Shim n Wedges, Pin and Feathers, Masons Wedges

[swizzle]

I went back and reread the thread because I completely missed the crystal part.

Crystals.
Digging straight down into the hill.

How are you drilling a bunch of deep 3/4 to 1-1/4" holes and splitting out a 2x2x3' block straight down and not breaking crystals with the drill?

How do you get the block out?

Are the crystals in a seam that you're trying to get to so you're just removing overburden or are they random pockets?

I'm missing something.

- Wedges, 20' 1/2" rebar. Grind in wedge on 2 sides then cut off length. Bonus point for making a Gingery forge and pounding to shape.
- Natural forces, frozen water. Drill holes, drop in slice of dry ice, fill with water.
- Capping method to remove smaller chunks with shallower holes. This is if you are sneaking up on random pockets. Much like this micro-blaster video



Keeping in mind that microblaster charge is like 2" long. Even the ball busting shot was 2 caps. That in the cave boulder shot was only 1 cap.

The crystals are in pockets and on occasion there is no choice, your gonna drill through a few crystals. Sometimes as your drilling you'll drill right into a pocket that has some more room and you'll feel the drill drop a little and hopefully not to the bottom of the pocket through a crystal. The pockets tend to run close together, around 3ft a part but you do find an occasional random pocket. To get the blocks out I needed to get a hole chipped out mostly with hand tools to where I hit a sand seam. I currently have a 2 1/2' to 3' thick section of wall that I can pop pieces off of. So far its been random chunks where ever the seams allow splitting but as I go deeper the seams will disappear and the rock will get even harder. The bonus is no seams = easier pin n feather work because the seams wont stop the cracks from traveling from one set to the next. I am also finding random pockets in the seams as well. With the pockets being so close together but in a pattern I can try to drill around them and hope to just open them by breaking the seam apart. This upper layer is giving me some nice crystals but its also giving me a lot of tight packed crystals that contact the ceiling, floor and walls of the pocket. The bigger deeper pockets can be up to the size of a 55 gallon drum and the chances of drilling through crystals in those pockets is almost non existent. Not sure how 3/4" rebar will hold up when I'm busting 3/4" and 1" mason chisels. I did get a hold of some leaf springs and plan on making some spring steel wedges. Only problem I have now is how to sharpen them without losing their temper. My 3/4" pin n feathers have only been used a few times but I'm already bending the crap outta the feathers. I think I really need to upgrade everything to break the rock a little easier. Bigger drill, bigger bit, bigger sets. The spring steel wedges will be for getting into the cracks and seams and with enough wedges I could pop up and loosen larger chunks of rock and make breaking them up a lot easier. I'm only leasing the claim so I need to follow the rules of the mine which states no explosives of any kind.

 

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[swizzle]

Where would I find dry ice?

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

Where would I find dry ice?

Our grocery sells dry ice. Sits in a freezer near the registers.

We use it for parties with icecream and cake and I've come home to find a solid block of ice at the bottom of the cooler.

There's a lot of videos out there on tempering metal.

 

[swizzle]

I was debating about that. I've read about heating and cooling the metal slowly and repeating a few times to soften the metal to make sharpening easier then heating and a quick flash, oil bath to cool it and regain the temper. That would require a forge that I dont have. I do have a friend that makes his own knives so it could be a real possibility. I'll try to get a hold of him and see what he can do.

 

[Gelmac]

A lot of info to digest in this thread, thanks.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

I was debating about that. I've read about heating and cooling the metal slowly and repeating a few times to soften the metal to make sharpening easier then heating and a quick flash, oil bath to cool it and regain the temper. That would require a forge that I dont have. I do have a friend that makes his own knives so it could be a real possibility. I'll try to get a hold of him and see what he can do.

I am very sorry to post the entrance to this rabbit hole:

Forge and Burner Design Page #1

Propane burner and some firebrick

 

[swizzle]

I saw this one and was wondering about it. I know Dardas run around $10,000 for a good unit and thats not always new. I saw a price of US $1300 - $1500?!? I sent an email to check the price of their cheapest unit shipped to NY, just waiting on a reply. Anyone know if theres a smaller scale Darda like set up in the US thats a bit cheaper? I'd be willing to paid $2-$3,000 for something small scale, gas or diesel with only 1 gun that has around 200 tons of splitting force. It would certainly take some saving up for it but it would be worth it. Jcaz. I might have to look into building a forge if I get anymore spring steel. I just got an email for 2 sets of springs, 6 springs in each set for $20. If the guy lives close enough I'll have to buy it. Just hope its off a car and not a little tow behind trailer. Need bigger steel!