Help me design the best attachment for smoothing gravel

[crazyal]

My BEFCO grading scraper came with the blades adjustable from even with the runners to about an inch or so below them. Once I broke up the gravel the runners would sink down a ways into the loose stuff so when I would try to make a final pass the blades would dig up the loose gravel. What I did was drill new holes so now the blades can be adjusted from about a 1/2" below the runners to about an inch above them. For the final pass I raise the blades up about a 1/2" above the runners so when the runners sink into the loose gravel the blades stay close to even. This gives me a nice smooth finish (other than the marks the runners make). I still use the the bucket in reverse to pack it down. If I was to make some thing I think it would be to find a section of thick wall steel pipe that I could turn into a SSQA roller. That way for the last pass I could use it instead of the bucket and drive forward.

 

[Dave M7040]

Watch the small paving contractors. They have a small version of a Road Grader which is the purpose built machine to level and grade granular road base material.

The small paving guys grader looks like an old tractor with a mid mount moldboard plow set between the wheels. The tractor has a long wheel base. The operator stands up. There are controls to finely adjust the blade to crown if that is what you want or to level.

The secret is having a long wheelbase with the blade in the middle. This way there is less reacting to the dips and humps and the end result is a smooth surface.

Years ago there were grader implements designed to be towed behind dozers.

This is an example of a common design found by Googling "Huber Maintainer."

Dave M7060

 

[Redlands Okie]

Flat plate of steel about 18 inches wide and however long your box blade is wide. Bend or weld a piece a couple inches wide and angling up on the front edge so as to prevent it digging in. Weld on a couple strips or angle iron on each end that you can bolt up to the edges of the box blade.

Basically covering the bottom of your box blade so as to duplicate your front ends loaders large footprint.

 

[Egon]

Heavy timber baulk with angle iron on bottom leading edge. Chain for hitching up so it can be angled at will.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Landscape rake with gauge wheels?

 

[greggyy]

Smudge bar, landscape rake, or chain link gate with weight if needed.

You can often buy used older stuff for good prices here, probably even less over there.....

Would not be too hard to make a smudge bar either if you bought say a 3pt tow hitch frame then weld angle line or pipe to desired size and shape.

I used my grader blade for a small area but it is not ideal, a hand rake works, so a landscape rake should do well, someone who has and uses one may chime in or look on youtube etc.

 

[greggyy]

Oh, and harrows, drag or 3pt frame type.....

 

[jmc]

I like OPs idea, especially if he capped the open ends on the concave side so he could add weight if needed and so it would not collect gravel on turns. I think a 3PH will follow shallow, side to side angled contours more than a loader will so a little slop between the pan and the mounting plate might be nice.

Redland Okies skid plate under a box blade seems resourceful since OP already has one. Maybe instead of bolting it to the BB sides, use some uprights that go into the scarfier slots?

 

[CADplans]

If the material is moving that easily, you have the wrong material on the driveway,

Over the last month, I have had 91 trucks, at 80,000 pounds each go up and down my driveway.
The mill run material on my driveway has moved almost zero.

The material I use, locally called pug mill run, was graded into place with a landplane, going forward.
Simply raise the front of the LP until you are getting the grading effect you want.

The mill run material is easy to roll to a tight compaction,,

Obviously, my driveway has sharp turns,, even this turn has no material moving.

The turf tires on the JD 650 compact as well as the concrete filled iron pipe roller.

This is typical of the trucks that have traveled the road,,

The gravel simply needs some fines added to it, to turn it into mill run.
I have never tried that, but, so many have the problem of gravel moving like ball bearings, the fines must be available.

Mill run is very difficult to tailgate spread, but, a good driver can do it.
The last guy that did mine told me his secret,
He gets the guy in the loader to pick up a bucket full, then dump it on the pile, then scoop it up a second time.
I seems that the dumping on the pile will loosen the material enough to get it to tailgate better.

 

[4570Man]

What about a really cheesy contraption like 2 pallets screwed together on a chain. Maybe add some weight if it doesn’t take enough bite.