I need to dig a hole in the next few days. About 2′ x2′ x3′.
The ground is frozen ( NW Ohio).
I have an electric breaker ( small jackhammer). Figure I can use that to loosen – I hope.
Any good tips?
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
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Replies
Fire. Make a fire there where ya have to dig.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Good idea.
I'll start one this after noon and keep it goin' for a day or so.
Thanks man.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Insulate it now (like as soon as you read this). Pile it with hay bales or whatnot. Insulate out 3-4 feet from the edge of the excavation. Won't do the whole job by any means, but will help a little. (Unfortunately, it will also make the work a bit muckier, but it's a tradeoff.)
For the first foot or two a plain old pickax may work better than the hammer.
Thanks.
Think I'll try fire to start - heat source vs. retention. Unless there's someting I'm not thinkin' of.
Gettin' started seems like to hardest part.
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Yeah, the fire is probably a better idea, if it's in an area where you can safely do that. Insulation works, but it takes a week or so to make a major dent with that approach (and is best done, on spec, before it turns cold in the first place).I've watched them dig around here using a Bobcat-mounted jack hammer, and even then it was no treat.Keep in mind that, if you're pouring concrete, you'll need to keep the hole insulated after it's excavated, until the concrete is placed.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
Thanks.
No concrete.
Well, maybe for the headstone :(Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Bummer. btdt.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
You're gonna have a hard time fitting your MIL in a hole that small.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
just saw this thread. sorry about your dog.
ours died a year ago. a beagle that we had for 12 years, since my son was seven.
not only is digging the hole a hassle, but we had near record snow so there was about 5 feet of snow in the backyard.
had an old, unused freezer in the basement. plugged it in and put the dog in, waiting for spring.
but then my son decides to go to japan for 4 months, and would'nt let me bury the dog without him. so Foggy didn't make it into the ground 'til august.
the funniest is, i know from my electric bills that it cost me 8 bucks a month to keep her on ice.
almost ready to get a new dog...
my approach would be to go back in the house and wait untill spring----
might not be feasible for you though, LOL
Stephen
I wish I didn't have to do it at all.
But since I feel it is the right thing to do - I'm gonna.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
JHOLE,
i may have missed something---- but if this is for a dog---- my condolences-- I shouldn't have been so glib.stephen
Ditto.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
It's cool - I know what I'm getting into around here.
Thanks though.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Don't sweat it.
Yes it was our pet. Marriage present to my wife.
Alot harder than I would have thought it could be.
Part of the big picture I guess... Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Yeah, I had to do the same thing a few years ago under similar circumstances. I used a monster of a pickax and a shovel. Shovel was only useful after the pickax loosened things. Actually my hands worked better.
I dug during the last week in Feb - VERY cold - and forgot to consider what I was up against until my first swing - boing! Ground was frozen solid (Connecticut) for the first 12" and then just hard. It was hard work and heart wrenching but I felt so much better having done it.
You never forget your first.
Frankie
Flay your Suffolk bought-this-morning sole with organic hand-cracked pepper and blasted salt.
Thrill each side for four minutes at torchmark haut. Interrogate a lemon.
Embarrass any tough roots from the samphire. Then bamboozle till it's al dente with that certain je ne sais quoi.
Arabella Weir as Minty Marchmont - Posh Nosh
C-4 or TNT :)
Get a power auger with a small auger (6") and dig a bunch of holes close together and then break out the web. The power head should power the small bit straight through the frozen soil.
At least I think that should work, it works when you are cutting a hole in thick lake ice for fishing.
Where do you get the small army to hold the auger and keep it from getting away from you? Would make a Hole Hawg seem like child's play.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
http://www.littlebeaver.com/prod_mechanical.phpThis is what I rent when I am working alone
The rental place also has tips that you can put on for clay that might work for frozen ground.
Edited 2/4/2009 5:38 pm ET by restorationday
That might do it. A regular "2-man" auger would rip your arms off before you got 6 inches.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
I have tied off a 2 man unit to my truck bumper before and tied off a hole hawg to a stud.
Up Here ground frozen to 6 feet! Go get a few bags of charcoal brickets. Open bag put on lighter come back next morning. That's what my friend who works for the city, guys do. (But not 6 feet)!!
I'm thinking about 2 - 3' froze around here.
