An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

Questions:
How do I do this? I can't hold the hammer sideways, and if the ball is
3 feet in diameter, I have to be standing 3 feet higher than the ground
to make the hammer vertical. Can I stand on a ladder without being
knocked off of it? That seems likely and the best plan, but I'm
interested in your opinions.

If the extension cord is too long or not heavy duty enough, is it
possible to damage the jack hammer or will it just not work well enough?
I don't want to damage it. OTOH, I don't anticipate using it for more
than 5 minutes at a time.


I thought about tying a rope to it and pulling it with my car, but the
closest the car can get is about 40 feet, and as the ball rolls it will
roll the rope off of it, every 2 or 3 feet or less. Is there a way to
stop this?

And, there's a small hill going uphill just 6 feet from the ball.
Every time the rope came off, the ball would roll back unless we were
putting a 4x4 or bigger behind the bal, moving it every 3 inchesl. And
would a 4"x4" be enough to stop a 3' ball?. I wish I could estimate the
grade of the hill but it's always less than it seems, right? It's easy
to climb but that's partly because it's only 6 feet horizontally. Well
I should go look again but I guess it rises 2 feet in 6 feet.

I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.

Go back to the sledge hammer. It will work, just be persistent.

Or give it to a couple college kids with a case of cheap beer.

Do not stand on a ladder with a jackhammer, that's asking for trouble.

If you insist on using power tools, dig a hole insead. A 3 foot deep 3 foot wide hole is no big deal. If need be use the college kids and case of beer.

Roll the concrete (NOT cement) into the hole.

Stand next to it with your jack hammer ready to pound it.

then realize you're an idiot - you already solved the problem. Throw a little dirt on top and walk away, return the hammer.

On 10/14/2016 9:03 AM, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

Questions:
How do I do this? I can't hold the hammer sideways, and if the ball is
3 feet in diameter, I have to be standing 3 feet higher than the ground
to make the hammer vertical. Can I stand on a ladder without being
knocked off of it? That seems likely and the best plan, but I'm
interested in your opinions.

If the extension cord is too long or not heavy duty enough, is it
possible to damage the jack hammer or will it just not work well enough?
I don't want to damage it. OTOH, I don't anticipate using it for more
than 5 minutes at a time.


I thought about tying a rope to it and pulling it with my car, but the
closest the car can get is about 40 feet, and as the ball rolls it will
roll the rope off of it, every 2 or 3 feet or less. Is there a way to
stop this?

And, there's a small hill going uphill just 6 feet from the ball.
Every time the rope came off, the ball would roll back unless we were
putting a 4x4 or bigger behind the bal, moving it every 3 inchesl. And
would a 4"x4" be enough to stop a 3' ball?. I wish I could estimate the
grade of the hill but it's always less than it seems, right? It's easy
to climb but that's partly because it's only 6 feet horizontally. Well
I should go look again but I guess it rises 2 feet in 6 feet.

I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.



Does it freeze where you are? Sound like the concrete blob is somewhat
"porous"? If so, add water and let the freeze do some of your
destruction for you. Repeat as necessary.

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 12:03:40 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

Questions:
How do I do this? I can't hold the hammer sideways, and if the ball is
3 feet in diameter, I have to be standing 3 feet higher than the ground
to make the hammer vertical. Can I stand on a ladder without being
knocked off of it? That seems likely and the best plan, but I'm
interested in your opinions.

If the extension cord is too long or not heavy duty enough, is it
possible to damage the jack hammer or will it just not work well enough?
I don't want to damage it. OTOH, I don't anticipate using it for more
than 5 minutes at a time.


I thought about tying a rope to it and pulling it with my car, but the
closest the car can get is about 40 feet, and as the ball rolls it will
roll the rope off of it, every 2 or 3 feet or less. Is there a way to
stop this?

