Friday, December 25, 2015

Merry Christmas 2015


Merry Christmas - to all & A Happy New Year. May the Craft of Dry Laid Stone continue to prosper in 2016. Mark @ www.RockinWalls.com



Sunday, November 22, 2015

7/2015 Havre De Grace MD, Seating Wall, West Mountain w Colonial Blue Stone


7/2015 Havre De Grace MD, Seating Wall, West Mountain w/ Colonial Blue Stone. A deck has been built inside this wall for an outdoor entertaining space. The wall is 22" off the deck 3 sections of wall - 6', 8' and 13'. Blue stone caps are 3" thick x 22" wide.  A larger on site black granite boulder was placed in the corner of the wall.  Colonial blue stone from Balducci Stoneyard (from their quarry) Great stone to work with. Flush tie stones set into the wall and spaced. Normal 1:6 batter with a protruding foundation except on inside of wall in order to allow for deck to be built.

Design and layout by Bradley Development & Design . Thank you Brad for inviting me on board to be apart of your creation.











I shaped the cap around the boulder to help make it fit in better. Amazing out the boulder just happened to be so close in height as the wall. 


Start


West Mountain Stone Bulk


PA Colonial Blue stone from Balducci Stoneyard @ Maryland Line.


Building the foundation and setting the frames.


Bloch Shear air assisted stone splitter. Helps me snap and square up my bulk stone for nice corners and faces. 


The client had a boulder which he had moved on his property several times over with in the last 20 some years. It was finally time to have it put into the wall. So he hired up a good friend with a wrecker tow truck. 


One large strap to lift it and move it to the new home in the seating wall. I have to say this was a first for me. Extremely exciting to see a boulder of this size made of black granite. Thats one heavy rock. 


With the approval and placement by the client the boulder was set in the corner with a cutout in the side as a seating spot. 





Tie stones being placed. Normally a wall of this size would not need ties. But due to the fact that the new fill dirt I felt it would be best to keep them in the design. They were to be protruded but due to future plans for up lighting they would have cast a shadow.


On the jobsite I love using my dingo to help me move stone around the tight areas. It also really helps me for setting my heaver cap stones without a helper. Before placing each cap I would have to chisel of the saw cut on the stones. Keeping them on the forks of the dingo made for quick work.


As you can see I spent a lot of time in the mud. The hardest part of this jobsite was all the toads and frogs I'd have to move everyday I worked. The loved the mud puddles. 

Many thanks to Brad and the client Bob for allowing me to create your backyard seating wall. I'm sure you'll have years and years of enjoyment. 

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Read all about 2015 NOV. Flatwork / Steps Workshop @ Rockin Walls


The first flatwork / steps workshop was a huge hit.  With our news sponsor Balducci Stoneyard @ Maryland line. Supplying Rockin Walls with their own PA Colonial Blue stone.

This workshop was such a hit it will be Coming back 2016. 

The focus of the workshop was based on teaching:
• 2 methods of base
• 2 types of stone Colonial PA Blue stone - 1) Squares and Rectangles 2) Irregular standup
• 3 methods of edging
• How to use - operate and be safe with Equipment and tools such as walk behind plate compactor, gas cut off saw, feather and wedges with a hammer drill, Toro Dingo machine, Block Shear Stone splitter.
• Tricks and tips of basic tools for the job
• Different styles of steps
• Rise, Run, Tread, Fall
• How to draw your own square and rec pattern
• Determining dig depth for excavating
• Sub-base, Geo-Grid, Base, Sand

Many thanks my Sponsors: Swanson Levels, Block Shear stone splitter, Pave Tech hammers, Bon Tools - hammers to name a few.


Squares and recs along with edging going down on a 3/8ths washed stone

Explanation of different types of compactors and how they operate. A walk behind plate compactor being demonstrated.

Squares and recs going down on coarse sand over the compacted crush and run sub-base(CR6)

Plastic edging being installed with the blue stone pattern

Next irregular standup was tried by the participants on each base. Giving them the opportunity to decide for themselves which they like best. 


Sunday we started out trying the Block Shear Stone splitter by put to action. 

Hammer drilling holes in order to feather and wedge this piece of granite to make edges. Great inexpensive method to created caps, steps, tie stones and edging. 


Safety first! when it comes to understanding how each piece of equipment functions. With hands on opportunities participants will feel comfortable renting if needed for their job.

Start of the steps.


The dingo is another one of the simplest machines to use on a job. Helping to move small quantities of material easily through tiny spaces. A machine like this can be found at just about any rental center. 

The participant choose to build the steps as a team. They went with a 6" rise and 14" tread with 1/4 fall. Mixing up different stones and step styles


Happy wallers after two days of learning a new skill set. They now can make or save money with their projects. For a small investment of time and money they can get right to it. 

Invest in a craft today. Take a workshop at Rockin Walls Training Center 2016. The only Sponsored center with: "Try before you buy" tools.

Big Thanks goes out to my internet stone mentors for flat work:
Matt Sevigny,  some disclosed place - USA
Marc Archambault, North Carolina Hammerhead Stoneworks 



Monday, November 9, 2015

Video - 2015 Nov 7-8 flatwork / steps workshop particapents

Had a great birthday weekend teaching the first flatwork / steps workshop using natural stone by any USA training center.   Come join in the fun 2016! 


Hear what some of the participants had to say in this short video. 

Thursday, October 1, 2015

2015 Rutland Vermont - Historical Retaining Wall Rebuild


Fall 2015 Rutland Vermont - Historical Residential property.  Remove - Rebuild back to similar style as original with structural changes. Original wall sections can be view at end of photos.  Hand shaped quartz boulders with face chinking as original required by homeowner. All stone was removed to off site location then brought back in. Granite tie stones had been added every 3 feet on center to build halfway up wall. The roadway was expanded and raised. This road side wall had to be removed and rebuilt to accommodated new roadway expansion and updates. Project was supervised and managed by Mora Stone VT. Supported Project by working 2 weeks on the build. DSWA Certified level 1-3 wallers only.







Team 1 - DSWA Certified Wallers

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Team 2 - DSWA Certified Wallers

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Original Wall not repaired
Original Wall not repaired