Need Dozer Grading Advice/ Help

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I'll have my shop pad up to height this weekend. I don't have a lot of experience on a dozer but I have found that I can do *decent* if I have a good, close reference for elevation. I'm having a difficult time leveling the pad, so far I have just been packing short lifts and slowly bringing the low side up while keeping it somewhat flat-ish. But I have not been taking the time to really level it up. I'm still at least 30-40 yards from having the elevation where I want it. I've been lining 1 side with loads and pushing it across to the other side in a wedge with the higher side getting less than the low side, packing and then measuring grade with the laser.

Challenges:
It's hard to keep the first dozer length level. I have been starting by dumping the loads on the pad right on the edge in a line. Then pushing with the dozer from off the pad, crawling onto the pad while building height under the load and continuing to build the pad under me all the way across. So first off is a wavy start.

It's a lot easier to push the fluffy material. It's heavy clay/ shale, so once I track it a couple times it packs hard. Cutting the hard material is nowhere near as smooth, the blade requires a little down pressure to start the cut, then the blade pulls itself down creating a divot and a little hill. Tracking over the hill causes another one and now there are whoops. Although I'm getting a lot better at keeping those to a minimum now, they are not gone completely.

Elevation. I don't know how to give myself a visual reference to guide the blade by. I can do a really good job following ground contour when it's close. So I know I could follow something like a string line, but I don't know how to set something like that up close enough to be helpful without moving it with dirt. I need to be very flat and level. Right now I have just been walking around with a grade rod to find the high and low spots. Without a reference I don't think I will ever be able to get it flat and level.

I can back drag the loose material but there doesn't tend to be much loose by the time I get the piles all pushed out. Then I have to back over the loose stuff while back dragging and that packs it so there's even less.

I don't think my little 1025R and 4' box blade would be very helpful in the endeavor either.

 

[alwaysworking]

do you have a rotary laser level? If so, I use a LR-50 spectra blade mounted receiver. incredible how simple it is for a novice to level ground with sub 1/2 inch accuracy. simple to set up and easy to operate. It was a total game changer for me (i use simple RV bubble levels on both sides of the blade to ensure the cutting edge is level while adding lifts). I have used it on my dozer, pull land plane and even on the backhoe stick to get flat trench bottoms. You will laugh at all the time you wasted placing elevation pins on the pad and jockeying around with a linker rod seeing where you need add or subtract material.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

When I get close to the final elevation I use a topping of 5/8" minus as it is more flowable and easier to level. I just make sure my starting point is level, then go to pushing the 5/8" minus closer to finish level.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

do you have a rotary laser level? If so, I use a LR-50 spectra blade mounted receiver. incredible how simple it is for a novice to level ground with sub 1/2 inch accuracy. simple to set up and easy to operate. It was a total game changer for me (i use simple RV bubble levels on both sides of the blade to ensure the cutting edge is level while adding lifts). I have used it on my dozer, pull land plane and even on the backhoe stick to get flat trench bottoms. You will laugh at all the time you wasted placing elevation pins on the pad and jockeying around with a linker rod seeing where you need add or subtract material.

I looked up the laser reciever. If i were doing lots of pads i might consider it but not for just this 1 job. It's pretty expensive. The RV level is a good idea i may try to find one if i get too frustrated.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

When I get close to the final elevation I use a topping of 5/8" minus as it is more flowable and easier to level. I just make sure my starting point is level, then go to pushing the 5/8" minus closer to finish level.

Not a bad idea. I may have to do that if i can't get it close enough.

 

[4570Man]

Do you have a laser transit? Having a helper on the ground continuously checking your work as you doze is about the lowest tech way to get done in a feasible time. A laser receiver on the blade would be nice but I don’t have one either. It’s also easier to spread a small diameter gravel to grade once you get to the last couple inches.