And, there's a small hill going uphill just 6 feet from the ball.
Every time the rope came off, the ball would roll back unless we were
putting a 4x4 or bigger behind the bal, moving it every 3 inchesl. And
would a 4"x4" be enough to stop a 3' ball?. I wish I could estimate the
grade of the hill but it's always less than it seems, right? It's easy
to climb but that's partly because it's only 6 feet horizontally. Well
I should go look again but I guess it rises 2 feet in 6 feet.

I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.

Woods? Woods mean trees. Do the math:

Tree + Rope = Horizontal Jack Hammering:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiQ1953jOZ4

Have you consider a demolition hammer instead of a jack hammer? I don't
really know the strength of one of these, but they come in different sizes
and can easily be held horizontal.

http://www6.homedepot.com/tool-truck...14C/index.html

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 12:03:40 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

Questions:
How do I do this? I can't hold the hammer sideways, and if the ball is
3 feet in diameter, I have to be standing 3 feet higher than the ground
to make the hammer vertical. Can I stand on a ladder without being
knocked off of it? That seems likely and the best plan, but I'm
interested in your opinions.

If the extension cord is too long or not heavy duty enough, is it
possible to damage the jack hammer or will it just not work well enough?
I don't want to damage it. OTOH, I don't anticipate using it for more
than 5 minutes at a time.


I thought about tying a rope to it and pulling it with my car, but the
closest the car can get is about 40 feet, and as the ball rolls it will
roll the rope off of it, every 2 or 3 feet or less. Is there a way to
stop this?

And, there's a small hill going uphill just 6 feet from the ball.
Every time the rope came off, the ball would roll back unless we were
putting a 4x4 or bigger behind the bal, moving it every 3 inchesl. And
would a 4"x4" be enough to stop a 3' ball?. I wish I could estimate the
grade of the hill but it's always less than it seems, right? It's easy
to climb but that's partly because it's only 6 feet horizontally. Well
I should go look again but I guess it rises 2 feet in 6 feet.

I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.

Option 2 for horizontal jack hammering: Rig up something like this support:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0ef6i2c1I

On 10/14/2016 11:03 AM, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.




snip

Two possible solutions:


1) Not on your land so ignore it.
In a year or two it will be overgrown and you'll have forgotten about it.


2) Obsess over it and keep a constant watch (keep a vid cam on it while
you sleep)...write letters to your Congressman...but most
importantly...don't let it out of your sight. Obsess obsess obsess,
become /obese/ with your obsession!



I personally think #2 the best.

micky posted for all of us...



An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

Questions:
How do I do this? I can't hold the hammer sideways, and if the ball is
3 feet in diameter, I have to be standing 3 feet higher than the ground
to make the hammer vertical. Can I stand on a ladder without being
knocked off of it? That seems likely and the best plan, but I'm
interested in your opinions.

If the extension cord is too long or not heavy duty enough, is it
possible to damage the jack hammer or will it just not work well enough?
I don't want to damage it. OTOH, I don't anticipate using it for more
than 5 minutes at a time.


I thought about tying a rope to it and pulling it with my car, but the
closest the car can get is about 40 feet, and as the ball rolls it will
roll the rope off of it, every 2 or 3 feet or less. Is there a way to
stop this?

And, there's a small hill going uphill just 6 feet from the ball.
Every time the rope came off, the ball would roll back unless we were
putting a 4x4 or bigger behind the bal, moving it every 3 inchesl. And
would a 4"x4" be enough to stop a 3' ball?. I wish I could estimate the
grade of the hill but it's always less than it seems, right? It's easy
to climb but that's partly because it's only 6 feet horizontally. Well
I should go look again but I guess it rises 2 feet in 6 feet.

I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.

I would call the contractor and give him one week to get it out of there.
Threaten him with the AHJ especially after you place a no dumping sign in
proximity. Less work for mother...

--
Tekkie

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:23:54 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:

Go back to the sledge hammer. It will work, just be persistent.

Or give it to a couple college kids with a case of cheap beer.

