RDrancher's Photo Thread

[RDrancher]

We do a bit of sidewalk r/r in Champaign/Urbana Il. They require roots be sawed on each side of the new walk . Supposedly , the key word , they won't come back . We rented a Vermeer walk behind . Run it down each side of existing walk , remove walk and roots as you grade for new walk . This unit runs on the walk with cutter wheel offset to the right . They may make one for a skidsteer . RD would know more about this .

I thought about that, but since Jim is on the other end of the world and mentioned that the trees may die, I didn't want to go there. I've never heard of the trees he has next to the drive and don't know what kind of abuse they'll take. About 20-years or so ago, a certain concrete company was talked about on the Rick Dees radio show for WAY too long (for my liking anyway.) Seems the contractor had killed his very expensive imported tree. I seem to remember cutting those roots myself with a sawzall when we set concrete forms. OOPS!

For an interesting read on oak tree wilt root control, check out Yellowdog's thread on the heavy equipment forum on lawnsite. He had a long-arm trencher specially built to use (mainly) on his property.

 

[RDrancher]

A few more photos from the campground.

Funny...this campground is run by one ranger and volunteers. All of them were still there, they were directed not to open.


Harley raking the organic and grading for the access roads, campsites and living areas.



Laying the roadbase and gravel topping with my boy keeping dad in check.

 

[RDrancher]

More campground photos.

Installation of the decomposed granite topping for the living areas and vibratory compaction.


Some of the local wildlife.

 

[Jim Shooz]

I thought about that, but since Jim is on the other end of the world and mentioned that the trees may die, I didn't want to go there. I've never heard of the trees he has next to the drive and don't know what kind of abuse they'll take..

Well there is no accounting for people. Neighbour decides he will risk the decay on the tree roots damaging the sealed drive so decides they all gotta come out. So I started cutting and carting the trees away and the neighbour on the other side of the boundary decides that he wants the trees there so as fast as I'm cutting them out he's planting new trees. It will be about 20 years before those trees could cause problems with the drive and I will be in my mid-90s so I don't think Ill be worrying. My objective is (1) cut down the trees, (2)the neighbour will seal the drive; (3) I will at the same time seal my yard and (4) I will get trees that I can sell or give away as firewood.

The Casuarina or she-oak is used extensively for shelterbelts for the Kiwifruit. They are planted in rows at about 2m intervals and each year are trimmed to within an inch of their life, on two sides.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Missed the photos

 

[RDrancher]

Here are a few photos from a job I just completed. It took three days (over two weeks) to complete with the rain we've been having. The builder had spread a few loads of recycled concrete full of rebar, rebar chairs and plastic directly over the grass, mud / dirt prior to building this customer's motor home and trailer pull-through shop / man-cave. The septic guys made a real mess of the place too.


I had to build up the motor home exit adjacent to the worst possible drainage spot on the property. The customer requested that I use the excavated septic tank dirt (muck) instead of importing decent fill. Sometimes things gotta get ugly before they get beautiful!


After getting the 50 or so yards of muck "kinda" graded and rolled in, I installed a culvert and created a drainage swale to take care of runoff. I then re-graded the gravel areas, mixed the dirt and gravel together and spread it over the new road areas.


Replacing the water pump on my TC35D in the middle of road base deliveries. Is there any other way? If I wouldn't have been wearing earplugs, I probably wouldn't have caught the out-of-normal sound over the noise of the engine. Funny how earplugs cancel out the big noises and let you hear the little stuff. With earplugs in, I can even hear the sound of the blade touching the gravel.


I spread in about 160 tons of my special blend 3/4" road base. Since there was no way to get all of the old recycled concrete out of the grass, I couldn't get the nice edges I like. Of course, that irritates the heck outta me... :laughing:

 

[dave1949]

RD, you do good work in the face of adversity. :laughing:

 

[RDrancher]

Thanks! The show must go on!

 

[RDrancher]

Started work on a new house property this week. It rained last night and it's raining today, so completion of my work is a little ways off.


Got the culvert set, organic graded off and the main driveway crowned.


Started the landscape grading and then spread 8 loads of base for the main driveway in less than 3 1/2 hours. Not too bad for a little 35 horse tractor, if I do say so myself. It was too dark when I left to get photos.

 

[two_bit_score]

Like that portico on the front there!

 

[murphy1244]

Yeppers, Nice House.

 

[Larro Darro]

That would be nice for bringing in the groceries when it was pouring down rain.

Larro

 

[RDrancher]

Like that portico on the front there!

Yes, it's pretty cool. Nice stamped and stained concrete too!

 

[RDrancher]

Those of you following this thread may recall the hillside driveway I started awhile back. When the owner's funds would allow, I got back there to cut some hill with the KX 121. The owner has been doing his own clearing, but left me a few surprise stumps along the way. The top section (starting at the turn) was mostly softball to coffee table size rock. I pulled the material up from there and stockpiled it with the mini ex. The next day I returned with the SVL75 to finish out the road and grade out pads with the stockpiled material for a trailer and storage building. After they're on location, the owner will build a retaining wall to try to keep the up-slope trees and bank in place.



I uncovered a copperhead den up towards the top. I saw five, took pics of two, and trampled who knows how many. Good riddance!



I couldn't help but snap this pic of a beautiful sunset on the way home from the job.

 

[EddieWalker]

I really like how nice your work is!!!! I'm curious why you kept those trees right at the edge of the road? My experience is that they will either die in two years, lean, or just be in the way. I like to have lots of air on the side of a road.

Eddie

 

[RDrancher]

Thank you Eddie! I didn't want to leave the trees that close to the road, but in the end it was the owner's decision. He wanted to leave all of the trees he could and deal with what dies, or becomes a problem later on. Case in point...I don't think he'll be able to get his trailer around the curve with the crooked tree there, but he wanted to give it a shot first.

 

[jinman]

Yep John, postoaks will struggle for a few years and then just collapse. I can't tell you how many I've had in my yard that just died from the lawn being watered or minor scratching of the dirt around their bases. I have very shallow topsoil over a caliche shelf. The trees just don't want anything to change. That "Y" postoak is a great tree for looks, but I'd bet in 5 years it will be in stress or dead even if your client can get around it. Just driving that close to the tree will probably kill it. In the end, you have to make the client happy. If it dies, he'll know you warned him. If it lives, you'll be a hero for saving it. I think that's a win-win.

 

[LJH]

...I don't think he'll be able to get his trailer around the curve with the crooked tree there ...

Aw, sure he can, so long as gets a good, fast run at 'er.

 

[RDrancher]

Just a few updates...The crooked tree is gone. Way too much elevation change on that corner for a decent driveway. I'll post more pics of the job when I complete the gravel work.

The year ended well. Here's a little crushed granite install for my local stone yard buddy's customer. The existing driveway was in great shape, so only a couple areas had to be repaired before spreading the topping.

 

[RDrancher]

The new year didn't start out quite as smoothly as the last year ended.


After spending the majority of the day creating a drainage swale and working on a new driveway, all of my work was completely ruined by a sub trying to deliver his CAT 953 water injection rig in the rain and then spend the next few muddy days delivering water. His lowboy slipped off of my crowned road into my finished swale. The tow truck then drug the lowboy and truck down the swale to get him out. When I let the builder know what they did to my work, he was pretty ticked off. The pad wasn't finished and the water injection contractor wasn't even supposed to be there for another week.