Desperately need to fix driveway

[/pine]

"A decent crown" with a box blade...... is mostly fantasy!

LoL...There is a Gary Larson cartoon that shows some birds making some things...the caption reads "Non singing canaries have to take wood shop"...

Those that don't have the patience to master the learning curve of a BB are doomed to failure...

Actually creating a crown on a gravel lane with a box blade is one of the simpler things that a BB can do...

 

[fried1765]

LoL...There is a Gary Larson cartoon that shows some birds making some things...the caption reads "Non singing canaries have to take wood shop"...

Those that don't have the patience to master the learning curve of a BB are doomed to failure...

Actually creating a crown on a gravel lane with a box blade is one of the simpler things that a BB can do...

A box blade cannot be angled, and thus cannot bring the migrated edge material to the center to help form a meaningful crown.
Box blades are not used to form the finished grade for new roadways.
A road grader is used......and an angled rear blade is simply a poor man's road grader.

 

[ttener]

Here’s a couple YouTube’s that are offer excellent instructions on box blade use in general and one that explains angling. (None of them are mine. I don’t utube.)

 

[fried1765]

Here’s a couple YouTube’s that are offer excellent instructions on box blade use in general and one that explains angling. (None of them are mine. I don’t utube.)

Nothing in either of those videos explains how to angle a box blade, because box blades are not normally built to be angled!
Box blades can be tilted, but not angled.

 

[deezler]

Exactly, and if you tilt a box blade to the side, they carve a ditch on the road edge, and pull material until it falls out towards the center of the road lane. Repeat on each side, and you have.... a crown. Magical.

Not my favorite way to do it either, but maybe give it a rest now lol.

 

[Egon]

Given time the Horse does become thirsty

 

[TractorGuy]

If I could only get one attachment to deal with that it would be a grader blade. The biggest one my tractor could pull. Ideally you want it to be as wide as the tractor with it set at 30 degrees or so.

 

[CoyPatton]

Thank you Bukit. I'll see if I can convince my husband on the top and tilt. Is it expensive and/or difficult to install if you're handy?

If you have rear remotes already on your tractor it is a breeze to install and consist of a few fittings 4 hoses and a hydraulic top link and a hydraulic tilt linkage.
With out remotes, they will have to be installed as well as control valves and hydraulic supply to the remotes.

 

[dirttoys]

Good stuff here, build a road above grade, pack it well, and mess with it as little as possible.

If I was constrained to a single implement it would be a harley/power rack, but unless you have something else to do with it, it sure is expensive. Next would be a simple scrapper, if it was capable of offset for ditching so much the better. I have seen guys make magic from nothing, and it is amazing Crowing with a box blade is not magic, but for me it is close, worked them for years, and just don't have the eye to tweak them. Not that it cant be done.

I can do darn near anything with a mini x, and I have seen guys finish grade with a medium dozer better than I could with a skid, but, that doesn't mean either are the correct tool. I still love a land plane for after build maintenance.

Best,

ed

 

[MossyDell]

I maintained a looong, uphill gravel driveway for 10 years in SE Ohio with a box blade. I didn't worry about forming a crown. Car tires took care of that. Part of my goal was always to take out the crown cars made. Now I learn here I was doing it all wrong. Probably was. Sure loved my heavy 5' Bush Hog brand box blade though. Got pretty good at using it the wrong way.

I have noticed here in VA that our county's road crews don't seem to form any crown on gravel roads with their big new graders. They do try for ditches on either side. I walk one of these roads all the time and talk to one resident who's always angry that the potholes are never ripped up and fixed right. So they tend to come right back. What amazes me is the county folk seem to hit the road on schedule, about every 6 weeks. To me, it stays pretty nice, and since they work it so often the potholes are small and shallow at least.