How to split a pudding stone?

[lj]

I am splitting some small rocks for my fireplace. 4 to six inches. I have a couple nice pudding stones. I heard that they don't split. True? I have a good rock splitting chisel and hammer, but if itis not possible , I will concentrate on other rocks and maybe try to use the pudding stones uncut.

[MELOC]

ok, i'll bite. what is a pudding stone?

[rkintn]

I was curious too...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puddingstone_(rock)

[beaglebiz]

well, you learn something every day!

[texican]

I'm a geologist, and can't recall ever hearing the term pudding stone. After looking at the wiki page, looks like a cemented conglomerate.

I guarantee you, you put it on a solid surface, put on a goggles, and issue some love taps with a ten pound sledge, it'll separate. Of course, it might separate out into the individual rocks. Or use a brick chisel, and a four pound sledge, tap tap tap, if it splits fine, if it doesn't find a better sample, or a better rock.

Are these rocks for a figurative surround, or will they be in contact with the heat? Were they in a wet location? I ask because some rocks don't play nice with fireplace type temperatures... they explode! If they 'are' going to be subjected to high heats, I'd recommend putting them next to a hot fire outside, and see how they react. Better than having a roaring fire, and have rock fragments flying across the room.

[haypoint]

A puddin stone doesn't have grain like some stones do. Instead of breaking along a line, it just breaks where ever. Think of a ball of cement. By 4 to 6" are you shooting for this thickness or is that the size of the stone? It would be hard to get some 4 to 6 inch slabs of puddin stone. But you should be able to whack a few 4 inch puddin stones in half.
If you are doing a lot of rock splitting, when the wood handle fails, replace it with a home made hickory handle. Cut from green wood, it will absorb the shock and not splinter like the store bought one do.

[7thswan]

I don't know, we just collect them here. If you split one, show us a picture, I bet they are beautiful inside.

[carasel]

You can cut them on a wet saw. This will not give a rough look. Depending on blade, feed and rock. Finish cut appearance will very. I've cut a few on my tile saw.Then polished them. They make neat looking coasters.
Fun fact about these rocks. If smaller rocks(in the big rock) have sharp edges. The glacier basically fell on them crushing them together. If smaller stones are rounded off. They were rolled in front of the glacier before being crushed together.
Like texican said. Check them for heat reaction before using. Lake Huron has a lot of rock parts from my siblings and i.If i remember correctly. The dark based ones were more solid than lite colored base ones.
When you get fireplace done. Please post some pics. I would like to see it.

[lj]

Thanks for the info. I checked the Wiki reference and my stones don't look like the examples shown. I'll try to post a picture if I can figure out how to do it. My stones look more like someone dropped spots of red paint on the surface.

[haypoint]

http://www.dayooper.com/Puddingstones.htm

This tells about the type of pudding stones in da U. P.

[lj]

Haypoint. THanks that is exactly what my pudding stones look like. I never dreamed they looked so good inside. How did you do it? Could a place that cuts cement do it. Some way I can do it myself? Polishing?

[haypoint]

A cement saw would do it, if you could hold the stone from twisting. Then polishing. Look for a rock shop or lapadary place. I doubt that's spelled correctly.