aligned. Don't force the lever. When things align it will go in easily. But if you don't get it properly seated, you might get to buy the tool if the worst happens.
These combination tools average about 70-80 pounds. In rock like you might have, they will drill quickly and handling the machine in this application is pretty much a matter of being able to lift it.
Jackhammering with them requires more operator strength. If you're in shape, they won't push you around. Otherwise, they can be a bit vigorous for some people. If you have been eating your Spinach, you might even be able to use the jackhammer to do preliminary rock removal at difficult angles to make the pads to receive your posts. It depends on how precise your placement needs to be. Diamond sawing and grinding followed by a dimpled pilot hole would be very clean. You could even put an outward bevel on the pads to shed rain after you make your dimpled hole with a star drill and small sledge. Small diamond saws are available for grinders.
Lastly, if your holes are smaller--ask the rental guys what size holes their machines will make-- there are Swedish and Japanese gas-powered drills out there that will be far easier to handle...and slower on results. I've never used these smaller machines but Pionjar made one and that is a good name.
You're welcome. Happy to help.
Regards,
Edward Hennessey
Amazing... Thanks Ed! I am going to apply this knowledge now... I'll let you know how it turns out!
NL:
Good. Keep me posted. Best of luck to you.
Regards,
Edward Hennessey
yes, in China ,we have this tool.
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