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Baitball Blogger

(46,576 posts)
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 11:41 AM Jun 2020

A DIY garden job, that turned into a DYI. (Do yourself in.)

I need to relocate a small garden landscape planter that I built with rumble stone from Home Depot. I used concrete adhesion or landscaping glue. The project is not even a year old.

I assume I have to use a chisel and hammer. Are there any other options that anyone can suggest?

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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KPN

(15,587 posts)
1. Dynamite?
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 11:46 AM
Jun 2020


On the serious side, do you know anyone who might have a good hammer drill (something with a 1/2" chuck), that would be a lot less painful than chisel and hammer. Unless your intent is to save the blocks, then you're probably stuck with the chisel method or small jack hammer.

Bayard

(21,807 posts)
3. Use a sledgehammer
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 12:13 PM
Jun 2020

Easier, and way more fun.

Take the pieces and make a gabion planter, or garden path, and build a new planter.

eppur_se_muova

(36,227 posts)
4. Gas torch ? The binding ingredients are derived from pine rosin or petroleum, and should burn.
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 01:14 PM
Jun 2020
https://www.buildsite.com/pdf/pl/Loctite-PL-500-Landscape-Construction-Adhesive-SDS-1868421.PDF

But I'd sure as Hell wear a good dust mask or respirator. Expect to form a fair amount of mineral dust, including a small amount of silica.

Don't overheat the rocks themselves; some can explode from internal buildup of steam, including concrete. I'm not sure what "Rumble Stones" are made of.

I don't think any simple chemicals (acid, base) would do the job without huge spill/disposal problems. The original solvents (acetone and methyl acetate) would probably dissolve or at least soften the adhesive -- probably pretty slowly -- but don't work with those unless you know how to handle highly flammable chemicals and have excellent ventilation.

Baitball Blogger

(46,576 posts)
6. Turns out they can knocked out with a rubber hammer.
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 01:22 PM
Jun 2020

Comes out in chunks. But, since I want to reassemble it, it's okay.

KPN

(15,587 posts)
14. Good to know. Did you figure that out on your own? Never would have thought about a rubber
Sat Jun 6, 2020, 11:58 AM
Jun 2020

hammer -- but sounds like a good idea now that you mentioned it. I'll have to store that idea for future refeernce.

KPN

(15,587 posts)
16. Ha. Almost a no-brainer! Glad it's working out for you. I'm a big DIYer - drives my wife crazy
Sat Jun 6, 2020, 12:25 PM
Jun 2020

because at this age I'm about half or maybe even a third as fast as I used to be -- so I save everything I can to keep costs down. At my rate of work these days, not sure the savings (like saving the blocks in your case) is worth the time involved, but I still do it anyway. Fortunately, I have a detached garage and a couple of other good sized outbuildings for all the building materials and stuff I've "saved" over the years -- almost always have what I need on hand for small projects. The downside is I have this nagging feeling we need to downsize -- it'll be a lot of work not to mention a lot of vacillation about the stuff itself.

Baitball Blogger

(46,576 posts)
17. I am married to someone just like you.
Sat Jun 6, 2020, 12:29 PM
Jun 2020

We don't have as much to store materials, but we do have a garage that is full of surprises.

Yeah, downsizing is going to suck. But we're a few decades away from thinking about it.

ismnotwasm

(41,921 posts)
10. I solve all my woes with a pickax
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 02:08 PM
Jun 2020

I don’t think it’s going to help you though. Do you have access to a jackhammer?

ismnotwasm

(41,921 posts)
12. Good. I have a couple of those as well
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 02:54 PM
Jun 2020

Any number of my gardening tools seem a little, violent. Maybe all of them

But, really, I have one of those in-city houses that rests on tip of a little hill. Kinda steep driveway. I dug one entire part up with it using a pick ax and a shovel, and I’m now enjoying a beautiful hillside full of strawberries and herbs and flowers. I used use a whimsical “junkyard” design, got several of those little planter thingy’s that look like bicycles or tractors, scattered them here and there. I actually got a couple of old tires cut to look like flower pots from a real junkyard. Some very odd statuary. We know a guy who does statuary, and like beer. Which is why I have one with a rabbit head on a Buddha body, amount other delights

Baitball Blogger

(46,576 posts)
13. That yard must be something to see.
Fri Jun 5, 2020, 03:52 PM
Jun 2020

Absolutely understand that attachment to yard and home. Best thing possible is to turn that passion into art and edible gardening. You're a lucky person.

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