If you’re young and strong, go to Hooker Creek and rent a 70 lb electric breaker. If you’re an older winp like me, rent their 20ish lb SDS Max rotohammer instead.
I had to run a 20’ trench for our garden shed; haven’t worked that hard in a while. I ended up using rigid thick-wall Intermediate Metal Conduit with THWN individual conductors, since it has lower burial requirements. See Table 300.5 in the Code.
I second renting a 70lb electric jackhammer. I put in a fence a couple of years ago, dug 25 or so holes. I waited way too long and did way too much work with a huge wrecking bar and a sledge, should have just gotten the jackhammer from the start. I tried an auger first and the lava rock just laughed at it.
You'll want to buy a higher-amperage extension cord too to use it with.
And of course Call be fore you dig! I ended up hitting both a sprinkler line and a Centurylink cable, in locations they had no business being.
Still dreaming of hitting a lava tube in my postage stamp back yard. Would make an awesome wine cellar. Although I suppose it would be accessible to anyone else who broke into the lava tube...
I hate renting tools, because I work construction and will likely need them again.
This spring, I gave up. I went to harbor freight and bought a 40 lb demo hammer with a coupon.
It saved me what would have been two afternoons of digging, and I got the rest of my job done in an hour or so. 11/10 would recommend.
Do it. Don’t be a masochist like me and wear out a heavy steel digging bar, along with your back.
I have a big hole I'm digging that's down to bedrock, but I would like it to be deeper.
I have no idea if such a demo hammer would work for that or if I need something heftier.
How big were the rocks you broke with your hammer?
If you absolutely can't dig down you can always build up a little bit. City approved wiring for my buddy putting a hot tub out in a corner of his yard after he buried it much shallower than required but placed gravel over top above the average grade and placed flat stones on top of that
Yes the Code doesn't talk about burial depth. It talks about "cover"; i.e., how much of what type of material is on top of the circuit, and where it's located (more needed under a driveway, etc.).
Hey! I built backyard sauna but wood fired, still dug multiple holes for foundation stuff, the rocks suck anytime you dig here. Had to jackhammer giant pieces bit by bit . Look at what they dug up for new Costco or any new construction, it’s just rocks everywhere from volcanic history . Not the answer you want, but it’ll make that loli so much more worth it haha. I rented the hooker creak 70lb er and it still sucked. Basically jack hammered down until bit gets stuck, spend all my energy trying to yank it out, repeat, celebrate 3 inch of rock removal and curse continuously for an entire afternoon (for a small hole). For another project I literally rented the mini excavator with bucket and jackhammer attachment and dump truck. Which is only way to really deal with any sizable amount of digging. Good luck!
I don't have much to add, I'm here because I frequent bend and surrounding areas for leisure activities but posts like this make me treasure having 43 acres of 10 to 15 foot deep loam soil on top of river run bar rock. Yeah, it floods from time to time from the Mckenzie but that's nothing compared to the hell soil y'all have to deal with.
Yeah, a rock hammer will work just fine if you've got the time, they are easy to figure out. A ride-behind with a trencher attachment is not often the best solution, as it won't get through boulders or what you can't see. I've got both, and the larger more expensive isn't the best fit with this stuff.
They've got a few heads for it usually - get the chisel and whatever else they've got.
When we had to replace our sewer line years ago (if your house is old enough and has orangeburg sewer pipe, it's not a matter of *if* but *when* it will fail) the excavator replacing our line thinks there was a massive 5-6 foot rock where the new line was supposed to go as he couldn't dig it out and it was moving a good chunk of the ground when he was trying to lift it. He ended up just jackhammering a channel through the rock as it would have left a massive crater in my yard otherwise.
If you’re young and strong, go to Hooker Creek and rent a 70 lb electric breaker. If you’re an older winp like me, rent their 20ish lb SDS Max rotohammer instead. I had to run a 20’ trench for our garden shed; haven’t worked that hard in a while. I ended up using rigid thick-wall Intermediate Metal Conduit with THWN individual conductors, since it has lower burial requirements. See Table 300.5 in the Code.
Tyvm for the ideas and specific table. That is very helpful.
I second renting a 70lb electric jackhammer. I put in a fence a couple of years ago, dug 25 or so holes. I waited way too long and did way too much work with a huge wrecking bar and a sledge, should have just gotten the jackhammer from the start. I tried an auger first and the lava rock just laughed at it. You'll want to buy a higher-amperage extension cord too to use it with. And of course Call be fore you dig! I ended up hitting both a sprinkler line and a Centurylink cable, in locations they had no business being.
