How to dig gravel out of hillside

[CADplans]

And trying to do it without mining permits can get you big fines in most states.

and, even in Podunk Botetourt County Virginia,, they shut down the couple farmers that used to dig shale,,

The farmer hauled so little, he used to bring me some occasionally on a C60 Chevy single axle dump truck,,

He charged so little, I think he was mostly doing it as a favor for neighbors,,
Very few knew how good shale was as a driveway base,,

 

[rickyb01]

Thanks for the replies. I went to a big gravel pit today and watch them dig. I think I have a pretty good game plan. Will make a bench and work my way down. Want get to high with bench.

 

[Clintock]

Thanks for the replies. I went to a big gravel pit today and watch them dig. I think I have a pretty good game plan. Will make a bench and work my way down. Want get to high with bench.

There ya go. When you get it all cut down to grade build another bench and load out more. You’ll have the hang of it in no time.

 

[DieselBound]

OP's post tells me they should not be doing this. At all.

Experienced operators are needed and would not have to ask this question.


Trying to do it from the top can send you over the edge. Trying to do it from the bottom can bury you.

That's why experienced operators don't have to carry insurance! STUFF happens. Yes, it can more readily happen with a rookie; but, lots of rookies survive and become "experienced."

Long ago I mentioned to my dad that I was going to rent an excavator (never operated one before) and he told me I'd end up spending 1/2 a day just trying to figure out how to operate it. I was productive within minutes of climbing on. My dad wasn't considering the educational power of the Internet! (he was also a bit gunshy after once operating a backhoe and bending the boom) Anyway, a basic understanding of a machine along with a good understanding of physics AND a great set of balance (being able to feel the slightest of movements/shifts) CAN get just about anything done. KEY is speed: caution often is a better mindset to have than "experience" [I approach everything like I'm going to f-up, wihch forces me to concentrate extra hard because I'm a sum-a-b tyrant of a boss to me]. I might have 75 hrs running excavators; BUT, I've done a fair amount of different tasks such that I believe that I could do just about anything with an excavator (that's a common task). And, yes, I've got one amply stuck: but I got it out; not far from me a huge excavator got stuck and then the salvage company's excavator got stuck- not sure how it all ended up, but in these two chapters of the story I'm betting that an inexperienced operator might not have done worse.

Heck, even a/my dog can operate an excavator! (she picked up on it after riding around for several hours as I cleaned up some ditches)

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[bcp]

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”

Bruce

 

[DieselBound]

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”

Bruce

Man oh man do I understand this!

I rented a Bobcat excavator and it was almost impossible to get that thing to be smooth. I like to work fast and I just couldn't get it to be in sync with me! I got used to Takeuchis, and they're awesomely smooth: better hydraulic engineering. BUT, at the end of a long day it's really easy to get a bit jerky. I managed to just tick the rear of my dump trailer as I was loading it with an excavator. Busted a hinge and bent the door. It was just an easy brushing.

Got a big lesson from the rental guy when he came out one time I had a problem. It was a nice day and he decided to do a bit of digging once the issue was resolved. I watched him go "smooth." That taught me to go slower and in rhythm, in sync with the operation of the machine. Things really don't work in parallel as we think they do: it's all about time slices, about interleaving different operations such that they blend- you're feathering.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Long ago I mentioned to my dad that I was going to rent an excavator (never operated one before) and he told me I'd end up spending 1/2 a day just trying to figure out how to operate it. I was productive within minutes of climbing on.

A little over two years ago my brother decided to upgrade the heat at his house. He wanted a geothermal heat pump. The heating contractor came and bid the job and said they needed 600 feet of trench 36 wide and 5 feet deep plus about 100 feet of feeder trench of the same dimensions. I had used a mini twice in my life and had about 90 minutes actual time on one. As a dump truck driver I had watched excavators being operated for years, so I had a little hands on and lots of theoretical operational experience. I rented a Yanmar 55 with a 42" clean out bucket for a week with an option for another. (Great deal, 1 week for $1150 delivered and picked up) The soil was easy digging, sort of a sandy silty clay, and the trenches held their shape no problem. When the guy came to retrieve the machine he saw the trenches and looked at the machine hours, less than 27. It took me 4 days of a little over 6 hours counting layout and grade checking, the bottom is nice and flat and 4'10" to 5'2" inches deep. This is a Google Earth image dated 7/25/2019.
I now have 28.5 hours experience.

 

[DieselBound]

I don't have a lot of experience digging straight lines. Mostly dug ditches that ramble. But, nice job there for sure. Takes a really steady hand to pull back and lift up in order to keep a level cut. That job provided ample work to learn how to do that!

Was a bit of time before learned how to dig off to the side of an excavator that had a rotatable boom (whatever the terminology is- the boom's base can be rotated). Have to watch out for any significant weight as that's a tippy position (but you just drop the bucket down and stabilize if need be).

Things get really frustrating when you're digging in wet clay. Just like with a shovel, you spend more time getting the material off/out than in scooping/digging!

Anyway... diggers are awesome! (but always glad to get back in the tractor and cover ground)

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Things get really frustrating when you're digging in wet clay. Just like with a shovel, you spend more time getting the material off/out than in scooping/digging!

Thanks for the compliment.
You ought to try hauling wet clay in a dump truck and pup trailer. You don't need a gym membership to burn the extra calories on those jobs.

 

[DieselBound]

Worst was mucking out a pond. I thought I'd try and reclaim (use elsewhere) what I was going to dig out. It worked for a couple of trips (on-property) a ways away and then I gave up. The weight was insane: I had water sloshing around. Poor tractor was grunting. I still loaded up the trailer, but the haul was only about 50' away.