Apparently working very well beyond Ink Sump

http://www.rbwalling.co.uk/Shop/3-Forged/01-Plugs-feathers.html

14mm hole, 100mm deep

They're certainly very effective in masonry, but of course you need more than 1 - about 1 every 6 inches, I'd have thought

I've just bought another three sets of these to replenish my dwindlng digging stocks  (the bits do tend to drop down between boulders and get lost if you are not careful) and both the price and quality of these particular ones seems pretty good.

I've posted this before but a non-capping technique I've been using to split rocks - which works surprisingly well if there is room to swing a lump hammer - is to drill two holes a chisel's width apart and hammer the chisel down between the holes. After 3 or 4 blows the chisel tightens up and starts to ring then the rock splits. It's a bit like plug and feathers I guess, obviously not as efficient as capping (two holes and more elbow grease) but I have split up to a couple of square feet at one go.

A few points to note:
   

• I've not tried it in solid, only loose blocks, but it may work close to an edge
• Use a slender chisel. Hole diameter and depth need to be appropriate for the chisel
• The chisel must not bottom out so drill deep holes
• The rock must be pretty competent or else the surface just spalls off

I use a cold chisel that is about 15mm across and drill two 8mm holes to a depth of about 75mm

Some stone splitting hints using Plug & Feathers:

1. The stone should not be covered by soil etc., the stone shall be exposed.  After successful cut the lump should be able to change position due to it's own weight

2. Dense, hard and uniform structured stone can be split by small size P&F, like 14 mm diameter. If the stone structure is poor, soft, many cracks, you would need bigger size P&F

3. Before drilling the holes, look for lines of different color, long cracks and other defects. Try to use these as guides for choosing your cutting line and angle


For good results using P&F some practice is needed. TheBitterEnd described method, which can be used with P&F: drill 2 or 3 holes very close like 2 inch distance. Using 2 or 3 sets of P&F will generate enormous splitting force, bigger than using the chisel.

I am stonemason, have been splitting the stones a lot 

Mark said:

Apparently working very well beyond Ink Sump

http://www.rbwalling.co.uk/Shop/3-Forged/01-Plugs-feathers.html

14mm hole, 100mm deep

Click to expand...

How come they're using Pand F not fireworks?

To stop them from getting lost by falling between rocks you can put some rubber band around them with a bit of string on it

Hello Jim, d'ya need owt sherpering in? or fetching from t' scaffold co. ?
Ric'(owd Git,)

aquamole jim said:

To stop them from getting lost by falling between rocks you can put some rubber band around them with a bit of string on it

Click to expand...

So simple I'm annoyed I haven't already tried this. Will give it a go though.

Speleokitty said:

aquamole jim said:

To stop them from getting lost by falling between rocks you can put some rubber band around them with a bit of string on it

Click to expand...

So simple I'm annoyed I haven't already tried this. Will give it a go though.

Click to expand...

Should work on Freshers/children too.

Rumor has it I might just be making a new batch of my style 12mm plugs and feathers about Feb/March.
Just wondering if 14mm might be a option. Answers on a postcard please.

Jopo

I found bits of string, snoopys, tape etc just got in the way, though I was wearing gloves and other stuff which makes an easy job hard. What was a good thing was a bit of bright yellow tape on each plug/ feather. Generally makes them easier to  see when you drop it. And a small mechanics tool, a magnet on the end of a pen sized piece of car ariel type tube. Very handy if they fall down into any gaps.

Hah! I did exactly that on the first use of mine - had the rubber band and string on it, and then the rock broke and one of the feathers fell straight out of the string before I could catch it and, not surprisingly, fell between some deads on the floor - took me ten minutes to find it. So a friend has just given me one of these magnetic telescopic thingies, and it has an LED light in it too. I used the P + Fs again the other day, but this time managed to hang onto the feathers, so not needed it yet.

I was wondering about the tape though, as there's only really the wing-tops for placement that wouldn't abrade it off on use, as far as I can see.

Anyway, I did get them from Rids Bruners in the end, and I have to say, they've been great fun to use. I've been enlarging a squeeze, rather than breaking rocks, so it's had to be a careful approach, as obviously one side of the equation is infinite - just been taking two-inch 'slices' off, as any more risked sticking. Also the squeeze was vertical, and working it entailed sliding into the gap sideways and then pretty much hammering in an upside-down position - not the easiest of jobs, but it can now be passed with SRT kit on, which was impossible before.

But very satisfying, and the noise is the best guide to what's happening - as they tighten up, there's a nice strong 'ding' generated, and then it gets progressivly duller as it starts to go. After a few attempts, I can now roughly tell by the sound when the break is about to happen.

New cheaper Chinese model with what appears to be a retaining sleeve (good for preventing dropsies?) is now available from Rids:

http://www.rbwalling.co.uk/Shop/3-Forged/01-Plugs-feathers-p.html