But that's my range - once I'm done it'll get easy...
ThanksRemodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Yeah. I got a 1 man/2 man 2 cycle post hole digger - but I'm not thinkin' it's the go to for this frozen ground.
It has beat my a## enough to break eccentrics off of the clutch while I held it - I don't think I want to hold it it frozen clay...
Ive got an old skidsteer with a backhoe also - but I'm thinkin' it'll just break someting.
Fire is soundin' good to get me started, then chunk it up with the breaker... ???
Was hopin' somebody had the majic elixir.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Not to be funny about the combination, but some vets offer cremation.
Sorry for your loss.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Kids want her here.
I kinda do too.
Thought about that.
No rhyme or good reason - I'm gonna dig if it kills me.
I know it may not make sence but I'm used to not bein' right.
Thank you.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
These are things you don't try to be "reasonable" about -- you just go with your gut.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
I know, we dug right where Ed died, right next to "his" truck. Hardest hole I ever dug, and it wasn't frozen.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
I'm just throwing something out here, but why not try Bristar or Dexpan?
It seems that the problem is that the soil is so hard, it's like concrete. So why not treat it like concrete?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Thanks.
If I have to, maybe I will have to try one. I have an auger - but not the nuts to try it in frozen clay. That style is probably better than my style though.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
If you can get one good hole I would start a fire in it. It would be very efficient at thawing the ground around it.
Sorry for your loss man.
how about Sphere's fire in a burn barrel?
we used to have barrel fires for all out parties.
well with in city limits and highly illegal ...
but the cops didn't bother us much if we kept the roar to a minimum.
I'd start small ... but keep feeding it. Pretty easy to restoke the following morning and get it going again.
Only problem we had, was even after letting it burn out for a coupla days and re-watering it ... the ashes on the bottom still burned hot for days on end.
That's work in your favor.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I made up a box of scraps, with a spare IG sash that I had in the shop as a top.
Let it "simmer" solar this afternoon. Then covered it up with a bunch of furniture pads and drop cloths - with a couple of heat lamps in it for the night. Thinkin' that will get it headed in the right direction - bettin' the fire will be the go to the day before I'm diggin' in.
'Sposed to get warm(er) on Friday, thinking that'll have to be dig day. Either that or buy a freezer and keep her good 'til it thaws. $300 - I owe her that. She was the bestest...I'll dig it with a fork if I have to...Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
keep a steady fire going, in the past in the north (northern saskatchewan) it took about three days of fire to soften up the frost enough to dig.
Ask a grave digger for advice. He'd likely say he keeps them in the freezer until spring.
Get that fire going and keep it fed for two or three days. Even with a fire, my experience is that it took a long time. What was that about heat rising?
build the fire upside down.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Dig a hole first to build the fire in.
M180....
shaped charge...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
have you considered cremation???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
grampa smith used to use a quarter stick of dynamite back on the michigan farm
Has he backfilled yet?
:)Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
nope,,,, he just blew the holes.... my dad & his brothers did the frnce poles & backfillMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I've been letting it "simmer" with the box I made with the IG top and heat lamps inside.
Thinkin' tommorow will be fire day.
If it's looking good, I'll go for the hole in the afternoon. If not I'll stoke the fire tomorrow night, and go for the big dig Sat. morning.
My car4d reader is givin' me guff. I'll get thet fixed and try to give an little pics to help with the progress.
Thanks to all - most :)Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Thought I should post an update for posterity.
Set the box I threw together out of scraps and an old IG sash out there on Wed. Put two 100 watt flood lights in it, and covered it with a bunch of dropcloths.
Let it simmer for two days.
Told my oldest son that we would start digging on Fri afternoon.
Figured that it would thaw the grass - I could get that out of the way, start a fire, let it burn overnight, and try to do the major dig on Sat.
Turned out that we never ran into a bit of frozen ground or even frost. I cant explain it.
Near the side of the hole it was obviously frozen down a couple of feet. I never would have guessed that those lights would have enough a## to penetrate or pull the cold. But, it worked. YMMV.
Got most of the hole dug Fri night before it got too cold. Finished it in the morning on Sat. Had our ceremony, We'll go on from here.
Everyone is happy with having her here - all worked out for the best.
Thanks to all.
Jeff Here On Lake Erie
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City