Culvert Project

[Harv]

Hmmmmmm. Took a shot at what discussion group this one belongs in. If you're taking polls, Muhammad, how 'bout one for "Tractor Projects" or "Tractor Usage" -- you know, a proper place to chat about the things we actually do with our tractors?

I know there are previous threads dealing with culverts, and I have been reading them avidly, but I was hoping you experienced guys could walk me through the 3 culverts I have planned. Since I'm obsessed with posting pictures, it seems like an opportunity for y'all to tell me what I'm doing wrong (or right, if that ever happens. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

Well, this project was off to a bad start, as you may already know. I got back from my 'panic' trip to the property last night (Tuesday) after doing what I could to fend off any damage from this unexpected rain storm that just passed through. The pipe still hasn't arrived -- apparently it is now sitting in the dealer's yard, but I'm at the bottom of their delivery list even though it is over 2 weeks overdue. Grumble. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

All I was able to do, therefore, was to throw a tarp over my pile of crushed limestone (backfill) and hope it's still workable when the pipe does get delivered.

I also needed to open up a water channel that had completely filled itself in. This being only the third time in the seat of my 2500, it was all learning curve. Taking the advice from previous posts I first scraped out a "V" groove by tilting the box blade as far as I could and dragging the lower 3 rippers through the area where I wanted the channel to be. At first I thought my box was too wimpy to do the job, but a few repetitions laters and I could start to appreciate the results.

After loosening the soil (and considerable rocks) in that manner, I then attacked from the side with the loader bucket to create at least the semblance of a ditch. Lots of that learning curve here I can tell you. Muhammad -- I didn't understand all that hooplah about the spinner, but after this little project I'm definitely putting it on my shopping list. The resulting ditch (and I use the word flatteringly) was quite shallow -- about a foot -- but that's about where the natural bottom of the channel should be. Any deeper and it would be below the high-water mark of the pond itself.

This is actually the site of the first 12-inch culvert pipe I'm going to put in. The channel is quite shallow, but the area is in a natural depression (funny how water finds those) so I'm hoping I can build up the tractor path to achieve that magical 12 inches of topfill above the pipe without creating a mountain for the tractor to climb over.

Shortly after that last picture was taken, the sky let loose with a truly impressive downpour. I kept at it in the rain until the loose soil I had created started turning to mud. There wasn't much danger of burying the tractor, but I didn't like the way it started slipping and sliding in close proximity to the trees. I also started wondering just how good a lightning rod me and my Kubota would make. I finished what I could by hand, soaked to the bone, and then packed it up for the night. Next day was too soggy for digging, so I spent the day tinkering with my new tilt meters and such. More on that in another post.

The culvert pipe should be arriving Thursday, so I'll be heading back up first thing Friday morning.

Is this too much detail and/or verbage for this kind of post? I feel pretty lost and alone on this project, so I'm trying to use the magic of the internet and digital photography to draw some of you into being back-seat drivers for me. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Harv. I really like reading your posts with all of the nice photos. I assume you are the tractor operator. So who does the photography for you??

 

[huckflynn]

Too much detail? Not a chance. I don't know enough about tractors to tell you if you're making great use of your tractor -- but I know enough about computers and the internet to know you are making great use of that technology.

I can also relate to "I feel pretty lost and alone on this project." I'm used to being the know-it-all with computer neophytes -- but tractors and projects in the dirt -- it's a brave old world.

Huck

 

[bpence]

Seeing the pictures of you and your new tractor and listening to the tales of your adventures, it looks and sounds to me like you're having just about the right amount of fun with your new partner.

Bob Pence

 

[Bird]

Harv, it sounds to me like you're going about it right. That kind of work can be slow and frustrating at times, but you will gain a little speed with practice and experience (but not enough to suit me at times)./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I kind of wonder why your box blade is yellow and mine is maroon. Maybe they are different models or weights or something, but other than the color, they look the same.