Do not stand on a ladder with a jackhammer, that's asking for trouble.

You're the only one to directly address that. I think you're right.

If you insist on using power tools, dig a hole insead. A 3 foot deep 3 foot wide hole is no big deal. If need be use the college kids and case of beer.

That's a good idea, although whenever I've dug a hole of any size, it's
full of big rocks and hard to dig.

I'll look into getting a couple kids to work for me.

Roll the concrete (NOT cement) into the hole.

Stand next to it with your jack hammer ready to pound it.

then realize you're an idiot - you already solved the problem. Throw a little dirt on top and walk away, return the hammer.

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky
wrote:

An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

Call the sum beach back, make him remove it.

In my state it is a Felony to pose as a "contractor" without a valid
license.

Check the state contractors board for dumping on public or private
land. Put a boot in his ass.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:26:42 -0700, Taxed and Spent
wrote:

On 10/14/2016 9:03 AM, micky wrote:....
I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.



Does it freeze where you are? Sound like the concrete blob is somewhat
"porous"? If so, add water and let the freeze do some of your
destruction for you. Repeat as necessary.


That's a great idea. I don't think I have time to work on it this fall
anyhow. And I don't have to go and look every day, just watch the
thermometer. And even if it takes 2 or 3 winters, I'd enjoy doing this.

I'm not sure how far into it those empty spaces go. In fact I can't
figure out how they came about. This was cement or concrete used to
replace or refinish (all of a sudden I can't remember which) outdoor
masonry steps that the neighbor has since his front door is 8 feet or so
above the street. It's grey and smooth, even the junk in the woods has
no visible stones in it. And I thought wet cement was almost liquid
like ketchup or very nearly hard. And unless there was some kind of
elastic polymer added, if there is such a thing these days, it was never
rubbery or like lasagna noodles that could be draped over the smaller
ball.

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky
wrote in

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

Would it be possible to post a photo somewhere?
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:30:00 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:



I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.

Woods? Woods mean trees. Do the math:

Tree + Rope = Horizontal Jack Hammering:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiQ1953jOZ4

Also a good idea. Thanks.

Have you consider a demolition hammer instead of a jack hammer? I don't
really know the strength of one of these, but they come in different sizes
and can easily be held horizontal.

http://www6.homedepot.com/tool-truck...14C/index.html

I didn't know they had such things. I looked at HD rental several
months ago but must have done a bad job of looking.

On 2016-10-14, micky wrote:

I didn't know they had such things.

Yeah, you did. We jes call 'em electric jackhammers. No doubt
Makita, DeWalt, etc, like the term "demolition hammer" cuz it imparts
an image of greater destruction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackhammer

nb

On 10/14/2016 3:08 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2016-10-14, micky wrote:

I didn't know they had such things.

Yeah, you did. We jes call 'em electric jackhammers. No doubt
Makita, DeWalt, etc, like the term "demolition hammer" cuz it imparts
an image of greater destruction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackhammer

nb



I thought some Jill got her panties in a bunch when she heard the term.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:32:26 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 12:03:40 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

Option 2 for horizontal jack hammering: Rig up something like this support:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0ef6i2c1I

This is good too. It's another reminder that I can use a rope to hold
it up (I think there is a tree above it.)

I got started on this today because yesterday I got rid of those
decorative blocks that some use as a border for their garden. Another
neighbor used them several years ago and wanted to redo her garden so
she hired someone who just threw the 30 old blocks in the woods.

Even when I caught him and told him he should remove them, he wouldn't.
And even when I stood behind him on the stoop as he was asking to get
paid, and the woman who hired him was in doorway hearing me ask "Did you
know he was going to throw your old blocks in the woods**? Are you
going to pay him before he removes the blocks from the woods?" I'm
sure she paid him anyhow **The back of her house looks out on the same
woods but she's old and she never goes down there. Of course she was a
lot younger 25 years ago and she never went into the woods even then.
In fact even my young n'bors never go down there! Even my next door
n'bor whose log also adjoins the path into the woods never goes in.
The woods are nice. There a stream that splits into two forks but much
of the year one can step on rocks and get to the island in the middle
without getting wet, and it's very peaceful.

