Spent a whole day on a single post hole in rocky ground

Got a job in the hills outside Boulder, figured it was a standard install. Hit solid rock about a foot down on the first corner post. Tried a demo hammer, then a rock drill, then ended up having to chip it out by hand with a digging bar. What should have been a 20-minute hole turned into a 7-hour nightmare. Anyone have a better method for that kind of bedrock besides dynamite?

3 comments

3 Comments

bell.evan2mo ago

Honestly, "chip it out by hand with a digging bar" sounds like pure torture. Tbh I gotta ask, what kind of rock drill were you using? I've seen some guys try to use a basic SDS for that and it just laughs at you. Did you think about renting a proper core drill or was the site just too rough for that?

mason2092h ago

Laughing at the thought of someone using an SDS on that kind of rock... you'd be there till Christmas. @olivias88 is right though, rental gear makes all the difference, even if it still takes forever.

olivias882mo ago

Rented a proper rock drill with a big compressor last time that happened. It still took forever but beat the hell out of a digging bar. Sometimes you just have to brute force it with the right gear.