My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

"Ignoramus11847" wrote in message
...
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

Lots of them use a special hand truck. Go by a landscape place that sells
the rocks. And look at their handtrucks. They are not that expensive to
rent. Probably cheaper than building.

On Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:36:48 -0500, Ignoramus11847 wrote:

My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving a
few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I can
lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or just
drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not know
how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting eyes or
corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way to grab
rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

A landscaper actually got a patent on an item that looks just like
an oversized pair of ice tongs ~ see http://rockjaw.com/.

The traditional way of moving rocks on farms is using a stone boat
or a drogue (low sled), as shown in the fifth and seventh items at
http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_library/device/devices7.html
If you have a flat 3'x5' sheet of 1/8" or 1/4" steel, it will work
ok as is as a stone boat; the pull cable will lift the front of the
sheet a little bit so it doesn't dig in. Anyway, no rock lifting
necessary, just roll or slide the rocks onto the sled, pull it to
where you want the rocks, and roll them off. I've moved rocks up
to a few hundred pounds, pulling a stone boat by hand, but on some
farms have seen multi-ton rocks that were moved via stone boat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lancefisher/18035812/in/photostream/
says, in the mouseover comments, that flat strap works better than
rope or chain for moving rocks. Note the bent frame on the dolly
in the picture.

--
jiw

Ignoramus11847 wrote:

My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

It shouldn't be that difficult to sling them with chain and grab hooks.
Basically if it's somewhat boulder shape, you want a ring of chain below
it's "waist", and three evenly spaced chains coming up from that waist
to a common shackle at the top to lift from. With that setup and your
engine hoist you should be able to lift them into your trailer, or onto
a sled to pull.

"Ignoramus11847" wrote in message
...
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

I moved two of them that were easily 400 each. I got my two wheeled garden
trailer, which is long. I'll post a picture in flickr.

I backed up to the boulder, took the trailer off the ball, backed the
trailer up to the rock, and lifted the trailer up to vertical. Then I
strapped a two inch ratchet strap around the rock and the boulder. All this
with the aid of a helper, mind you. Then we hooked a line on to the end of
the tongue, which was about six feet in the air. I pulled on it with the
ATV until it got down in the range where we could both put our weight on the
tongue and put it on the ATV ball.

Unloading is a snap. Just watch out it doesn't flip up and clip you.

Will take a pic tomorrow. This ATV trailer is odd sized, being long and
thin. It actually would not take much for a welder to make a trailer out of
big tubing that uses the lever principle, as you only have to lift them a
few inches off the ground. A long tongue would make lifting them very easy.

HTH

Steve

Ignoramus11847 wrote:
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

If you can drill a suitable hole then a lewis pin may do the job and
give you a lifting point.
http://www.averyknight.co.uk/itemdetl.php?itemcode=613
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_(lifting_appliance)

On Apr 13, 10:36*pm, Ignoramus11847 ignoramus11...@NOSPAM.
11847.invalid wrote:
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

How about using tire chains?

Dan

On Apr 13, 10:36*pm, Ignoramus11847 ignoramus11...@NOSPAM.
11847.invalid wrote:
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

I've moved rocks up to 1100 Lbs on this shop crane with extra wheels
added to run on dirt:
http://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/W...51034176921634

Each rock is different, but in general I wrap a chain around it and
test which way it slides off, then hook on another chain between the
points where it slips to hold it. My 5' sling chains have a grab hook
on one end and a shackle on the other. The shackle can be connected
anywhere to take up slack. They are really helpful to turn the chain
into a net. When you buy shackles be sure the pins and eyes fit
through the chain. There are only a few combinations that work.

The 1100 Lb rock was roughly football shaped, the chain would slip off
either end. IIRC I looped a chain around each end and joined the loops
at the top. That is a 20' (?) chain with grab hooks on both ends. If
it had been rounder I would have connected the two loops with short
chains down low. When pulled tight that makes a ring of chain around
the rock hung from four supports, and the chains hang in place (from
the crane hook) during setup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_hitch

jsw

OK, guys, thanks. I did some reading of my own, it seems that people
recommend fabric slings over chains, so I will try slings first. One
way or another, we will get them to move.

i

On 2010-04-14, Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 13, 10:36?pm, Ignoramus11847 ignoramus11...@NOSPAM.
11847.invalid wrote:
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

I've moved rocks up to 1100 Lbs on this shop crane with extra wheels
added to run on dirt:
http://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/W...51034176921634

Each rock is different, but in general I wrap a chain around it and
test which way it slides off, then hook on another chain between the
points where it slips to hold it. My 5' sling chains have a grab hook
on one end and a shackle on the other. The shackle can be connected
anywhere to take up slack. They are really helpful to turn the chain
into a net. When you buy shackles be sure the pins and eyes fit
through the chain. There are only a few combinations that work.

