Building a road on contour with box blade

[kvmapr]

I need to build a lane along a slope on my property and I found a great thread by 3RRL on the subject of using your box blade to push new roads (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/89325-pushing-new-roads-trails.html ). But I don't own a box blade so I had to make do with my Middle Buster and FEL.

It's not a steep slope, about 10 degrees, so I felt safe enough giving it a go. But in the end my results weren't very satisfying. I began by cutting a ditch with the middle buster along the top edge of what will become the road. Then I put my left wheels in that ditch and crept along scraping off a few layers of sod and soil with each pass. I hoped to lower more on the top side, than on the lower side, and ultimately get something closer to level.

Well here's a shot of the results.

Basically I created a shallow ditch, as wide as my FEL, that has the same slope as the hill, 10 degrees. So not exactly what I'm looking for.

So here's what I'm thinking of trying next. It seems possible that I could use a box scraper, either backward as 3RRL suggests, or forward (as I would prefer). Going forward I should be able to lower the left side of the box scraper by extending the left side lower link. With the left side of the box lowered by a few degrees I should be able to make multiple passes and shave off a layer of soil at a time. Ultimately I hope to achieve the grade I'm looking for.

Any thoughts on this approach?

 

[Roady]

Kvmapr,

I just completed a similar project on a slope that looks a little more steeper than yours. I used a backhoe, but I would imagine you could use your middle buster in the same fashion. Just bust up the dirt on the left hand (high side) of your road, then back drag the loose dirt. Any excess dirt you can redeposit and back drag again. Remember to leave some slight pitch for water runoff. Hope this helps.

 

[kvmapr]

Roady, your slope definitely looks steeper than mine. Back hoe's not an option for me, but I'm curious. Did you use the back hoe solely to redistribute the soil? Or, after digging it out of the hill side, did you spread and level it with your FEL?

 

[Roady]

I only used the backhoe to loosen the soil on the high side. Everything else was done with the FEL.

 

[Egon]

Use your rototiller to break up the sod. Then make a level spot to start work from and go ahead using the bucket to cut and fill keeping the road level.

 

[kvmapr]

I think you're on to something Egon. I don't have a rototiller, but getting the sod up is easy. The FEL just strips it off on the first pass.

But starting from a level platform is probably key. Once I have that basic beginning it may be easy to keep that going. Think I need to look at a tooth bar for my FEL though. The straight edge of the bucket just doesn't get much of a bite.

kvmapr

 

[Egon]

Pick a start spot and work down hill to get a nice level spot built up and then go to it with a dig/back/forward and side dump action.

 

[jbrumberg]

kvmapr:

A tooth bar will definitely increase the efficiency of the FEL for what you are trying to do. Jay

 

[Spiveyman]

Howdy kvmapr, I too stumbled across 3RRL's thread early in my time here at TBN. Amazing what that guy can do TO his stuff, and also WITH his stuff. For me, once I saw that thread and the versatility of a BB I just had to have one. I don't know if you've priced them out or if that is an option or not, but I'm guessing your tractor is 6-ish feet wide, you can get a decent 6' BB for a very reasonable price at TSC. Here are a couple of my threads on my BB ordeal:

Boxblade Width & Brand
Breaking it in

Here's another one that has some great info in it:
BB/FEL Excavation

Now then, that aside, if you don't plan to go the BB rout, I've heard that a toothbar makes a huge difference. Mine's on order, but I've been waiting almost a month so I still can't testify to how much it will help. However the deal about getting started out level is a big one. Why not approach from the top, with your FEL facing down the grade, dig out a starting point with the FEL taking small bites. Once you get your "footing" level, then come back from the side and let 'er rip.

There are other tools that can do the job, but I do really like my BB. The other thing to think about is the adjustment the 3RRL has on his. If you don't have that, it isn't nearly as easy as he makes it look to get the results he gets. Manual adjustments are combersome, but you can get it done. Doing all that stuff he does from scratch isn't an option for me, but there's a system called a T-n-T (I think that's top 'n tilt) that should do something similar to what Rob has made.

Good luck either with or without the BB, it's fun getting to look at your back yard as a sand box isn't it?!

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin kvmapr,
All the posters have given good advice and I really dont have much to add. I just wanted to comment on that beautiful shot of the hills, very nice ! Thanks for posting, gotta love them hills, I know I do !