Bird

 

[Harv]

BUSTED!!! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Jack in IL -

I was wondering when/if anyone would ask about who was taking the pictures. The embarassing truth is that it's me, both in front of and behind the camera.

I looked at other picture posts and tried it both ways myself, and I decided I liked the "action" shots better when there was a driver in the tractor seat. (See the attachment for an unmanned picture.) So now I keep my camera on a tripod near my work site and make use of the self-timer feature.

Vain? I hope it doesn't come across that way /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif. Just taking a little dramatic license in the name of fine entertainment on this board. If you really want amusement, I should set up another tripod with my video camera so you could see the mad scramble I make to get back on the tractor before the timer takes the picture. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[roysallis]

Harv, It looks like you are taking the right approach and the job is going well. It would be nice if all of us had a digital camera and could post pictures of our tractors, equipment, and work. I've also noticed that water seems to find depressions and it doesn't find one it makes one.

 

[scruffy]

Harv, your post looked good to me! A few observations though, paint your box ORANGE, and stencil HARV on the ends instead of HOWSE, It looks like you've got the 'howze' figured out. One other thing, be carefull you don't run over that tripod and camera in your juggling the tractor around!

 

[geneP]

Harv, looks to me like you have it figured out... good pictures.

Did you find a Kubota toolbox, or paint one orange?

 

[Harv]

Thanks to all for tolerating my verbose post at the top of this thread. I warn you, though -- now I'm encouraged. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird -
My box blade came with no manual, so I don't know much about it beyond what I've learned by using it. I haven't procured any of the <font color=orange>right paint</font color=orange> yet, but I think a paint job is definitely in order.

Scruffy -
Replacing "HOWSE" with "HARV" has a certain poetic ring to it. You shouldn't make humorous suggestions to me 'cuz I'm just liable to do it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

GeneP -
The orange toolbox was a $10 Home Depot special. It's plastic and way too flimsy for long-term use, but I wanted to try out the idea and so far I like it. Makes a dandy arm rest, and having a selection of tools at hand when out in the field is working out great. I will probably replace it with a sturdier metal toolbox as soon as I get some orange paint.

The culvert project continues tomorrow, so for better or for worse, I should have an update next week. (Next week!!!? Ye gods!!! I'll never catch up with the postings!)

 

[Bird]

Harv, I've never seen a manual with any box blade. I guess they figure, since there's no moving part, service, or maintenance schedule that you're just supposed to know how to use it, will learn from trial and error, or something.

Bird

 

[gordon]

Harv you got the best boxblade manual in the world----Tractorbynet!!!!!!
As Bird said trial and error---practice practice practice and then you will get the hang of her.

Gordon

 

[Corm]

Harv, I think your notes and pictures are great. Through them, all of us are living your learning adventure with you!

 

[ddl]

Harv
Nice pictures, but you said in an earlier post that your ground was rocky. From your pictures, I did not see a rock. I also notice the FEL, It is the best piece of equipmenta piece can attach to a tractor, but MHO.
Dan L

 

[Harv]

Dan -

Yeah, I think we've established that "rocky" is a relative term, and in the grand scheme of things my property would not be considered rocky to some. Let me clarify one more time, anyway.

- First of all, I was referring to my property as a whole, not just the part in the pictures. The soil you see me preparing for the first culvert is in a natural "wash" area which is mostly packed silt and sediment from years of water flow. Not representative of the other 40 acres.

- Also, although they don't show up well in the pictures 'cuz they're coated with dirt, that soil does contain a fair number of softball to football-sized rocks, to put it in the sports fan vernacular.

- From past experience I know that I am lucky to sink a 3-foot deep posthole exactly where I want it. All too frequently I run into a boulder too large to dig out, so I have to try elsewhere.

- There are portions of the property where granite dominates and soil is scarce. Maybe I'll shoot some more pictures to give a better overview (any excuse to take more pictures. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif).

Not trying to be defensive here -- just like to be clear.

 

[Harv]

Well, I'm all packed and out the door (making it difficult to reach this keyboard) on my way to the "Culvert Project".