The 1100 Lb rock was roughly football shaped, the chain would slip off
either end. IIRC I looped a chain around each end and joined the loops
at the top. That is a 20' (?) chain with grab hooks on both ends. If
it had been rounder I would have connected the two loops with short
chains down low. When pulled tight that makes a ring of chain around
the rock hung from four supports, and the chains hang in place (from
the crane hook) during setup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_hitch

jsw

On 4/14/2010 5:54 AM, Ignoramus18864 wrote:
OK, guys, thanks. I did some reading of my own, it seems that people
recommend fabric slings over chains, so I will try slings first. One
way or another, we will get them to move.

i

Beware that regular rope stretches *a lot* when lifting stuff.
An aircraft cable or chain would've helped when I pulled
3 post footings out of the ground this week.

The first lift would just tension the rope. I always had to
shorten the rope to actually get the footings out of the
ground.

--Winston

On Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:36:48 -0500, the infamous Ignoramus11847
scrawled the following:

My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

Rent a rock hand-truck for the smaller sizes which you and your strong
neighbor can manhandle.

Rent (or use your existing) a loader from a larger rental agency.
Backhoes work extremely well, too.

Rent a tree planter from the rental agency. It has two spades which
can work to pick up an delicately place stones up to about 3' in
diameter. Some of the tree guys aren't working enough and will hire
out, too.

Pay the stone mongers for the stones + delivery/placement.

If they're rounder, you can use a pair of long digging bars to lever
under them and roll them. All this leaves marks, though.

With the crane in the back of your pickup, you could put regular nylon
lifting straps around the rocks and tie them together with twine to
hold position while you back the stone to its location.

Put a strap around the rock and tie it to the back of your truck, then
slide it to where he wants it placed. THEN landscape around it. That
said, he probably got everything else done, _then_ wanted stones
placed, didn't he? That's the typical housewife-driven-hubby way.
=:-0

--
STOP THE SLAUGHTER! Boycott Baby Oil!

On Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:21:36 +0000 (UTC), the infamous James Waldby
scrawled the following:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lancefisher/18035812/in/photostream/
says, in the mouseover comments, that flat strap works better than
rope or chain for moving rocks. Note the bent frame on the dolly
in the picture.

Note how many people call hand trucks "dollies". sigh I've seen
them with large side cages, too. It takes two men to move a 400 lb
stone with one unless you're on flat, smooth ground.

--
STOP THE SLAUGHTER! Boycott Baby Oil!

Ignoramus11847 wrote:
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

I have one next to my carport that needs to migrate to somewhere else in
the yard. This one is red sandstone, about 4'x8'x18"
I have no idea what it weighs.

When are you going to be available next? G

On Apr 14, 12:15*pm, RBnDFW wrote:
...

I have one next to my carport that needs to migrate to somewhere else in
the yard. * This one is red sandstone, about 4'x8'x18"
I have no idea what it weighs.

http://www.simetric.co.uk/si_materials.htm
Stone weighs around 2.3 to 3 times as much as water. For rough mental
calculations I use 2.5 for the specific gravity of both stone and
aluminum, or 2.8 for stone if I have a calculator. Notice that stone
is "heavy" and aluminum is "light" but they are actually about equally
dense.

Water weighs 62.4 Lbs per cubic foot.

jsw

On Apr 14, 8:54*am, Ignoramus18864 ignoramus18...@NOSPAM.
18864.invalid wrote:
OK, guys, thanks. I did some reading of my own, it seems that people
recommend fabric slings over chains, so I will try slings first. One
way or another, we will get them to move.
i

Maybe people who borrowed the fabric slings liked them. I keep mine
clean enough to lift furniture and appliances without scratching the
finish. They participate in rock-hauling only when wrapped around a
tree trunk as an anchor point.

jsw

On Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:49:04 -0700 (PDT), the infamous Jim Wilkins
scrawled the following:

On Apr 14, 12:15*pm, RBnDFW wrote:
...

