Staking on Lava

[billb1201]

This is probably a dumb question for locals but how do they stake for laying out a building site or batter boards in this rock. Even if its partially ripped you cant really put a stake where you want it. Jackhammer? or just a big maul? Wonderin? Aloha

Aloha b.b.

[Tom.Yost]

Typically you can drive a steel stake into ripped lava with a hand sledge. I caved and bought a jackhammer last month for planting and fence holes.

[MarkP]

My experience is that you need a rotary hammer drill for anything larger than a nail.

[jhonvar]

I used a Hilti roto-hammer drill with a long concrete type bit. I learned the hard way not to use one the same size as the steel stake because it's really hard to get it out. You may need a pipe wrench to twist the stake back out. Try using a slightly bigger size bit and then add some fine sand or cinders if not solid enough.

[terracore]

Most lava rock is soft enough you can use a masonry bit with a regular drill. I originally used a hammer drill but when the hammer function quit working the drill and bit worked just as well. You can buy drill bits big enough to sink a fence T-post in at home depot that go on a regular cordless drill. If you have the old nicad batteries like I do you'll be lucky to get two holes drilled on one charge, depending on how deep you go. Then again, I'm talking about fence T posts.

[billb1201]

Mahalo All!

Aloha b.b.