I am trying to set some monuments in the mountains of West Virginia. The problem is there are rocks everywhere. I have tried beating them with a hammer, but that doesn't work. Is there a portable drill or jack hammer that is not too heavy anyone recommends? The state standard is a 5/8 rebar 30" long, so I was thinking of renting a hammer drill that can drill a 5/8" hole. Will a 36 volt hammer drill work? Is there a lightweight gas-powered version? Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
Does the standard say you HAVE to use a pin?
A Ryobi 2 cycle hammer drill is what we use... unfortunately discontinued.
I have no experience with the model loink sells.
Reportedly a 36v hammer drill or a hilti drill also work well.
A nice thing about a drilled hole is that a retracing surveyor can still locate a drill hole long after disgruntled neighbors pull your pins ! 🙂
I used to use the LO118N model from LO INK:
http://www.loink.com/product/1080/gasrotaryhammerdrills
The overall build quality of the drill left something to be desired but that being said, the company I used to work for has been using it for 4 years with only limited maintenance. As far as portability, we used to tie one end of a rope around the handle and the other end around the drill bit adapter and used this as a sort of shoulder strap. I think not being limited by battery life was a major advantage of the gas powered drill. I have used Riobi hammer drills and have found that within a year or so that the battery life is terrible, especially in the winter.
And then there's ebay: (BTW, be SURE that they HAMMER as well as drill) http://www.ebay.com/itm/RYOBI-GAS-POWERED-HAMMER-DRILL-MODEL-ER-382-IN-GOOD-WORKING-CONDITION-/231187809087?pt=Drills&hash=item35d3de033f
This is the drill we have and it is great!
do not buy a 36v cordless drill and expect it to last. I have a Dewalt that we used a bit for drilling holes into concrete - burned it up in less than one full day. It was ok for a few shallow holes to set caps in concrete, but did not handle the constant drilling in concrete. we ended up renting a gas-powered hammer drill, that's the answer as others mention here.
If it were one or two monuments I would just make stone piles around the rebar but more than that, I would first check with equipment rental places and see if they would have a gas powered hammer drill to rent. May be cheaper than buying one.
Set monuments in rocky terrain? Reference corners!!
We have a very similar issue here in AZ. Lots of rocks, cliffs, major washes, very non-practical terrain, etc. Makes zero sense to set the actual corner.
There are some powers that be that still think the actual corner should be set. There is about a twenty fold powers that be that say setting witness and/or reference corners is more than adequate.
But we are a recording state, so it all shows up on the record of survey. If you're not - good luck.
Put the pressure on to record your surveys.
Doesn't the specs allow for shorter cemented pin in bedrock? Seems a bit much to have to drill 3 ft in this type of material.
I like the Bosch 36 volt hammer rock drill. However, if you are setting a lot of pins, you need either gas or generator powered rock drills.
I'm not sure what make those LO INK models are but if they are no name brands it would be hard to find parts and someone to service it when needed. I'd look elsewhere. You don't want a disposable gas powered hammer drill.
I agree with JJ. I recently used one of these. The 36V battery last about 5-6 drill holes and it came with 2 batteries and a rapid charger. Charges the battery in about 1 hour or less.
Not to derail your subject, but I am willing to bet that the reason why Ryobi discontinued that model is because the EPA is clamping down on 2 cycle emissions. Just take a look at the chainsaw selection these days. The pickin's have gotten slimmer.
Same with diesel engines. International Harvester's couldn't get their own diesel engine to pass new emission standards and now are putting Cummins engines into their medium and heavy duty trucks. And Cummins has had their own problems with the new emissions. Detroit has had their problems, but not as bad as Cummins. Actually, I think they all are having problems related to the new emission standards. I would think that eventually, they'll get it all sorted out. Just like they did when catalytic converters were first required. Today's cats and emission controls are a world better than the first original ones.
7.3.e.2. Set monuments shall be durable, reasonably stable and firmly placed, able to maintain its position when subjected to extreme temperature changes and other severe weather conditions, able to be located with current or future technology and have the following dimensions:
7.3.e.2.A. Iron or steel pipes shall have a minimum inside diameter of one (1”) inch and a minimum length of thirty (30”) inches, when feasible;
7.3.e.2.B. Reinforcing rods (rebars) shall have a minimum outside diameter of five-eighths (5/8”) inch and a minimum length of thirty (30”) inches, when feasible;
7.3.e.2.C. Other artificial markers shall have a minimum cross-sectional area of one-half (1/2) square inch and shall be made of durable material, identifiable and unique and be of sufficient length to maintain its position as set forth in paragraph 7.3.e.2.
7.3.e.3. All monuments, except for natural objects, shall have caps or some other means to identify the surveyor in professional change or surveying firm responsible for setting the monument.
Set a MAG nail in the rock and set reference monuments in a location where you can set a rebar.