So after a week of being angry, it suddenly dawned on me I could give
the blocks away on Freecycle. 30 of them. I described them as best I
could and gave a link to something similar at Home Depot and 6 people
replied that they wanted them. And a woman and her sister came over
yesterday and the three of us carried them out of the woods

So that's why today I turned my attention to the ball of cement or
concrete.

For at least the third time, the next door n'bor, a man about 55, not
the old woman. went the cheap way and got a poor result. 1) Within 3
months the steps were already spalling. I wonder what they will be like
in a couple years. 2) He put up aluminum siding and one piece blew
half-way off, which might be understandable, but also they attached his
downspout, instead of using a pretty thing meant for that (like with
fleur de lis on each end) they just folded some aluminum and used that.
Same color as wall but still looks terrible. 3) He put up a stockade
fence around his back yard and the pickets shrank so much within just a
few years that you can see in between every pair of them.

He did put in a cement pad and build a kit-shed that I think turned out
fine. I think that was done with his friends, not by hiring someone
cheap.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:41:49 -0500, philo
wrote:

On 10/14/2016 11:03 AM, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.




snip

Two possible solutions:


1) Not on your land so ignore it.
In a year or two it will be overgrown and you'll have forgotten about it.

Not a bad idea but it's right next to the path I use to enter the woods.
I've ignored a few things in the past and they were washed downstream or
covered with silt (this area is underwater when it rains a lot), but
this is 3 feet high and not much is growing around it. I think it's
been a year and none of it is covered.


2) Obsess over it and keep a constant watch (keep a vid cam on it while
you sleep)...write letters to your Congressman...but most
importantly...don't let it out of your sight. Obsess obsess obsess,
become /obese/ with your obsession!



I personally think #2 the best.

I'll work on that.

I can use a wireless camera or remote thermometer to know when the water
I pour on it has frozen. If I get a motion-activated camera, it will
turn on when the ice freezes and cracks the ball. I'll need a
receiver and some sorftware... I have to think about this a lot. I
think I need a bigger harddrive.

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky wrote:

[...] a ball of cement almost 3 feet in diameter

If you're not in a hurry, repeated applications of vinegar should soften
it.

In alt.home.repair, on 14 Oct 2016 22:08:45 GMT, notbob
wrote:

On 2016-10-14, micky wrote:

I didn't know they had such things.

Yeah, you did. We jes call 'em electric jackhammers. No doubt
Makita, DeWalt, etc, like the term "demolition hammer" cuz it imparts
an image of greater destruction.

I knew about electric jackhammers -- that's what I asked about -- but I
didn't know there were smaller ones meant to be used horizontally.

That's what the url shows. It even has a handle in the middle to hold
it horizonally, not one big handle at the top.

I also knew there were hammer drills, but those are far too small to
break this up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackhammer

nb

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:28:29 -0700, Oren
wrote:

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky
wrote:

An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

Call the sum beach back, make him remove it.

I tried to get his name, and the homeowner said he'd get it for me, but
he didn't, probably on purpose. He and the HOA president are the only
n'bors I'm not on v. good terms with.

In my state it is a Felony to pose as a "contractor" without a valid
license.

Check the state contractors board for dumping on public or private
land. Put a boot in his ass.

He'd also say he didnt' do it -- this one I didn't see -- even though
the color of the steps and of the ball match. That might be enough, if
I knew who it was.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 16:02:00 -0500, CRNG
wrote:

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky
wrote in

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

Would it be possible to post a photo somewhere?

