rox
Veteran Member
My hsuband has to take the tractor up some really step slopes, and the tractor path has become quite eroded. It is pretty scary. So I think we should cement the tractor paths that go up the big hills. Some of our farmer freinds have cemented theirs so I know I am not crazy for wanting to do this.
We have an electic cement mixer. The first path I want to do is about, say 60 ft long. The neighbor Claude said that we can pour the cement right on the dirt, we don't have to lay down a gravel bed. We just found out we have a very nice saw that cuts cement.
I am thinking to pour about 4 inches tall of cement, will be enough for the tractor.
Right at the bottom of the hill is our house, my husband always has to make a 90 degree turn immediatly upon reaching the bottom of the hill. It's gnarly, you go straight down a steep hill then at the bottom you have to make a 90 degree turn.
These are the challenges.
How to divert therain water as it is traveling downhill on cement towards our house? I don't want all that water in our basement.
It is going to be just me and my husband, Claude said to mix the cement at the bottom of the hill then put the cement in the 3PH wagon on the back of the tractor, drive the tractor to the top fo the hill and dump/shovel out the cement. he says work form the top down. No way are we going to get that thing poured in one day. What is the harm in pouring in sections? It does not snow or freeze in our area. Like we pour 5ft per day or something like that.
We would put forms on the sides, and then jsut stick a bord between the side forms for what we could pour in one day. The next day move the middle board down and pour another 5ft or so. What is wrong with this plan?
We have rebarb and Claude said just to use the rebatrb in the middle of the cement and we will be fine with about 4 inches tall. Also that cool saw we found int he basement, Claude says it cuts the rebarb we just have to change the blade from a cement blade to a metal cutting balde. There are several blades taht go to that super dooper saw.
An additional pice of information we have a pallet of cement, a big pile of sand and a big pile of pea gravel that came with the farm when we purchased it. Oh and the rebarb also was there.
I would appreciate any tips on how best to do this project with the least amount of work, and knowing that it is just for the tractor, I guess it will be about 6ft - 8ft wide.
I know we hve to put up forms on the sides and there are plenty of planks around here for that. The boards are 2 by 8's and we are not gong to fill up 8" so I'm not totally sure how to get it level becasue the side boards will be a lot taller than the finished 4" so we can't pull another board across the cement to get it level. My husband says less water makes the cement stronger but to me it is harder to work with. We did one small hill only about 4ft long to test out working with cement. Based ont hat experience I tend to want to make it more watery so that it is easier to smooth around with the trawl, but I am open to advice on that point.
Many thanks to all who take time to reply. It is going to be a few weeks until we start but I like to think it through first.
We have an electic cement mixer. The first path I want to do is about, say 60 ft long. The neighbor Claude said that we can pour the cement right on the dirt, we don't have to lay down a gravel bed. We just found out we have a very nice saw that cuts cement.
I am thinking to pour about 4 inches tall of cement, will be enough for the tractor.
Right at the bottom of the hill is our house, my husband always has to make a 90 degree turn immediatly upon reaching the bottom of the hill. It's gnarly, you go straight down a steep hill then at the bottom you have to make a 90 degree turn.
These are the challenges.
How to divert therain water as it is traveling downhill on cement towards our house? I don't want all that water in our basement.
It is going to be just me and my husband, Claude said to mix the cement at the bottom of the hill then put the cement in the 3PH wagon on the back of the tractor, drive the tractor to the top fo the hill and dump/shovel out the cement. he says work form the top down. No way are we going to get that thing poured in one day. What is the harm in pouring in sections? It does not snow or freeze in our area. Like we pour 5ft per day or something like that.
We would put forms on the sides, and then jsut stick a bord between the side forms for what we could pour in one day. The next day move the middle board down and pour another 5ft or so. What is wrong with this plan?
We have rebarb and Claude said just to use the rebatrb in the middle of the cement and we will be fine with about 4 inches tall. Also that cool saw we found int he basement, Claude says it cuts the rebarb we just have to change the blade from a cement blade to a metal cutting balde. There are several blades taht go to that super dooper saw.
An additional pice of information we have a pallet of cement, a big pile of sand and a big pile of pea gravel that came with the farm when we purchased it. Oh and the rebarb also was there.
I would appreciate any tips on how best to do this project with the least amount of work, and knowing that it is just for the tractor, I guess it will be about 6ft - 8ft wide.
I know we hve to put up forms on the sides and there are plenty of planks around here for that. The boards are 2 by 8's and we are not gong to fill up 8" so I'm not totally sure how to get it level becasue the side boards will be a lot taller than the finished 4" so we can't pull another board across the cement to get it level. My husband says less water makes the cement stronger but to me it is harder to work with. We did one small hill only about 4ft long to test out working with cement. Based ont hat experience I tend to want to make it more watery so that it is easier to smooth around with the trawl, but I am open to advice on that point.
Many thanks to all who take time to reply. It is going to be a few weeks until we start but I like to think it through first.