Spreding Sand - newbie needs help!

[Argonne]

I just did my building foundation base, and here was my routine with the end loader. Dump a load of base, back drag it. Get the next load, and use it's weight in the bucket to back drag the previous section to a finished state. Do a moving (backing) dump in the next section, and go for the next load, which I again use to back drag the one I just dumped. I repeated that routine for a couple of hours and was done with a couple thousand square feet in a remarkably short time.

The biggest help, however, was having a laser receiver clamped on to the loader arm to achieve the desired level. Used in conjunction with a rotary laser, and at a "known" amount of bucket curl during backdragging, I was able to achieve a finished floor height in one round. I did splurge and spend a couple of hundred on a magnetic mount receiver to stick on my boom, but I could have used the "stick" receiver that came with my laser level without much hardship.

 

[jenkinsph]

I just did my building foundation base, and here was my routine with the end loader. Dump a load of base, back drag it. Get the next load, and use it's weight in the bucket to back drag the previous section to a finished state. Do a moving (backing) dump in the next section, and go for the next load, which I again use to back drag the one I just dumped. I repeated that routine for a couple of hours and was done with a couple thousand square feet in a remarkably short time.

The biggest help, however, was having a laser receiver clamped on to the loader arm to achieve the desired level. Used in conjunction with a rotary laser, and at a "known" amount of bucket curl during backdragging, I was able to achieve a finished floor height in one round. I did splurge and spend a couple of hundred on a magnetic mount receiver to stick on my boom, but I could have used the "stick" receiver that came with my laser level without much hardship.

That is similar to what I do except I use a laser receiver on the box blade to smooth and level most jobs.

 

[rd_macgregor]

We cheated when we put in our 135' X 250' outdoor ring a few years ago...we had a contractor do it all. The base was leveled and prepared with loaders, dump trucks and a big, vibrating dozer. The footing is something like quarter-minus or coarse sand (with the fines washed out). After it was all spread, leveled and fenced in, I bought one of these to do periodic grooming: Track & Ring Conditioner - System Fencing
Mine is th 8' wide 3-PH one (without guide wheels) and it does a really good job as long as I don't snag a fence post or rip up a jump standard.
The surface has held up to use and winter really well. Sadly, winters here can be hard on the fence and repair has become a routine spring chore for me:

 

[TheMan419]

We cheated when we put in our 135' X 250' outdoor ring a few years ago...we had a contractor do it all. The base was leveled and prepared with loaders, dump trucks and a big, vibrating dozer. The footing is something like quarter-minus or coarse sand (with the fines washed out). After it was all spread, leveled and fenced in, I bought one of these to do periodic grooming: Track & Ring Conditioner - System Fencing
Mine is th 8' wide 3-PH one (without guide wheels) and it does a really good job as long as I don't snag a fence post or rip up a jump standard.
The surface has held up to use and winter really well. Sadly, winters here can be hard on the fence and repair has become a routine spring chore for me:
View attachment 485540

I'd love to have a contractor do it all, but I do not have the $$ for that. This will be an indoor and it is 60x140. I think the back drag with the bucket is the way to go. A string will be a nice guide to make sure I am about level. The base was done by an excavating contractor. It will need a bit of smoothing once the building is built, but remains still very level.

They had the laser level going with a light on the dozer doing the finishing work. Another dozer and a skid steer with a bucket keeping the finishing dozer supplied with dirt and moving any rocks uncovered out of his way.

It was pretty neat to watch actually.