Monday, July 10, 2006

JACKHAMMER!!

Well, we got prices for making a doorway in the 10" thick concrete basement wall, and they were outrageously high. $1600 to have it jackhammered, $3200 to have it cut with a fancy chainsaw with a 12" blade. So, we rented a gas-powered circular saw and a jackhammer for the weekend for about $150.00. We were sore after, but we had fun. And how can one not feel manly when using a jackhammer chisel a doorway thru 50 year old concrete.

We saw-cut the edges first with the circular saw, and connected a water hose to keep the dust down. Even though we wore breathing masks, the fumes were terrible, and they filled the whole house.

We used the scaffolding to work on the concrete from above, as well a support when we hammered in at a horizontal angle.

My Dad taking a turn at the start. We have removed the window,
and made saw cuts down each side.My friend Jeff, whose enthusiasim for jackhammering made it all possible!
My brother, Greg, dropped by to get hammered as well
(and to prove his manliness, he only wore sandals!).The smooth parts are where the circular saw reached,
the rough parts were jackhammered.The circular saw that almost gassed us all.

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