Best way to make rocks into dust?

Does anybody know of anyway to efficiently, easily, and easily break up small boulders/rocks into a fine dust?

I was looking to make some rock dust.

I believe you can purchase various grades of the stuff from a quarry.

Depends on how much you need and what kind of rocks are available.

Seems a waste of energy to make rock dust - it is a byproduct of many stone working jobs. Got any stone working yards nearby (kitchen surfaces, grave marker carving etc...)?

They will probably let you haul as much as you need for free.

I bought 100kg a few years ago and it had marginal benefit if any. Probably helped sort out a few trace element issues that we weren't aware of. If I were to do it again I'd get a soil test before and after.

I'm planning on getting a soil test asap, but am just working over this thought in my head today.
In any case, I'd love to have some for indoor planters, containers, compost, worm bins, potting soils, seed starting mix, etc.

Here, it would be basalt. I'd love to use rocks off my land, because they are free and local. Maybe I've been listening to too much Coast to Coast AM lately, but one thing I've heard about local foods is the local minerals they contain. These local minerals and their magnetic properties interact with the magnetic lay-lines and field of Earth, thusly having an effect on us. Depends on who you want to believe.



I've heard to heat rocks in a hot fire for 1.5-2 hours, then take them from the fire and toss them into water is a good way to micro-fracture the rock, especially igneous rocks.
Be careful, I guess.

http://www.academia.edu/194444/Fire_Cracked_Rocks_-_An_Archaeological_Experiment

Johnny - the main reason to supplement soil with rock dust is to provide trace minerals which AREN'T present in your native rocks and soils. Here we are on chalk - loads of calcium but we can be quite deficient in pretty much everything else. Adding rock dust from igneous rocks like granite helps ensure that there is a little bit of everything available.

There are tractor mounted jaw crushers which run off of the pto. They are best suited to producing larger agregate but a small percentage will be dust. Almost any commercially available bulk dust will be less expensive than making your own. YouTube has many examples of crushers.

Best way? Prisoners or slaves.

Just buy it. Michael is right, you are trying to add what you are missing.

As far as I'm aware reducing rocks to dust, which is really the largest size soil microorganisms can work on,
is basically impossible unless you have hardcore machinery.
Like things called in a quarry with unfancy names like 'crusher' and 'grinder'...

Here's a jaw crusher in action. Notice that the rocks would all make nice paving. My potato shaped glacial rock would never go through so smoothly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5evRPYNUjsk

If you got really good at this sort of fiddle pissing, it might be possible to earn $5 an hour minus expenses. Reminds me of the economics of fiddling with a wood chipper.

Look op paul staments on mycillium running. TED.COM ted talks. Fungi break down rock into solluable minerals. As well as make any rock dust you add soluable. You need a catalyst for the mineral to go into sollution or it is a waste of time. Only add things you know you need. When in doubt do nothing and think it through before making a decision based loosly on possibilities. Your soil is what it is and what you add. Some things are toxic or could change the PH dramatically. I have made very exspensive errors that cost me upwards of $6,000 before I knew it. Be savy. Try simple things first. look to the professionals. Mimic nature.
Have a great time. plant variety.

Another note concerning health hazards.
People who work in rock, stone, or other minerals that require being crushed pulverized, cut, etc have to use safety equipment.
Respirators: N-95 dust masks or better. Half masks with replacable cartidges are the best. Some rocks contain very fine particles think Asbestos. Silicosis. pnemonia, bronchitis, enphazema. <probably all spelled wrong LOL. But this is serious.
Eye protection: Use eye protection if you are useing tools to break down rocks. Rock particles move very fast/ faster than you can blink. The pieces can not be pulled out by a magnet they have to be cut out from the eye. I have had metal particles cut out from my eye and it is not a fun experience.
Heavy equipment use. Heavy equipment designed to break down rock. I would have someone arround to be there in the event I got injured. So a second person would be required while you are operating such equipment. Also such equipment should not be arround children. So maybe just taking the rock to a professional is better than having the equipment.
Have a great day

I've decided against 'making my own' since studying the geology around me more.

The typical soil around here is about 10-12" (on average) top soil, then a layer of caliche, and then there is a good thick layer of very sandy alluvium of widely varied parent material. Although the sand is not 'flour' consistency, I will be using it from the tailings of a root cellar pile laying around. I collected soil for a test, but my biggest use of the sand should be adding to compost piles, as the soil should have acceptable mineral levels.

Thanks for the input.