At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

When you learn how to get the machine off that strattled trench without caving it in, you'll know you've spent way too much time digging.:laughing:

Cyril,
I debated completely joining the two ends of the trench together in the middle while the tractor straddled the trench. However, if I couldn't get the tractor across the trench afterwards, I'd be in a real pickle. So I chose the safe route and finished the trench when the tractor was not straddling the trench. However, I've dug enough with the backhoe now I believe I would have a pretty good chance of getting the tractor off the trench. I just haven't had enough guts to try it.

Obed

 

[Lt CHEG]

I've learned a trick for maneuvering the backhoe. In tight spaces, I lift the rear tires of the tractor off the ground using the back hoe. I then shift the rear of the tractor right or left while the back tires are off the ground.

I remember the first time I did that with a Ford 555D. I felt like I really learned something from watching all the guys that I used to supervise dig with the backhoe. With that said, there's no way that I would do that with a subframe mounted backhoe. A dedicated TLB has the hoe attached much more securely than a subframe mounted one. I just don't feel comfortable that the backhoe can handle the extra stress from such maneuvers.

 

[Obed]

Friday my wife bought 2.2 tons of sand for $75 and got it loaded in our duelly. We will use the sand to surround and protect the water line before backfilling with the dirt and rocks that came from the trench.

 

[dcyrilc]

Cyril,
I debated completely joining the two ends of the trench together in the middle while the tractor straddled the trench. However, if I couldn't get the tractor across the trench afterwards, I'd be in a real pickle. So I chose the safe route and finished the trench when the tractor was not straddling the trench. However, I've dug enough with the backhoe now I believe I would have a pretty good chance of getting the tractor off the trench. I just haven't had enough guts to try it.

Obed

You did a nice job on the trench and there's nothing wrong with the way you did it. It beats having to get a shovel to clean the ditch back out too. BTDT enough times while learning.

There are a lot of things that I'll do with a full size backhoe that I wouldn't attempt with a tractor mounted hoe. Too much difference between the machines. The ease of ability to run both front loader and backhoe controls at the same time being the largest difference. Lt CHEG may have a good point as well.

 

[srs]

I finally joined the trench together as it got dark.

Obed, question? I may have missed this if you had explained it earlier but I was wondering why you didn't just dig a straight line from the house to the pedestals instead of the zig-zag? Looks good regardless. You are really getting good at using the backhoe, nice and neat.

 

[Obed]

Obed, question? I may have missed this if you had explained it earlier but I was wondering why you didn't just dig a straight line from the house to the pedestals instead of the zig-zag? Looks good regardless. You are really getting good at using the backhoe, nice and neat.

Stanley,
For clarification, the "pedestal" is what I'm calling the outdoor electrical panel installation near the transformer. The trench I just dug is for the water line.

If I had dug a straight line from the well to where the water line will enter the house, there would have been some wierd angles that would have made connecting the PVC water pipes cumbersome. So I "ziz-zagged" the trench because:
1. It allows all the pipe angles to be 90 degree turns which simplifies pipe installation.
2. I wanted the line to run parallel to the front of the house to make it easier to locate the pipe later.
3. When we are finished, we will have run utilities (electrical, phone, gas, and water) in 3 trenches just a few feet from each other) so having the water line and gas lines parallel to the house helps ensure we have room for the lines and simplify where the lines cross each other. Note: The underground electrical line does not run parallel to the house; it is a straight run until it gets close to the house.

Obed

 

[Obed]

We are trying to get "early on" power to the house. "Early on" means the house will have power before we are allowed to live in the house. Normally the power is not allowed to be turned on in the house until the owner gets an occupancy permit. We need power in the house so we can install the waterline and put the well water pressure tank in the house. The water pressure tank controls when the well pump runs. After the pressure tank is installed in the house, the well has to get its power from the house instead of the temp pole.

We currently have a temporary water pressure tank (it's blue) at the well in the temporary well house.

In addition, we want to be able (in theory) to run the H&A in the house to cure the hardwood flooring before the flooring is installed. Since the temps are running from the low 40's to the mid 70's, I'm not sure how much the AC will be actually running.

Here's the wire that will run from the outdoor electrical pedestal to the panels in the house through two underground conduits.

 

[Obed]

Saturday Trench Work
Yesterday I cleaned out any debris from the bottom of the waterline trench and then lined the bottom with sand.

 

[Obed]

I have decided to run 2 waterlines from the well to the house, a primary and a backup. The backup line would not be hooked up but will be capped at each end. If the primary waterline ever has a leak, I can hook up the backup waterline without having to re-dig this trench. I have over 30 hours invested in this trench plus 20 hours for the the drain tile beside the house where the water line enters the house. I really don't want to have to ever dig this trench again. I figure a little pipe is cheap compared to digging a trench through the rocks along this ridgeline. It will cost an extra $100 to run the second pipe including labor and materials for Schedule 80 pipe.

I have dug some other spots near the house that weren't so bad; but this section was a bear. This trench runs below what was a 4 wheeler path that had all the topsoil worn away leaving just red clay and rocks.

I installed two 3" PVC sleeves to go under the driveway. If the waterline ever needs fixing, we can do it without tearing up the driveway. The sleeves will be 30 feet long. I only had five 10' sleeves so I still need to install one more 10' pipe this week.

 

[Obed]

I covered the sleeves with sand, then added about 6" of dirt by hand to keep big rocks off of the pipes. I reached over the trench with the FEL and drug enough dirt into the trench to allow me to drive the tractor over the trench. Then I pushed dirt into the trench. We now have a usable driveway. Once I add the last sleeve pipe, the trench will be ready for the piping to be installed.