Breaking Granite Boulders By HAnd

[Big Bad Bricky]

I have a dilema, I am building a set of steps and there is a very lage granite boulder in my way.  It cannot be moved due to the position it is in relation to a deck and house so I have to remove it by hand.  I drilled it today and burnt through to carbide bits and didn't make much of a dent in it.  I was able to get a wedge and shims into it, and now, after much hammering with a 16lb sledge, the wedge and shims are part of the granite.  I am at a loss, If I wasn't in a hurry I'd let mother nature do it when winter gets here and fill the holes with water and let it freeze fracture but that is not an option.  Any sugestions, other than Dynamite ( to close to the house)

[Mark D.]

How big is this boulder? Can you give me some measurements?

[Big Bad Bricky]

Thanks for replying, the stone is about 7 feet long 5 feet deep and 5 feet high, it's a big goose egg.  I bought a product called Buster, it is supposed to be an expanding epoxy, but I'm afraid to put it in the holes I've already drilled, any suggestions?

[TerryLaskiwski]

Hi there Big Bad Bricky,

The best and easiest way to get this broken into smaller pieces is to use a product called Dexpan.  After you drill your holes where you want the crack the granite to break, you simply mix dexpan with water, pour it into the holes, and it expands to split the rock.  Dexpan is pretty powerful stuff I believe it has about 18,000 lbs of expansive strength per cubic inch.  You can pick this up at most good rental shops.  Or you can try and track down a distributor from www.archerusa.com if your local rental shop doesn't carry it.  Its pretty cool stuff, and a great alternative to jack hammering or cutting.

Terry