I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how different
it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I suspect it may be
harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8" block
with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a layer of
rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. I have access from the inside and a
copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2" copper pipe
there. I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I can chew through the
12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so sure about this rock...I
don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock completely out, and if I can
drill into it I don't know how clean the hole will be, will I end up
cracking it into two?

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just to see.

Thanks in advance,

MC

"MiamiCuse" wrote in message
...
I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how different
it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I suspect it may
be harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8" block
with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a layer of
rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. I have access from the inside and
a copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2" copper pipe
there. I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I can chew through
the 12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so sure about this
rock...I don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock completely out, and
if I can drill into it I don't know how clean the hole will be, will I end
up cracking it into two?

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just to see.

Thanks in advance,

MC

I would be interested in this answer, also. I want to make a rock feature
on a rebar skeleton, and I was wondering about drilling half way through the
rocks to mount them on the skeleton's fingers. Wondering if the Makita
roto-hammer I have would drill a hole or crack the rock. I have tons of
rock I would like to get rid of if you would like some. They grow here.
Every time you think you got them cleared, more pop out of the soil.

Steve

wrote in message
...
On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:10:41 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:


"MiamiCuse" wrote in message
...
I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how
different
it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I suspect it may
be harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8"
block
with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a layer of
rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. I have access from the inside
and
a copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2" copper pipe
there. I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I can chew through
the 12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so sure about this
rock...I don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock completely out,
and
if I can drill into it I don't know how clean the hole will be, will I
end
up cracking it into two?

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just to
see.

Thanks in advance,

MC

I would be interested in this answer, also. I want to make a rock feature
on a rebar skeleton, and I was wondering about drilling half way through
the
rocks to mount them on the skeleton's fingers. Wondering if the Makita
roto-hammer I have would drill a hole or crack the rock. I have tons of
rock I would like to get rid of if you would like some. They grow here.
Every time you think you got them cleared, more pop out of the soil.

Steve


It really depends on what kind of rock you are talking about. In Miami
it will be coral rock or limestone and a hammer drill will go right
through it. They break up coral rock with a back hoe.
I am not sure about what kind of rock Steve has in Utah. I collect
rocks from our travels out west and I have picked up everything from
soft sandstone you can drill with a pocket knife to some granite like
material that would be tough to drill with a rotary hammer.


Not coral rock. It may be more like granite.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

Knock out a small rock in a suitable place and drill throught the wall
from the outside? Smash that rock. Mortar in a few of the pieces
around the pipe. (Measure five times before you start drilling.)

MiamiCuse wrote:
I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how
different it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I
suspect it may be harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8"
block with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a
layer of rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. I have access from the inside
and a copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2"
copper pipe there. I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I
can chew through the 12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so
sure about this rock...I don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock
completely out, and if I can drill into it I don't know how clean the
hole will be, will I end up cracking it into two?

When rock is quarried, they...

1. drill hole(s)

2. insert dynamite in hole(s)

Don't do #2.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Jan 21, 6:59*am, "dadiOH" wrote:
MiamiCuse wrote:
I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how
different it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. *I
suspect it may be harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8"
block with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a
layer of rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...r/rockfacewall...

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. *I have access from the inside
and a copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2"
copper pipe there. *I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I
can chew through the 12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so
sure about this rock...I don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock
completely out, and if I can drill into it I don't know how clean the
hole will be, will I end up cracking it into two?

When rock is quarried, *they...

1. drill hole(s)

2. insert dynamite in hole(s)

Don't do #2.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it athttp://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Be prepared for the rock coming off the wall. That's what happened the
only time I have done this. My friend and I were drilling a hole
through the wall into his basement with a hammer drill. It wasnt such
a big deal, we epoxied it back in place.

Jimmie

On Jan 21, 12:25*am, "MiamiCuse" wrote:
I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how different
it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. *I suspect it may be
harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8" block
with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a layer of
rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...r/rockfacewall...

