Drilling Hard Rock With Carbide

[warmstrong1955]

I see scary stuff about silicon dust online. Do I need a respirator to use a jackhammer outdoors? I don't look forward to a respirator full of sweat.

If you have a chance of breathing the dust, yes.

[SteveHGraham]

I don't even know how dangerous this stuff is or how much exposure is a problem. Based on the fact that I've been around dirt and dust my entire life, like other humans, I assume whatever I've been exposed to so far isn't a big deal.

I created a lot of dust while drilling holes in the rock, and then I blew it out of the holes using a can of computer dust spray. That was considerably worse than the dust a jackhammer will generate. It blew back at me, and I was close to it. In retrospect, I think a mask would have been a good idea.

[warmstrong1955]

Ummmmmm.....no.
Chert, has quartz, and quartzite. Quartz & quartzite are the things that caused the creation of the phrase "widowmaker drill", as well as "rocks in the box".
When you drill it, or break it, with a hammer, especially with any sort of mechanized hammer, it makes little sharp shards.....which, if you inhale....will kill you. Slowly.

Yeah....a mask is a good idea. Better than a good idea. Do you sandblast outdoors without a respirator?
Sweat in it. It's worth it. We call 'em swampboxes for good reason. Beats the alternative....which is quite unpleasant.

[SteveHGraham]

I can't tell what you mean. You mean big doses of fine drill dust aren't worse than smaller doses of hammer dust?

[warmstrong1955]

The dust....is the same. Sharp shards of quartz & quartzite.
The more you breathe, obviously, logically, the worse the damage.

Best to not screw with it, and not breathe any of it....no? How much does it take to cause damage?
Best, not to find out.

[SteveHGraham]

The drill dust has already had its way with me, but I can still do something about the jackhammer.

[warmstrong1955]

The drill dust has already had its way with me, but I can still do something about the jackhammer.

Yup....good idea.
It's cumulative....like arsenic. Literally.

[NP317]

Wear a respirator or mask.
My incredibly healthy Father died rather suddenly from Mesothelioma. Six weeks from skiing to dead.
We have no idea where during his life he was exposed to asbestos.
Wear a respirator/mask. Much less inconvenient than dying...
RN

[SteveHGraham]

The jackhammer arrived today, and I was able to put in 45 minutes. I thought it would be hard to use, but it's a breeze. You just hold it up and apply light pressure. It's funny how it breaks the rock. For maybe 90 seconds, it will hammer in one place and seem to do nothing, and then a huge crack will open under it as the rock splits. It makes you wonder if "brittle failure" is all it's cracked up to be, pun not intended. The rock fails suddenly at the end, but it appears that before that, the cumulative blows weaken it without cracking it. It's like it gets rock fatigue, softens up and then gives way. I wonder if that happens to stone and concrete used in structures.

The vibration from the hammer isn't hard to take at all. It's actually pleasant. The weight is somewhat oppressive when you have to lift it and move it, but that's not a big deal. Most of the time, I'm just leaning on it, getting a massage.

I didn't realize how big it was when I ordered it. The bit arrived first. I found a DeWalt for $15 on Amazon, and that seemed better than paying $40 for some other brand. The bit feels like it weighs 5 pounds all by itself.

The instructions say it will have to be serviced at 300 hours. If I had known that, I might have gone Chinese.

The rocks don't stand a chance. The biggest problem now is trying to decide where to cut them.