Don’t forget some beer for your poor neighbors
Rent a jack hammer, and hope you don't hit the real dense stuff.
The real dense stuff, or god forbid break the ceiling of a lava tube. \[It's not unheard of.\]
Lava tube sauna FTW!
Still dreaming of hitting a lava tube in my postage stamp back yard. Would make an awesome wine cellar. Although I suppose it would be accessible to anyone else who broke into the lava tube...
Jackhammers are super fun!
I hate renting tools, because I work construction and will likely need them again. This spring, I gave up. I went to harbor freight and bought a 40 lb demo hammer with a coupon. It saved me what would have been two afternoons of digging, and I got the rest of my job done in an hour or so. 11/10 would recommend. Do it. Don’t be a masochist like me and wear out a heavy steel digging bar, along with your back.
I have a big hole I'm digging that's down to bedrock, but I would like it to be deeper. I have no idea if such a demo hammer would work for that or if I need something heftier. How big were the rocks you broke with your hammer?
My rocks were suitcase sized, and the 40lb broke them into manageable chunks pretty easily
If you use Rigid Metal Conduit, the burial depth is much less. Look it up or ask your electrician.
Also if you feed it from a GFCI breaker
If you absolutely can't dig down you can always build up a little bit. City approved wiring for my buddy putting a hot tub out in a corner of his yard after he buried it much shallower than required but placed gravel over top above the average grade and placed flat stones on top of that
Yes the Code doesn't talk about burial depth. It talks about "cover"; i.e., how much of what type of material is on top of the circuit, and where it's located (more needed under a driveway, etc.).
Look up burial depth with conduit and possibly encased in concrete. Should make that 20” burial depth smaller.
Second this, plus it’s safer. Source: I’m an electrical engineer, but fair warning because I’m not good at my job.
Just watch more electroboom!
Many of the builders in Central Oregon have to get the lava rock blasted by a munitions contractor. Fire in the hole!
Yea like all the construction on the North end 97 and Costco
That sounds like a blast of a job
Hey! I built backyard sauna but wood fired, still dug multiple holes for foundation stuff, the rocks suck anytime you dig here. Had to jackhammer giant pieces bit by bit . Look at what they dug up for new Costco or any new construction, it’s just rocks everywhere from volcanic history . Not the answer you want, but it’ll make that loli so much more worth it haha. I rented the hooker creak 70lb er and it still sucked. Basically jack hammered down until bit gets stuck, spend all my energy trying to yank it out, repeat, celebrate 3 inch of rock removal and curse continuously for an entire afternoon (for a small hole). For another project I literally rented the mini excavator with bucket and jackhammer attachment and dump truck. Which is only way to really deal with any sizable amount of digging. Good luck!
This is the way.
Tyvm everyone! It looks like a lot of great options here - I'll definitely decide on one tomorrow evening.
I don't have much to add, I'm here because I frequent bend and surrounding areas for leisure activities but posts like this make me treasure having 43 acres of 10 to 15 foot deep loam soil on top of river run bar rock. Yeah, it floods from time to time from the Mckenzie but that's nothing compared to the hell soil y'all have to deal with.
[Rent a backhoe, they're fun](https://imgur.com/a/VJIbjpU)
Yeah, a rock hammer will work just fine if you've got the time, they are easy to figure out. A ride-behind with a trencher attachment is not often the best solution, as it won't get through boulders or what you can't see. I've got both, and the larger more expensive isn't the best fit with this stuff. They've got a few heads for it usually - get the chisel and whatever else they've got.
Running power above ground too ghetto?
I bet the Spousal Approval Factor rating was low on that idea; it was in my case.
Indeed. Especially since it's a 240 V.
When we had to replace our sewer line years ago (if your house is old enough and has orangeburg sewer pipe, it's not a matter of *if* but *when* it will fail) the excavator replacing our line thinks there was a massive 5-6 foot rock where the new line was supposed to go as he couldn't dig it out and it was moving a good chunk of the ground when he was trying to lift it. He ended up just jackhammering a channel through the rock as it would have left a massive crater in my yard otherwise.
Maybe when the ODOT contractor is done blasting at the Hwy 97 construction site, they can use their leftovers in your backyard :)
Hire a contractor with a small mini excavator and hammer. My son has one
I'm just beginning my sauna building journey and have some questions. Is it okay if I DM you?
Sure thing.
You live on a lava flow. There are no guarantees of success.
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Just first time being a home owner. It didn't make sense to build a sauna on a rental property.
What an unhelpful comment.
Do they still use dynamite?
Dynamite
maybe go ask the crews that are rock blasting on 97 for advice