Pat decided to attack the old cistern in front of the house, so on Friday he rented a jackhammer. As he broke up the concrete top of the cistern we shoved the pieces of rock in the 17 foot deep hole. (I think this cistern used to connect to the old house; the kitchen had a pump handle and sink and I remember getting my hair washed under it while someone pumped the water.) Every now and then the bit on the jackhammer got stuck and it was difficult to dislodge. Sure enough the inevitiable happened; the bit came off and dropped down the cistern. I thought we should just pay the $20 or so for the lost bit, but Pat got the extension ladder and stuck it down the cistern and retrieved the bit.
After chipping around the cistern he decided it would be nice to get rid of the concrete pad in the back where a little chicken coop once stood. There was a lot more jackhammering to do on this than on the cistern. Pat did several loads by himself last night and this morning I started clearing rocks and rubble. We worked on it until 2:00 this afternoon - Pat jackhammered, we put the rocks in the Gator, I drove the Gator to the cistern and dumped the rocks in. Pat estimates we moved about 4000 pounds of rocks.
After he returned the jackhammer we played a game of Bocce called Boules in France. We saw people playing it in a park when we were in France last fall. We have plenty of place to play here although our uneven ground adds an element of interest.
Kind of tired tonight!
Comments (3)
My back hurts from hearing about your jackhammering project. I suspect you were bent slightly and it sounds like you spent many hours at it.
Posted by Kathleen | March 7, 2005 9:12 AM
Posted on March 7, 2005 09:12
When I took the jackhammer back to the rental place, I told the guy there that it was the first tool that I had used that I hated. He laughed and said that I wasn't the first customer to say that. The main problem with the tool was its weight, some 80 pounds. Other problems were getting the bit stuck in the concrete, which meant that the jackhammer effectively became heavier than 80 pounds, and a bit lock that wasn't completely effective. Sometimes it would jump up and let the bit slide out of the jackhammer. That's how a bit wound up in the bottom of the cistern.
But it was an effective tool. However, the next time I need to break up some concrete, I plan on renting a jackhammer that comes with someone to operate it.
Posted by Daddy | March 7, 2005 1:16 AM
Posted on March 7, 2005 01:16
I would have guessed that rather than being tired, the overwhelming result would have been soreness the next day from all that vibration. Was that so?
And was it fun, Daddy, to use a jackhammer?
Mom, I think I would have definitely preferred your job. Sounds much easier.
Posted by Daughter | March 6, 2005 12:23 PM
Posted on March 6, 2005 12:23