"SteveB" wrote in message
...
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.


Don't see how a manual roller could give good compaction. Pound per square
inch would be very small compare with a jumping jack or a plate vibrator.
The rollers I see is the driven kind as large as a car and vibrates.


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.

It will settle even with compaction given enough time.


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.


Hand tamping ok for small areas or where a plate vibrator couldn't reach but
you said lot of pavers.


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


That would be a poor foundation with too much give, couldn't see how you
could compact this. Try 6" of 1/4 minus lift than compact it with a plate
vibratory.


Thanks.

Steve