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. *I have access from the inside and a
copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2" copper pipe
there. *I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I can chew through the
12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so sure about this rock...I
don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock completely out, and if I can
drill into it I don't know how clean the hole will be, will I end up
cracking it into two?

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just to see..

Thanks in advance,

MC

Measure and figure out where to drill from the outside and then do it
between the rocks.

On Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:25:15 -0500, "MiamiCuse"
wrote:

I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how different
it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I suspect it may be
harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8" block
with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a layer of
rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I'm not a geologist but it looks like they might be shattered quartz-
in which case you can only drill them with a diamond bit.

You might try a post to a geology group with a good color close-up of
3-4 rocks. They might be able to ID and tell you where they fall on
Moh's scale. [or you can determine where it falls by scratching
with some known substances-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_sc...neral_hardness ]

Most rocks [in my part of the world] are drillable with a regular
masonry bit- no hammering needed.

I'd try drilling first- if that doesn't work, go for the
remove/shatter/re-install that someone mentioned.
-snip-
...I
don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock completely out,

No problem- See above-

and if I can drill into it I don't know how clean the hole will be, will I end up
cracking it into two?

No problem- see above.

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just to see.


The 'spare piece' is sitting where the pipe comes out. Even if it
ends up getting removed and a new mortar spot has to appear where it
was.

Jim

MiamiCuse wrote:

I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how different
it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I suspect it may be
harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8" block
with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a layer of
rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. I have access from the inside and a
copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a 1/2" copper pipe
there. I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits and I can chew through the
12" concrete block like butter, but I am not so sure about this rock...I
don't want to end up pushing a piece of rock completely out, and if I can
drill into it I don't know how clean the hole will be, will I end up
cracking it into two?

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just to see.

Thanks in advance,

MC

Diamond core bit, with water, no hammer, drill from the outside in so
you don't knock the rock loose.

wrote

It really depends on what kind of rock you are talking about. In Miami
it will be coral rock or limestone and a hammer drill will go right
through it. They break up coral rock with a back hoe.
I am not sure about what kind of rock Steve has in Utah. I collect
rocks from our travels out west and I have picked up everything from
soft sandstone you can drill with a pocket knife to some granite like
material that would be tough to drill with a rotary hammer.

You name it, we got it. A lot of spongy lava rock here. Lots of sandstone
type stuff. I just need to go out and drill some. Weather has just been
dreary, and rain forecast for the next few days.

I need a bigger shop.

Steve

Pete C. wrote:
MiamiCuse wrote:

I have never drilled through rocks before and I am wondering how
different it will be compared to drilling through solid concrete. I
suspect it may be harder?

I have an exterior wall that is a 12" thick concrete block wall (8"
block with a layer of 4" block), and on the outside of this is a
layer of rock/stone face like this:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...ckfacewall.jpg

I want to add a hose bib on that wall. I have access from the
inside and a copper pipe is near by that I can split off and run a
1/2" copper pipe there. I have a rotary hammer with concrete bits
and I can chew through the 12" concrete block like butter, but I am
not so sure about this rock...I don't want to end up pushing a piece
of rock completely out, and if I can drill into it I don't know how
clean the hole will be, will I end up cracking it into two?

I don't have a spare piece of rock or I would try to drill it just
to see.

Thanks in advance,

MC

Diamond core bit, with water, no hammer, drill from the outside in so
you don't knock the rock loose.

And, maybe try to find a place to start the drilling from the outside that
is in the crevice/corner between 3 or so full rocks that are on the outside
surface -- so that most of the rock drilling will be in the second layer
below the surface rocks. This is just a guess on my part based on looking
at the picture.

On Jan 21, 9:38*am, "Pete C." wrote:

snip

Diamond core bit, with water, no hammer, drill from the outside in so
you don't knock the rock loose.

Totally agree. Milwaukee has diamond bits, hole saws, stuff like that.
If you want to go easy on your budget, Harbor Freight has all manner
of diamond products, blades, hole saws, drills. When you get through
the veneer, then break out the brutal tools.

Joe