Culvert Project

[Harv]

Glenn -

Our timing on the culvert project was incredible from start to finish. Apparently we were wrapping up our projects on the very same day (I thought I felt the vibes).

I think your theory on the boxblade is still sound. It does best on my property where the rocks are the fewest. It also handles up to fist-sized rocks okay, but it tends to just climb over football-sized boulders. More weight would help, I'm sure, and I haven't used the scarifiers enough to offer an opinion on that issue. I'm sure I will have more comments when I get more experience.

The property is at about 2,000 feet above sea level. Of course, our sea is the Pacific Ocean, which is at a different level than yours. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

BTW - I did not boxblade the ditch with the rocks. The lay of the land was such that I couldn't get good position on it, at least with my novice skills. I was also trying to learn more about FEL usage and I did make some progress there.

I will probably add more soil to top off my culvert bridges, but they're basically finished (the inevitable photos will be posted soon). I will then concentrate on grooming my newly forged roads that traverse all the culverts. By trial and error I already had some success leveling out some side-slope problems areas. Once level, I will use the ol' boxblade in earnest, both with and without the rippers engaged.

I enjoyed working the culverts together with you. Hope we team up on another project soon. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Harv]

As I just indicated to Glenn, my third and final culvert is pretty much finished. For those of you who have had quite enough culvert pictures, I've attached the short version of this last culvert. If there's anyone out there who just can't get enough of this, I've added another chapter to my online scrapbook.

 

[Rowski]

Harv,

Are you going to leave the rebar sticking out?

Derek

 

[Harv]

Derek -

<font color=blue>Are you going to leave the rebar sticking out?</font color=blue>

Nope. That was just for the photo shoot -- they're all pounded in flush to the top bag, now.

 

[chuckp]

Harv:
Great Looking culverts. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif A lot of Tractor Seat time as well and tamping tool time, bag filling time, and just plain enjoyment time. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif I congratulate you on such a fine piece of work. By the way, who built that nice "T Post" Barbed wire fence in the back ground? /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Chuck

 

[Harv]

Chuck -

<font color=blue>By the way, who built that nice "T Post" Barbed wire fence in the back ground?</font color=blue>

I have no idea. Although my folks bought the property about 25 years ago, I was so busy with my own life that I didn't get to spend much time there when things were being built. Dad passed away some 12 years ago and Mom has pretty much lost her memory, so a lot of information is gone forever.

I notice I do have a lot of fencing to do pretty soon. Several hundred yards are down and need total replacement. Hope I can use the tractor in some way to make it easier. Some parts are simply not accessible by tractor unless I want to be on the public road side. The blind curves and the IQ of some of the drivers I have seen out there make that a very unattractive possibility.

 

[chuckp]

I have built many a mile of "T Post" fence in my life and it is a lot of hard work. The "T Posts" are driven with a manual driver that you can get at Tractor Supply. The Corner Pull Posts and Line Tensioning posts are usually some hardwood tree cut by yourself or you can purchase 4" X 6" Posts which you bury in none other than, "Redi Mix". /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Chuck

 

[Bird]

Chuck, I've done just a little of that fence building myself, and I don't like those t-post drivers you mentioned; too much like work. Of course, that's what I had to use. I've seen a few t-posts sunk just with the weight of a front end loader bucket if you have a big enough tractor and soft enough ground, which I don't. And then I checked into the 3-point post drivers. That sure looks good, for about the price of a good backhoe, so that eliminated that option./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

 

[Von]

Bird,
I live on a private drive that is about 1/2 mile long. Every fall we put up about 1/4 mile of snow fence, and I used the front loader of my old Oliver 550 to pound them in. Since selling the Oliver and getting the Kubota I put the 450lb. 3pt. counter weight in the bucket of the FEL and that gives enough weight to drive the T stakes in. We do use the hand driver for the hard ones but mostly use the tractor.

Von

 

[scruffy]

Well guys, I've built a lot of t-post fences, and use my trusty home built driver. IT does a great job! Its just the operator I have problems with....hard to get him interested in pounding that ol' thing up and down. If I ever make another one, it WILL be lighter!