I have one next to my carport that needs to migrate to somewhere else in
the yard. * This one is red sandstone, about 4'x8'x18"
I have no idea what it weighs.

http://www.simetric.co.uk/si_materials.htm
Stone weighs around 2.3 to 3 times as much as water. For rough mental
calculations I use 2.5 for the specific gravity of both stone and
aluminum, or 2.8 for stone if I have a calculator. Notice that stone
is "heavy" and aluminum is "light" but they are actually about equally
dense.

Water weighs 62.4 Lbs per cubic foot.

A cubic yard of granite gravel weighs 4,000 to 5,000 pounds, depending
on grit size. The finer, the heavier.

--
STOP THE SLAUGHTER! Boycott Baby Oil!

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:49:04 -0700 (PDT), the infamous Jim Wilkins
scrawled the following:

On Apr 14, 12:15 pm, RBnDFW wrote:
...

I have one next to my carport that needs to migrate to somewhere else in
the yard. This one is red sandstone, about 4'x8'x18"
I have no idea what it weighs.
http://www.simetric.co.uk/si_materials.htm
Stone weighs around 2.3 to 3 times as much as water. For rough mental
calculations I use 2.5 for the specific gravity of both stone and
aluminum, or 2.8 for stone if I have a calculator. Notice that stone
is "heavy" and aluminum is "light" but they are actually about equally
dense.

Water weighs 62.4 Lbs per cubic foot.

A cubic yard of granite gravel weighs 4,000 to 5,000 pounds, depending
on grit size. The finer, the heavier.


So, rounding my dimensions to account for taper = 45 CF
Assuming this sandstone is at the low end of weight = 143 lb./cf
I get about 6500 lbs.

I think I need a rough-terrain forklift

Make a circle of chain around the narrow base of the rock.
Hook the chain, so it's a circle. Smaller than the wide part
of the rock.

Put chains across the top of the rock in a letter X fashion,
and hook to the "around" chain.

Makes a pattern similar to a belt and suspenders below a fat
man's belly.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Ignoramus11847" wrote
in message
...
My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help
in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller
etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or
something, or
just drag.

Ordinarily lifting such things would not be a problem, but I
do not
know how I can grab relatively round objects that are
without lifting
eyes or corners. I figure that someone must have invented a
great way
to grab rocks with just chain and grab hooks. Any ideas?

i

On Apr 14, 5:18*pm, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
Make a circle of chain around the narrow base of the rock.
Hook the chain, so it's a circle. Smaller than the wide part
of the rock.

Put chains across the top of the rock in a letter X fashion,
and hook to the "around" chain.

Makes a pattern similar to a belt and suspenders below a fat
man's belly.

--
Christopher A. Young

That's functionally the same as what I wrote, except that I hung the
suspenders and sides of the belt over the rock first and then fastened
the buckle, front and rear. (Still can't describe it right). I rarely
can count on help and have to organize a job so as much as possible
stays in place by gravity. Chains are particularly hard to hold in
place since a shackle takes both hands to assemble.

jsw

On Apr 14, 9:10*pm, "William Wixon" wrote:
...

like how they hold a champagne cork in, but bigger, upside down, and of
chain instead of wire. *:-)

b.w.

If beer had those corks we'd all understand you.

jsw

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Make a circle of chain around the narrow base of the rock.
Hook the chain, so it's a circle. Smaller than the wide part
of the rock.

Put chains across the top of the rock in a letter X fashion,
and hook to the "around" chain.

Makes a pattern similar to a belt and suspenders below a fat
man's belly.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


like how they hold a champagne cork in, but bigger, upside down, and of
chain instead of wire. :-)

b.w.

What's that Lassie? You say that Ignoramus11847 fell down the old
rec.crafts.metalworking mine and will die if we don't mount a rescue
by Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:36:48 -0500:

My neighbor is doing some landscaping and I offered him help in moving
a few rocks. These vary in weight between 400 and 1000 lbs.

I have a truck, chains, engine hoist (crane), chain puller etc. If I
can lift those rocks, I could just put them on a catr or something, or
just drag.


I moved bigger than that with my Jeep. I used a recovery strap for
most of them. Use the kind that has loops at each end. Put the strap
around the rock choker style, and hook to your frame mounted tow hook
on your truck. If you don't have 4wd, you might not be able to get
some of the bigger ones. I was surprised how big of a stone I could
drag.

--

Dan H.
northshore MA.

Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 14, 9:10 pm, "William Wixon" wrote:

...

like how they hold a champagne cork in, but bigger, upside down, and of
chain instead of wire. :-)

b.w.


If beer had those corks we'd all understand you.

jsw

Some do http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi%C3%A8re_de_Garde . I understand.