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Quick guide to rock splitting

  • Drill holes in a straight line.
  • The recommended spacing is the length of the wedge.
  • Clear away stone dust.
  • Grease the sliding surfaces of the stone wedges.
  • Insert the stone wedges into the holes.
  • Use a sledgehammer or a smaller hammer to drive in the stone wedges.
  • Drive in the stone wedges gradually to create even pressure in the stone.
  • Drilling isn't much fun, but there's a special feeling when you split stone.
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How to use a wedge to split stone

Here's what you'll need:

  • Stone wedges (Divide the width of the stone by the length of the stone wedge to get the approximate number you need)
  • Rotary hammer drill from 800w
  • At least 2 drill bits.

Stone masonry is a craft that I have great respect for. When a stonemason gets a stone onto the "splitting mound", they see which direction it sat in the rock. Words I used to hear in the rock were "boosten", "klööven", "swallen". A real stonemason sees how a stone should be wedged most easily to get straight, nice sides. I am always equally impressed by this craft.

However, this is almost Greek to a blacksmith like me. But anyone can split stone, and here are some tips on how to crack, split, or cleave stone at an amateur level.

It is possible to drill into stone with a larger model of a standard rotary hammer drill. Choose a machine from 800w and up; the bigger, the better. I myself have an inexpensive hobby machine at 1500w, and it does the job.

Inexpensive drill bits can be purchased at most department stores with tools for the hobby user. These drill bits are okay if you are going to crack one or a few stones. If you are going to crack a lot of stone, choose high-quality drill bits. The job will then go faster, and the drill bits will last longer. Keep in mind that when drilling into stone, the drill bits become very hot, so I recommend having several drill bits that you can switch between.

Always drill deeper than the wedge is long so that it cannot bottom out when you drive it in. A rule of thumb for the distance between the drill holes is to use the length of the stone wedge. If the stone is only to be split for removal, you can slightly increase the distance. To find out the number of stone wedges you need, you can divide the width of the stone by the length of the stone wedge.