Spreading gravel.

[MarkV]

I agree with VWBill 100%. My experience with wash board or pot holed roads has been that you have to break the surface up to the lowest level (pot hole bottoms) and shape the road before you dump new gravel. If you don’t, the new gravel---which is unpacked--- will just be pushed out of the low spots with normal vehicle traffic.

Paul, as others said, gravel terms seem to be very regional. In our area “57” is a mix of stone ½ inch to 1 ½ without any stone dust mixed in. Some people prefer it because it is less dusty in the dry season and doesn’t track as much dirt into the house when wet. I use it in my parking area for that reason. The down side is that it never really locks together like crusher run so on a grade you have less traction and it tends to work itself down hill.

MarkV

 

[JJT]

Paul,

Yes, 30 tons, (2 ten wheel dump loads at ~12 yards/load), is all I add every few years, (I figured 30 yards is 1 inch over the length and width of my drive). I don't let the drive deteriorate to the point of having ruts or potholes. I also have a good base and a decent layer of crusher run to work with. I also don't maintain a 3 inch crown, 1 - 1.5 inches is fine.

I think your plan is basically sound, if you don't have a top layer of crusher run, add at least 3 inches. If you do have a layer of crusher run to work with, flatten the drive and add some new stone to top dress/crown the drive.

Last time I bought stone, #2 was more expensive/ton than crusher run, but not significantly more. I pay trucking by the hour not by the ton.

 

[skent]

I maintain a 2000' stone drive that has every thing, thru the woods, up hills, down hills, below grade and above grade and across fields. Four loads spread every 3 years usually keeps it in good shape. I do the typical box blade scrape on the hills after downpours and fill potholes like you. But there had been one hole in the woods that just wouldn't fill. Always formed a perfect circle about 2' in diameter, always in the spring or after a soaking rain. I dumped bricks, large field rocks, crush, sand over the last 20 years and it would always come back. Then, four years ago I picked up 8 bags of black-top cold pack and filled it in with that. tamped it down and it has not come back since.

 

[Johndeere3720]

what i do is dump the bucket all the way out and drag back the gravel. If you get a pile up of gravel at the end on the spreading area, use the grader blade and put it at an angle to the left of right backwards. loose gravel slides under the blade leaving a nice finish.

 

[RedHawkRidge]

Here in western wis, if you order a load of gravel, you get a mix of small rock, sand, and clay. It packs down well, holds well.
If you want rocks only, you have to specify "clean gravel", but the quarry warns you that this tends to shift and slide around, and never packs to a firm surface.
Um, let me modify that "holds well" comment. If the gravel is on a slope and water (from rain or melting snow) has to drain off it, this mix is a pain. The clay component washes out, then the sand washes out, then the rock washes out. And you have a project to repair ruts, gulleys, etc. And you never return the gravel to original condition.

Also, if you get a load of this gravel mix, it's hard to work or move without separating the rock from the mix, such as when I use a hand rake or landscape rake behind my tractor to spread it. Only the rock tends to be moved.
jim

 

[AchingBack]

what i do is dump the bucket all the way out and drag back the gravel. If you get a pile up of gravel at the end on the spreading area, use the grader blade and put it at an angle to the left of right backwards. loose gravel slides under the blade leaving a nice finish.

Dragging your bucket in the full dump position, will eventually bend or break one of your cylinders. The correct way it to have the bucket tilted forward no more than 15 degrees.

 

[LBrown59]

what i do is dump the bucket all the way out and drag back the gravel. If you get a pile up of gravel at the end on the spreading area, use the grader blade and put it at an angle to the left of right backwards. loose gravel slides under the blade leaving a nice finish.

Dragging your bucket in the full dump position, will eventually bend or break one of your cylinders.
The correct way is to have the bucket tilted forward no more than 15 degrees.

He didn't say anything about the bucket he was referring to the Back Blade,
Read his post above again.

 

[AchingBack]

Originally Posted by Johndeere3720 View Post
what i do is dump the bucket all the way out and drag back the gravel.

 

[/pine]

Ditto the tailgate spread...a good driver should be albe to leave just a little bit of clean-up at the start and stop points of the dump...he should be able to dump it to a specified depth and start and stop the spread where you want it...

I have maintained a 3/8 mile mountain gravel road for nearly 40 years without a tractor (I am shopping for one now though)...I have had many loads of gravel (mostly crusher run) spread and never had more than a little raking and shoveling clean up...

I always had them dump me a pile for pot holes (and mixing concrete)... etc... it sure will be nice nit having to use a pick-matic and a wheelborrow any more...(once I have a tractor...!)

 

[tree farmer]

About 300' of my 1400' driveway here on the wet Oregon coast is in excess of 10% grade. 18 years ago I built it with an 8" layer of 4" crushed base with a 3" layer of 3/4" minus on top. I have 2 rock quarries less than 1 mile from my house, so hauling was cheap. 12 years ago I had a chance to get a good deal on some excess 1/4" minus from one of the quarries, so I bought about 200 yards of it(16 loads). Didn't look much different than a pile of dirt when they delivered it. Each year I dump a few bucket loads along the way and spread it with my 6' rear blade. The secret is don't overblade anything with fines in it, and only spread it when the material is damp. That way the fine materials stay mixed with the coarser ones and everything packs in well. I also rocked it to 20' wide, so there is no rutting. Entire road, including the grades look like asphalt now. No tire spinning problem at all. Do it right the first time and ya don't have to fight it......Dan.