Yeah. I'll try to do that tomorrow. Good idea.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 20:03:33 -0400, Mike Duffy
wrote:

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky wrote:

[...] a ball of cement almost 3 feet in diameter

If you're not in a hurry, repeated applications of vinegar should soften
it.

I thought maybe you were kidding, but I see that works.

Of course, I think in this case it might take 100 years, so maybe you
were kidding after all.

But it's good to know for other times.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:32:26 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Friday, October 14, 2016 at 12:03:40 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.

They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.

I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.

I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

Questions:
How do I do this? I can't hold the hammer sideways, and if the ball is
3 feet in diameter, I have to be standing 3 feet higher than the ground
to make the hammer vertical. Can I stand on a ladder without being
knocked off of it? That seems likely and the best plan, but I'm
interested in your opinions.

If the extension cord is too long or not heavy duty enough, is it
possible to damage the jack hammer or will it just not work well enough?
I don't want to damage it. OTOH, I don't anticipate using it for more
than 5 minutes at a time.


I thought about tying a rope to it and pulling it with my car, but the
closest the car can get is about 40 feet, and as the ball rolls it will
roll the rope off of it, every 2 or 3 feet or less. Is there a way to
stop this?

And, there's a small hill going uphill just 6 feet from the ball.
Every time the rope came off, the ball would roll back unless we were
putting a 4x4 or bigger behind the bal, moving it every 3 inchesl. And
would a 4"x4" be enough to stop a 3' ball?. I wish I could estimate the
grade of the hill but it's always less than it seems, right? It's easy
to climb but that's partly because it's only 6 feet horizontally. Well
I should go look again but I guess it rises 2 feet in 6 feet.

I don't want to find the owner of the land to get him to remove it. A)
The more he ignores this land the better I like it. What he'll likely
do instead is put up 1 or more ugly signs saying No Dumping, signs I
don't want and that won't work anyhow, B) Why should he remove it for
me? I'm not entitled to use someone else's land. C) How would he do
this? Just about anything he can do, I can do, if only I knew what the
proper thing to do is.

Option 2 for horizontal jack hammering: Rig up something like this support:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0ef6i2c1I

That's a good idea, that I had not thought of. Even if I get the
horizontal tool I'll get tired faster than some young tough guy would,
so your idea applies there too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCkFTX176I0 is another video that
followed automatically for me, but might not for someone else, about a
fancier commercial method of holding equipment up. The Heavy Tool
Support Arm, although they say this is more for safety because of back
injuries for guys who held a jack hammer over their heads! Which sort
of reminds me of my original plan.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky
wrote:

An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.


One more question, if the freezing ice doesn't work. I came across a
video and I see i underestimated what a hammer drill can do to concrete.


What if I drilled a 3" deep hole and put a cherry bomb in the hole, then
plugged it up somehow. Would it work like dynamite in a coal mine, or
is there something between a cherry bomb and dynamite?

On 2016-10-15, micky wrote:

On Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky wrote:

[...] a ball of cement almost 3 feet in diameter

If you're not in a hurry, repeated applications of vinegar should soften
it.

Sounds like the ball needs the subtle application of HE.

nb

micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:03:32 -0400, micky
wrote:

An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.


One more question, if the freezing ice doesn't work. I came across a
video and I see i underestimated what a hammer drill can do to
concrete.


What if I drilled a 3" deep hole and put a cherry bomb in the hole,
then plugged it up somehow. Would it work like dynamite in a coal
mine, or is there something between a cherry bomb and dynamite?

FFFG black powder and cannon fuse . Tamp it or you'll just get pretty
flames and lotsa smoke . .
--
Snag

On 10/14/2016 06:49 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:41:49 -0500, philo


I have to think about this a lot. I
think I need a bigger harddrive.




Glad you did not get upset with me for making a joke of it, I'd probably
obsess too.

I have a 16# sledge I'd gladly lend to you...it might do the job?

