build your own dirt conveyor?

[CurlyDave]

1. If you fill out your profile we can see where you are, which might influence the best advice.

2. I know building a conveyor will be fun, but the easiest and least costly way to do this is by using day laborers. For $10-11 per hour you can get a guy who can push a wheelbarrow all day long with very few breaks. Two of them will get your basement done. 3 or 4 if you want to go faster.

In most parts of the country the least expensive way to dig a swimming pool is with day labor. A lot of people don't want to believe this and insist on a mechanical excavator.

I know it can be done, but the potential for an accident using power equipment under an existing house is higher than I would like, and you are going to have ventilation issues. A few guys with hand tools and maybe an electric jackhammer with a clay spade to break up hard dirt don't require anything more than a big box fan blowing outside air in.

 

[NearBeer]

Found the blog:

Digging It Out

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I haven't built one, but take a look at a hay bale conveyor or better yet buy one and modify it to suit your needs.

What part of the country are you in?

A good bale/corn conveyer will do what you want perfectly. We did this exact thing about 10 years ago. Lowered it down under the house as we had to dig out a wall in there and rebuild it. All the dirt and rock went up the conveyer and into the back of the dump truck. You don't need a brand new unit, just something that is able to work decently regardless of looks as this chore isn't going to make it look any better when done.

If you have a local rental yard they may have a conveyor for stone and such also you could rent. I know the large rental yards here have them.

 

[sandman2234]

Conveyer from a paper mill would be good, if you can find some, but won't have enough ridges to carry much. Bolt on some angle iron to the flat belt and it will carry a lot more.
David from jax

 

[simplicityguy92]

go to a local saw mill and see if u can get the oldcover belts when the change out and repair them to fit you

 

[Taylortractornut]

I built some for side conveyors for county trucks one time. A friend was building them and needed some help for his dead line he bent the hoppers fore me but some were made from 3 inch cnannels that hads plain conveyor rollers like boxes slide on. I welded 4 sections of flat iron on each end to make my slide ways for my tracking adjustment and put a hydraulic motor on the end. I built six of them. The conveyor was about 10 bucks a foot, but it hadcleats formed into it like a grouser bar on a dozer track. It was about 18 inches wide. They are still in use building shoulders. We made one to move dirt out of a backyard for a pool. It was 2 sets 20 feet long and had to fit through a 24 inch hole in a fence. I loaded a truck 20 to 40 feet away from the excavation. Lots of companies are using them now for several projects.

 

[Scooby074]

Found the blog:

Digging It Out

That is one classy "man cave".

 

[garnet]

That is one classy "man cave".

Hi, Building a conveyer is not your biggest problem, ventilation is. The Skid steer will produce exhaust to fill 500 cubic feet per minute that is a standard set by our mining health and safety regulators. You will need ventilation we used furnace fans 16inch at 850 rpm. I live in Canada, I have excavated under 2 homes and 1, 9000 square foot hotel as for your house I recommend 1 fan blowing in and 2 fans for exhaust, estimated time to do actual digging with a 100 yard run depending on size or your Skid steer is 6 to 8 hours. A track machine would be my preference: no bouncing. Remember, you have ceiling! Good luck!

 

[GE222]

Many years ago, 20+ at least, I was using conveyors with a small rubber belt with rubber flights, and a sheet metal frame. They were around 15' long and could be manhandled with two people. They were powered with a 1-2hp belt driven motor.

They were used. I don't recall what we paid for them, but I think the cost was pretty low.

They were probably never designed for dirt, but I think with some discretion on loading, and the fact that they are to be used for one project, might be a good solution.

I would also use units less than 20' for ease of manhandling. Two would work great for your application. This way they could be moved as the work progresses under the house.

 

[JimMorrissey]

In most parts of the country the least expensive way to dig a swimming pool is with day labor. A lot of people don't want to believe this and insist on a mechanical excavator.

I thought this was funny. I can guarantee you I can dig a swimming pool size hole with a rented excavator and then move the piles in a quarter the time some dudes with wheelbarrows can. What about rocks and clay and wet clay and ledge. Must have some cheap azz labor where you come from. -I know it's an old post... comical.