This Just In – 62 Year Old Woman Conquers Concrete Paver With Primitive Tools!

This past weekend Dave and I decided to take advantage of a long-awaited break in the summer heat to work on the patio extension that has sat on our back burner for over a year.  With a high temperature of 82 and low humidity on Saturday we hit the pavers after breakfast and after taking only a short break for lunch, we worked until about two o’clock when fatigue and the sun moving over our work area sent us indoors for a few hours rest.  After a light dinner, we got back to it and stopped when the light began to fade just before nine.

It was a glorious day and I was glad I had a purpose to be outside.  And although sitting by a pool might have been more relaxing, the hard work felt good and the sense of accomplishment was good for my soul.

We took most of Sunday off from our project only because we’d made a prior commitment to play with friends, but Dave still managed to get a few more pavers set after Mass.  I just didn’t feel like getting sweaty and having to do my hair again, so I sat in the shade and supervised.By Monday after dinner, we’d gone about as far as we could go without some additional planning.  Having started from the inside corner and working outward, we’d reached the far corner where the pavers weren’t lining up with the outside course of larger base bricks.  After weighing our options, we finally determined we’d have to cut some of the edge course bricks to get them to fit.  The problem was, we didn’t know how.

So, we consulted the popular wisdom of YouTube and found a great video presented by a pleasant fellow in a dinosaur t-shirt who demonstrated how to cut a paver with a stone chisel and hammer.  The process looked fairly straight forward so we thought we’d give it a go.  Dave stopped by Lowe’s after dinner and procured the required tools but by the time he got home it was too late to try.  As he headed out the door this morning he told me that I was welcomed to try to cut the stone if I felt like it.  I think he knew that I secretly wanted to see if it was really as easy as it looked.

So, this morning after my cardio workout, I gathered the items listed by the friendly man on YouTube, stone chisel, stone hammer, two boards, measuring tape, square and safety goggles, and set out to conquer the lump of concrete.  Following his instructions, I set the stone on the boards, measured the stone and scored it on all sides.  Then I began to chisel along the score line.

Over and over I set the chisel along the line and tapped it firmly with the hammer, rounding the stone again and again.  The hammer was heavy and the chisel made a loud chinking sound each time the hammer made contact with its top.  It was a muggy morning and sweat dripped from my forehead onto my hand as I hit the chisel.  Then suddenly, as if by some miracle, the stone parted into two pieces!

I was astonished!  I actually split the stone with a chisel and hammer! From start to finish it only took about five minutes, even though at the time it seemed like a much longer space of time.  I set my modified creation in place and although a bit ragged, fit pretty well into place.  So I did it again for the next stone.  And it worked even better.  The edge was as straight as if I’d used a saw.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I placed the stones and laid the next course to see if another cut was necessary.  One more stone would need to be cut but I decided I would save this last one for Dave so he can join in on the fun.  I know he doesn’t want to miss out on this marvel of low tech!

It’s funny how such a simple set of tools can do such a good job.  I guess the mystery of the ancients has been revealed!

I discovered is that the secret to my success with this project wasn’t a result of whacking the chisel with the hammer as hard as I could, but simply by the persistent and continued tapping on all sides of the stone.  There is a lesson to be learned here for sure.

So many times life presents challenges that prior experience hasn’t provided answers for.  But, by getting the right advice and plugging forward, with constance and persistence, miracles can happen -even if it’s only simple physics.