Re: make - forge? - wedge for feathers-and-wedge rock-split

Peter Fairbrother <peter@tsto.co.uk> writes:

Capping or Hilti capping uses Hilti nail gun gun cartridges, which you
...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225952485669 at £15 for 100, they are about
£60 per thousand if you buy lots of them.
>
You want the red or better the black ones, but the black ones can be
more expensive and harder to get.
>
Some somewhat dangerous examples of use (cavers are nuts anyway):
>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuPozHyKEKg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjgWA8v52Go
...

Thanks.
I visualise they are frequently hopping around in various types of pain.

A young fellow who has come along as another volunteer at "our" mine has
what I take to be identically the same drill as second caver type is
using.

I've got the masonry-drill in mine, while he has the pick chisel in his
- on non-rotative obviously.
So we alternate machines.  Drilling and "feather'ing" until cracks, then
swapping over to use the pick to open-up the rock releasing the
"feathers" and completing the split / separation.  While the other
drills.

Because dust accumulates in the air in the mine, do the drilling under
water flood.  Always ejecting slurry.

Do have to find a way to wash away the slurry, as the "10mm" feathers
are a tight fit in the 12mm hole.  Plus want slippery metal-to-metal
contact, lubed with oil-graphite spray - don't want abrasive paste of
the slurry in the wedge-to-feathers contact, increasing wear and making
friction.

Not found answer to that yet.
Might make say 11mm dia bit of polymer rod, with small central hole you
inject water down some way.  Hopefully efficiently sluice-out the
slurry from bottom to exit of hole.

"Capping" looks interesting, but if it's anything like in those videos,
is not going to be happening at "our" mine.

As I'd like to go for a shot-firer's ticket, might be best to come over
as measured in what I do.

So likely stay with wedges.

Thanks.
At least I have been amused.
Second guy could have been able to sing very high notes if rocks had
gone in another direction - as other comment.


Regards,
Rich