RDrancher's Photo Thread

EddieWalker · Sep 17, 2015

They sure do. Their current location is packed. It looks like they have gone into selling Mahindra tractors in a big way. I was surprised when they started on building the new location, especially considering what it must be costing them. The repair shop is HUGE. I was watching those guys put on the metal for the roof yesterday and couldn't help but think how scary that must be!!!!

RDrancher · Nov 2, 2015

No interesting work photos to post, but I had a bitter-sweet weekend. I let go of the Stude. We just bought a place on sixteen acres further out in the sticks. There's a nice barn/shop, but no concrete yet and no garage either. I was fretting over bringing the Stude out here and not having any place decent to park it. Here she is on the way to her new owner. Fitting that she arrived a my place in the pouring rain and left in it too.

EddieWalker · Nov 2, 2015

Congratulations on the new place. Will this give you more space for your business?

RDrancher · Nov 2, 2015

Thanks Eddie! The new place is a semi-blank slate, which makes it perfect for my plans. It has a 50x30 barn that was used for cattle. I took out 70 yards or so of dried manure (that'll be great for the yard come spring)...and the funkiest 2x4,6 and 8 pen and stall setup I've ever seen. I'll get pics off my wife's phone when I get a chance. I'll be building a shop cover / storage container deal off the side, but for now I'll frame up a wall in the barn and concrete a 20x30 section so I have a place to work on my junk. My tools are in the barn now, along with a penned up lame mare. The dust one animal can generate is amazing!

EddieWalker · Nov 3, 2015

That is exciting!!!! Are you planning on making it a full blown workshop for your equipment? I'm looking forward to pics. It's always one thing to see what we do for clients because it's what they want, it's totally different seeing what you build and create for yourself!!!!!

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

Thought I'd share a few photos since I haven't updated the thread for awhile. Here's a ATV trail washout repair from the summer. The hills are steeper than the photos show.

Carnage from the guy that tried to work on this earlier in the summer.

Cutting drainage swales to redirect the runoff at the top of the hill

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

The culvert pipes were purchased by the owner prior to my looking at the project. I would have spec'd larger pipe

The second damaged section.

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

The first repair area was a quarter mile from my loading area and the second over a half mile. The trail was also narrow, rutted and pretty rough in general. I spruced up quite a bit of it to save my back. When you gotta get it there...you use what you got!

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

Here's another project from the summer. The driveway was damaged from improper drainage and it pitched toward the garage a lot. I intended to regrade and expand the gravel further down the hill for additional parking and access to the backyard. I ordered a semi load of base and a load of rock topping.

It turned out that the outside edge of the existing base was over 12" thick. I decided to strip it all and start over. There was plenty of base for regrading and the expansion.

Cut a swale to pickup runoff from the hill and got the base all straightened out.

106* and really dusty.

Complete with the topping installed.

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

Here's a more recent project that will continue off and on through next spring. Just rough drainage grading for now in very wet clay. There was an existing pond in the backyard that I actually aimed runoff to from the neighbors property when I did their project over a year ago. The pond has since been filled in, so now I have to get the drainage out to the bar ditch at the road.

kevin37b · Dec 29, 2015

Good to see ya back John ,as per usual beautiful finish work . How are them little ones ? Happy New Year .

Xfaxman · Dec 29, 2015

Interesting, thanks for the updates. :thumbsup:

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

With a bunch of heavy lifting on the books, I picked up a set of Construction Attachments 5,500# pallet forks.

I am a bit surprised at the quality level. Given the power that hydraulic quick attach pins generate and the Xtreme Heavy Duty name, no triangulation at the bottom of the quick attach plate seems odd to me. :thumbdown: The bothersome thing is that one of the forks was welded up at a different height than the other. One of them is longer too. Monday forks....Friday forks? :confused3: Oh well...the paint (powder coat?) is pretty. Yeah, like that's important

Xfaxman · Dec 29, 2015

RDrancher said:
With a bunch of heavy lifting on the books, I picked up a set of Construction Attachments 5,500# pallet forks.

I am a bit surprised at the quality level. Given the power that hydraulic quick attach pins generate and the Xtreme Heavy Duty name, no triangulation at the bottom of the quick attach plate seems odd to me. :thumbdown:---------------------------

Well they did triangulate the top lip where I added the arrows in your picture.

This is what can happen without the gussets.

But it won't happen again :thumbsup:

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

That doesn't look like it will be bending again anytime soon. :thumbsup:

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

This home is a target for about 60 acres of runoff. There is a small swale and drain pipes close to the structure, but not enough to handle a good soaker. I cut a new swale to reroute the drainage around the home. The soil on this hill was still pumping five days after the last rain.

two_bit_score · Dec 29, 2015

I always enjoy seeing new jobs you have worked. :thumbsup:

RDrancher · Dec 29, 2015

Thanks!

The Culvert Pipe To Nowhere #1
There's nothing like setting elevations and offsets over the phone with the inspector! The new landowner set his own pipe...undersized and without ends, so we fixed him up with the right stuff. Word is that it will be months before the county gets out here to cut ditches.