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Homeowner Forum / Construction / April 2008DIY Jackhammers
A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? ibuprofen and lots of it, you will peel your fingers off the handle by days end because of stiff joints >A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? >ibuprofen and lots of it, you will peel your fingers >off the handle by days end because of stiff joints > >>A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >>rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >>the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? For best results take the ibuprofen in 800 mg doses, as that is the amount needed to treat inflmation. (that's four 200 mg tablets). Then consider some Ben-Gay or other rub, a heat pad, and a lover who will consent to rub sweet smelling oil into your aching shoulders! <bg> >A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? Know where your feet are at all times. > A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I > suggested [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > about > before I start? To prevent "white finger" from the vibration, tape some hot water pipe foam insulation on the handles if they are insufficiently padded. Work to a free face, i.e. start on the outside and work outwards. Get the heaviest jackhammer you can rent and make sure your towable compressor supports it. Alternatively, if you are feeling really muscular, get 12 pound or larger sledges, pad the handle with the pipe foam and have at it. On safety, remember what has already been said, note if there are any hot elements on the hammer and wear a cartridge respirator and wraparound safety glasses. Regards, Edward Hennessey Piece of cake, but rent a good one, and not the toy. Get the large wheeled compressor and the 90# jack. Make sure the point is good....... Use dust mask, ear plugs, and good gloves and boots. Have at it. You will be fine..... They do rent a gas operated one that is not bad too. Less crap to get on the job. the best way is to hire a small Bob Cat, with jack hammer attachment and small dump. Then he breaks it, loads it, hauls it off...... I know, you want to save some money, and.............. Have fun. jloomis >A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? Great advice here, men. Thanks a million. The handle wrap is somethign I probably wouldn't have thought of nor would I have had any idea of the size to get. I'm lookin' forward to this! >A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? > I'm lookin' forward to this! If you are in New England, have I got a deal for you!!!! <bg> >A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? First that comes to mind for me is why you're tearing up city property. The road shoulder, any space between the curb and sidewalk, and the sidewalk is considered easement. The owner of the property does not own the easement, although he/she may be required to care for any plant growth on that easement in some cases. There are other easement examples, but do not apply here.  SignatureDave How about a tax to support any military conflict/police action over 3 months old? An actual war, we can do what's been done in the past. Irrelavent to the issue at hand here, Dave. Fact is... this is part of a deal made with the city; my friend removes the slabs to expose the roots and the city agrees to cut down and remove three large trees that not only have cracked the sidewalk but at threatening the roadway. They both benefit. But this has nothing to do with operating a jackhammer. >>A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >>rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > There are other easement examples, but do not apply here. Okay. A little buzzing bug in my brain is saying something about using a rocksaw instead. Investigate it. SignatureDave How about a tax to support any military conflict/police action over 3 months old? An actual war, we can do what's been done in the past. > Irrelavent to the issue at hand here, Dave. Fact is... this is part of a > deal made with the city; my friend removes the slabs to expose the roots [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >> >> There are other easement examples, but do not apply here. Found it on the net. Looks like it's used for "trenching through rock". I'm not quarrying, Dave. Just removing some concrete. :-) P.S. Maybe there's a differnt one you have in mind? I'm lookin' for the simplest way to do this and thought for sure it would be that jackhammer until Ransley came up with the Bobcat. That sounds like even more fun! > Okay. > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >>> >>> There are other easement examples, but do not apply here. How about cutting the sidewalk into its natural sections. Move the sections out with the bobcat. Make the repair work on the sidewalk later easier. Bobcats are fun and effective for small jobs, but too big a job for quick work manually. Used a bobcat for clearing small tree stumps, general leveling of land, moving lots of soil/gravel/rock, and excavating a french drain. Always point the bobcat straight up an incline or straight down. They can topple on an incline if going across, instead at the incline. SignatureDave How about a tax to support any military conflict/police action over 3 months old? An actual war, we can do what's been done in the past. > Found it on the net. Looks like it's used for "trenching through rock". > I'm not quarrying, Dave. Just removing some concrete. :-) P.S. Maybe [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >>>> >>>> There are other easement examples, but do not apply here. >>Always point the bobcat straight up an incline or straight down. << Thanks for that one, Dave. I'd have hated to learn that the hard way! > How about cutting the sidewalk into its natural sections. Move the > sections out with the bobcat. Make the repair work on the sidewalk later [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] >>>>> >>>>> There are other easement examples, but do not apply here. >A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? Get permit from the city? Make sure you know what's under the surface in the way of services. Good points, CW. As explained to Dioclese, the city is involved. However... it might not be a bad idea to have my friend double check that no permits are necessary. He may have just assumed that since the city agreed to be involved so much that all was OK. It may not be if the city is assuming the home owner would get the necessary permit. Good point. >>A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he >>rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle >>the hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? > > Get permit from the city? > Make sure you know what's under the surface in the way of services. I get the impression he's saying to check what's under the sidewalk area for the owner's protection. Not any permit issue. For instance, feed line for water to the house, natural gas, electrical, cable services... Sewage line is probably too deep to worry about. If that's his message, I agree. SignatureDave > Good points, CW. As explained to Dioclese, the city is involved. > However... it might not be a bad idea to have my friend double check that [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> Get permit from the city? >> Make sure you know what's under the surface in the way of services. >I get the impression he's saying to check what's under the sidewalk area >for the owner's protection. Not any permit issue. Both. >>I get the impression he's saying to check what's under the sidewalk area >>for the owner's protection. Not any permit issue. > > Both. In the regard for permit issues on boundaries regarding infringement in the easement, that's a legality that can go either way. I would ask in writing with a reply in writing what exactly they are granting. Then, go from there. But again, I prefer to be specific rather than using vague generalities. Others don't seem to be able to vocalize that. SignatureDave Hypocrisy. Big SUV, filament lights on all night. You think your neighbor should be changiing to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving the hybrid. > A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he rent > a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle the > hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? Consider renting a bobcat, ive seen whole walkways done with only a bobcat and a dumpster, no sore back or broken fingers or toes and it goes quick. If you have never done it its a hard, tough job. In my city the city pays 50-98% , contact them first. I had a corner lot of 120 ft done for $220 Bobcat, huh. I'll investigate. Sure sounds easier on all body parts. All three of us are 65... but in decent shape. Nonetheless... sittin sounds a hellova lot better than bouncin' up and down. On Apr 10, 5:15 pm, "jaygreg" <jaygre...@hotmail.com> wrote: > A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested he > rent > a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan to handle the > hammer. Any tricks or techniques I should know about before I start? Consider renting a bobcat, ive seen whole walkways done with only a bobcat and a dumpster, no sore back or broken fingers or toes and it goes quick. If you have never done it its a hard, tough job. In my city the city pays 50-98% , contact them first. I had a corner lot of 120 ft done for $220 > A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I > suggested [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > about > before I start? Another approach is to drive wedges into the score lines of the sidewalk segments with a sledge as an alternative to sawing and the machine and blade rental costs. To test your capacity and the efficacy of this would be easy and allow you a comparitive procedure to weigh against contending possibilities. Frankly, an accomplished sledgehammer man could do the breaking job in a day if rental expenditures were a concern. Regards, Edward Hennessey Was discussing this very subject with the owner Saturday, Ed. I think you might be right. We're going to inspect the area Wednesday. I plan to bring a sledge for this very purpose. Thanks. >> A friend needs about 60 feet of a city sidewalk removed. I suggested >> he rent a jackhammer and I'd help. We're both fit and husky. I plan [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Edward Hennessey If you can get a bar under the slab, and even an inch or so, you'll be able to break the sidewalk into managable chunks assuming there's no reinforcement...if there is...get a torch or large bolt cutter. BTW...if you jackhammer...don't grab on like you're a 300 superman even if you are...it'll win. Light and firm on the handles will go along way to ease the pain. Best of luck! > Was discussing this very subject with the owner Saturday, Ed. I > think [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] >> >> Edward Hennessey JG: If you are going to drive steel, instead of having someone take the risk of holding the wedge directly, get one of those big, concave-jaw vice grips, clamp it around the wedge, add duct tape from the grips to the wedge and duct tape the assembly to a long stick that puts the holder out of the range of sledge error. The duct tape may require refreshing from time to time. You don't have to clamp the devil out of the grips as the hammer would likely soon knock the wedge free. You just need to be able to contain the wedge for accurate placement, a goal which the tapered form of the wedge will enable. I would start the wedge at the slab border, reposition it at the center junction of slab scores and then work back if necessary. Once you see a crack, it can be extended by pounding a bit ahead of the evident break. Get a piece of inner tube and wrap it on the handle just below the sledge head, affixing that "bumper" with an automobile hose clamp to protect your sledge handle against misses. Four things determine sledge efficacy. The operator, the weight of the head, the length of the handle and the speed of the throw. Tool availability and fatigue will plug into your result. A long bar and a hard, broad fulcrum will help displacing and moving your fragmented slabs. Another amusing possibility, though I have my doubts, is the use of an expansive product like esmite (e-smite?) or bristar, both of which require drilled holes which themselves are a retarding step. I'm not advocating this over what I know will work and cost less but you might find a little research illuminating. Regards, Edward Hennessey Update! I don't get to play with the sidewalk; my friend contracted it out 'cause someone made him a deal he couldn't refuse. About 30 yard of walk completely removed from the lot... six hundred bucks. A gentleman with a miniexcavator and dump truck gave him a price that left only a few hundred difference from the equipment rentals when all was said and done. He's happy... I'm disappointed. I got some good pointers from you guys. I'll have a chance to use 'em before I kick the bucket. I really apprecaite all the tips. >> Was discussing this very subject with the owner Saturday, Ed. I think >> you might be right. We're going to inspect the area Wednesday. I plan [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > > Edward Hennessey |
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