How (not?) To Remove A Benchmark Disk.

[+bicknell]

After almost three years benchmarking we finally found a destroyed but intact disk back in May. While I'd rather find them in the wild, it's a nice badge of honor to have a disk to call your own, just because they are so hard to find.

 

First, the disclaimer. Never, ever remove a disk without first seeking the NGS's ok. The procedure is to find a destroyed mark where the disk is intact, but the setting is obviously destroyed. Take pictures of it, send it in to the NGS to get it offically marked as destroyed. Then, ask politely if you can remove the disk, and you'll probably get an okie dokie.

 

So, after 3 years and almost 600 marks we finally found one that fit the bill. FE0984 was found in May with the mark and concrete post intact, but laying over on it's side 90 degrees from where it should be located. Looks like when the railroad / county did some work on the nearby grade crossing the whole area was regraded. We were extremely luckly to find the mark at all.

 

That day I submitted the info to the NGS, and several weeks later we received back the ok to remove the disk from Deb. Today we set out on that mission.

 

Plan A was to remove the disk in the remaining concrete, so we could set up the remaining part of the monument in our back yard. Unfortunately the post is intact for at least 5' by my estimation, making it way too heavy to consider moving. So, plan B. Remove the disk with a concrete chisel. I've found enough missing disks I didn't think that would be so hard, boy was I wrong.

 

It took almost an hour of chiseling. Having removed a disk now, I have the following recomendations:

 

1) Rent one of the gasoline powered concrete cutting tools (that look like a chain saw) they use to hand cut curbs at the local rent all. Cut off the top 3" of the disk with it and take it home. That's what I will do next time. It's worth the rental fee.

 

2) Take a sledge hammer. At least to start brute force is faster than the chisel.

 

3) Take a sawsall or hack saw with a new metal blade. When you get to the stem that's going to be the easiest way to remove the disk. Cutting the stem with a chisel takes a really long time.

 

4) Don't expect the process to be fast.

 

I've uploaded a couple of photos to the log page, but we also shot some video. There are two versions, a higher quality MPEG (58 Meg) and a lower quality WMV (12 Meg). It's about 4 minutes long, both are the same content just different quality settings.

 

MPEG Version (58 Meg) - or - WMV Version (12 Meg)

 

Obviously I don't want people going out and removing marks, but if you are lucky enough to find one destroyed and do the paperwork I hope this will help provide some tips as to how to get it out.

[MJC]

Impressive feat of strength and endurance! Definately goes to show that they aren't easily destroyed...well it's easy if you have heavy equipment....

 

I have a couple of abandoned railways in my area...I should start looking for those BM's...might find one that's taken a beating.

 

Great video.

 

Cheers,

Mike

[mloser]

I have been lucky enough to mark a number of marks destroyed (about 6 or 7 I think). My first was in a farmer's field and was just over a month after I started hunting. It was knocked totally loose from the post, so I picked it up and took it with me, THEN emailed Deb with the status. After it was marked destroyed I asked if I could keep it and admitted I had kept it. I was just too excited at finding it and was afraid someone would come by and pick it up. Deb was somewhat amused but gave me permission to keep it, just as I am sure she would for anyone who has managed to get a mark classed as destroyed.

 

Later I located RIDGEVIEW, bulldozed out of the ground and laying on its side. RIDGEVIEW RM1 was near it, also pulled out of the ground. So I borrowed a 9 lb sledgehammer from a friend and went at both of them. I was able to free the disks on them in about 10 blows.

 

Much harder was KW0450, which was in a huge chunk of concrete and I only had a 3 lb sledge with me. I banged at that one until I nearly passed out, but got it freed.

 

The smaller monuments like the one Bicknell found can be broken apart with a 3 lb sledge and some sweat, or with a 9 lb and just a few shots. Of course, the break line will not be too neat, but with a 5 foot post you can reduce it to a foot or so to help you get it to the car.

[+BuckBrooke]

Bicknell,

Properly claimed disks like yours are a fun momento. As to getting the disks out of the monumentsm, I follow someone mloser's advice. Half a dozen to a dozen good sledge hammer blows on the side of monument, up near the top, break the conrete away so that you just have a bit stuck to the 3 in. shaft of the disk.

[+4leafclover]

Hopefully, those in the contest have read this...because "3rd" prize will make them very happy...

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

After the NGS declares the PID# destroyed, be sure to contact the setting agency (if other than the NGS) before removing the disk. I'm not too sure USGS or BLM or the General Land Office will be as complaisant as the NGS about having their disks removed without an update to the databases.

 

John