"SteveB" wrote:

I need to do quite a lot of pavers. I am going to make a roller out of some
very thick pipe, about eight inches in diameter. I have seen mechanical
compactors used a lot in my area.

For good reason.

I want this base for pavers not to settle, but I don't want to rent a
jumping jack for $85 a day for very many days. I'd find and buy a used one
first.

Don't know how many is 'quite a lot' - but you should only need it for
two days. Once when you get the sub-base of gravel down. Then
again when you've spread the landscape cloth and
sand/tailings/stonedust.

Then- place one paver at a time & set it in a 1/4" or so of your
stonedust with a 4-5lb deadblow hammer-- After a while it gets to be
routine- throw down some dust, set the paver- bang-bang- next. . .

BTW- I wouldn't use a jumping jack, but a plate compactor. [with
your skills- you might want to keep an eye out for a broken one--- or
better yet, go to your local paver supply house towing your refurbed
SA200 & tell 'them you'd like to trade some services for their
compactor]


I was just wondering if they were that necessary for paver substructure, or
if hand tamping with a short piece of 2 x 12 on the end of a 4 x 4 and going
over it with a roller would be sufficient.

Not even close. I tamped my gravel to death, I thought. Happened
to be picking up some pavers at my supplier on a Friday night. He
talked me into renting his plate compactor for the weekend for $75.
Considering I spent a couple grand on pavers, a couple gallons of
sweat, and most of a summer on that job- the $75 was a real bargain.
4 NY winters later and there is a single spot that puddles a bit- but
you can't see it if it's dry.

Our soil is sandy, just like beach sand, with quite a bit of volcanic rock
and lava pieces in it.

I'd excavate so I could put in 3-4" of #2 crushed stone. Lay
landscape cloth between the sand & stone-- machine tamp until it gives
no more-- lay another layer of landscape cloth & put down 2-3" of
stonedust. Tamp until it gives no more.

Jim