Got word last night that the culvert pipe has finally arrived at the property, the weather is clear and the creeks have pretty much dried out from that last storm. It would seem my recent panic attack was unfounded -- or at least premature. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

In a few days I should have updates (with the usual smattering of pictures) of either serious progress or classic boo-boos, or maybe both. I will attempt to give either one equal photo coverage.

Thanks again to all of you who have either directly or inadvertantly given me some terrific pointers and/or ideas on how to get this job done. Some of you old hacks are probably chuckling about the fuss I've already made over what would probably be an afternoon project for you.

But then, what is a tractor for, if not to make mountains out of molehills? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[gerard]

Harv, Don't worry about the wordiness as long as you're posting pictures, remember the "worth a thousand words" saying!! One thing you might want to keep an eye out for is a one bottom plow. For digging that kind of trench I think it would be ideal, you could just drive the trench a few times which would loosen the soil, then remove it with the FEL. You should be able to get a used one under $100. Just a thought......

 

[Billc]

Harv,

The pictures are top notch. Don't know how you get the pictures to the web, but it's a great idea!

Wish some of the other fellas who have done some major tweaking of their tractors would post some pictures. Best was to get ideas.

Speaking of major tweaking, saw a commerical the other day that reminded me of Mark's "project". It was a tire commerical that featured Arnold Palmer. His auto was being lifted into the air at a garage. As the lift was trying to separate the truck's tires from the ground the building starts shaking. Then there is a large cloud of dust. Next you see Arnie's truck in the air and small sections of concrete floor stuck to the truck's tires. My guess is this is about similar to the way Mark's tries stick to dirt!

 

[Harv]

Okay -- 2-1/2 days of honest work and I'm ready to sleep for a week. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Considering I don't know what I'm doing, the project seems to be coming right along. The one strategic error I may have made was in using 10-foot pipes. I figured, it's a 5-foot wide tractor so 10 feet is plenty. Then, when it was too late, I read that the backfill should be sloped inward from the bottom so that the top of the fill is about 2-1/2 feet in from the ends of the pipe. Let's see -- 10 feet minus 2.5 times 2 = ... 5 feet!!!/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif YIKES!!!

I decided to modify that plan by shoring up both ends with sandbags to act as a retaining wall. In fact, I filled the bags not with sand, but with ready-mix concrete. When the rains come they should turn quite solid in a matter of hours. No steel, of course, but better than nothing?

Anyway, I had a great time toting pipes and working a pile of crushed limestone. The not-so-fun parts were filling the sandbags by myself (so I made kind of a funnel/chute jig) and tamping down the layers of backfill. From what I've read, the proper way to support metal pipe is to spread thin layers (couple of inches) of a good compactable fill material, like crushed limestone, on both sides of the pipe and thoroughly compact it by heavy tamping. I used a 20-lb steel cylinder with a piece of pipe stuck in the middle of it. Something my dad apparently used to crush beer cans for recycling.

The best part came when the pipe was covered enough that I could use the tractor to do the compacting. I pushed the flat of the bucket down on the surface hard enough to lift the front wheels, and then slowly backed over the layer of fill. My wife saw me ham it up for the camera on this one and dared me to post it on this board. So much for my self-respect.

Once covered with fill, I added a layer of topsoil to help build up the coverage. 12 inches is the recommended cover depth but I currently only have about 8. It seems to be supporting the tractor just fine, but I intend to come back and build it up some more once the other culverts are also in place. In the meantime, I have a usable creek-crossing. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

If you have lots of time or a fast connection, there are more pictures in my scrapbook.

 

[scruffy]

Harv, Looks like you had a nice weekend! Congratulations on one down, two to go! Nice job Harv.
Being lazy, I would've bought the bags of premix, hauled them over in the bucket and stacked them...paper and all, but that's me. I don't like lifting, bending or stooping more than necessary.
Now if my tractor just had all the new stuff yours has, oh well, my oldie does just fine, it will last for a lot of years yet. Probably longer than me.