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 15 Oct 2016 14:42:54 -0500, philo
wrote:

On 10/14/2016 06:49 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:41:49 -0500, philo


I have to think about this a lot. I
think I need a bigger harddrive.




Glad you did not get upset with me for making a joke of it,

No problem.

I'd probably
obsess too.

I dont' think I'm obsessing. I'm just planning. Planning is half the
fun.

I have a 16# sledge I'd gladly lend to you...it might do the job?

how much would it cost to mail that and mail it back? Actually the
house came with a sledge hammer. I've used it more than I expected.

Maybe the problem with the sledge was that the dirt underneath it
absorbed some of the blow. Two years ago like an idiot I was pounding
on a rear control arm. I'm told one neighbor could hear the noise
inside with the windows closed. It didn't straighten out at all and
later someone pointed out the rubber bushing at one or both ends.
I looked again today. It's not quite as big as I remembered it, even
though I saw it two days ago. And it's not like lasagna noodles or
smooth. It's like little rough balls smushed together, but it does have
those cracks, and the ice technique sounds really interesting.

On 10/15/2016 7:44 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 15 Oct 2016 14:42:54 -0500, philo
wrote:

On 10/14/2016 06:49 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:41:49 -0500, philo


I have to think about this a lot. I
think I need a bigger harddrive.




Glad you did not get upset with me for making a joke of it,

No problem.

I'd probably
obsess too.

I dont' think I'm obsessing. I'm just planning. Planning is half the
fun.

I have a 16# sledge I'd gladly lend to you...it might do the job?

how much would it cost to mail that and mail it back? Actually the
house came with a sledge hammer. I've used it more than I expected.

Maybe the problem with the sledge was that the dirt underneath it
absorbed some of the blow. Two years ago like an idiot I was pounding
on a rear control arm. I'm told one neighbor could hear the noise
inside with the windows closed. It didn't straighten out at all and
later someone pointed out the rubber bushing at one or both ends.
I looked again today. It's not quite as big as I remembered it, even
though I saw it two days ago. And it's not like lasagna noodles or
smooth. It's like little rough balls smushed together, but it does have
those cracks, and the ice technique sounds really interesting.



I have also heard of using wheat. Stuff the cracks full of wheat, add
water, wheat expands.

An obnoxious contractor working for a neighbor left a ball of cement
almost 3 feet in diameter in the woods next to my house.
They were separate blobs, not yet totally set, but they're all stuck
together now, with a few small empty spaces where the blobs meet,
partially.
I'm going to borrow or rent an electric jack hammer to break it up into
pieces light enough for me to remove.
I've already tried a sledge hammer and a couple tiny chips came off but
the thing didn't crack.

I would drill holes in the concrete, then use feathers and wedges to crack it
into pieces. But I already have the rotary hammer, feathers, and wedges.

Alternatively, you could drill holes in the blob and pour in some "Dexpan".
It slowly expands, splitting the boulder or blob into pieces.

Another option, dig a large hole and use levers to push the blob in the hole.
Then cover it with dirt.

Good luck,

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

On 10/15/2016 09:44 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.hom
I dont' think I'm obsessing. I'm just planning. Planning is half the
fun.

I have a 16# sledge I'd gladly lend to you...it might do the job?

how much would it cost to mail that and mail it back?


More than it's worth

Actually the
house came with a sledge hammer. I've used it more than I expected.

Maybe the problem with the sledge was that the dirt underneath it
absorbed some of the blow. Two years ago like an idiot I was pounding
on a rear control arm. I'm told one neighbor could hear the noise
inside with the windows closed. It didn't straighten out at all and
later someone pointed out the rubber bushing at one or both ends.
I looked again today. It's not quite as big as I remembered it, even
though I saw it two days ago. And it's not like lasagna noodles or
smooth. It's like little rough balls smushed together, but it does have
those cracks, and the ice technique sounds really interesting.




It will take at least an 8 pound sledge but a 16 # would be better

No matter what: be sure to wear safety glasses