Gallery, Projects and General > Project Logs
New Tractor Shed
awemawson:
I decided the time was right to start reinforcing the bank behind the tractor shed and building the bank up to straighten the run for the fencing. I'd hoped to get Darren back to do it, but he's far too busy hay making and I want to shift the earth before the weather breaks.
As he had left it, the bank behind the shed had a curve to it which would make getting a decently taut fence in neigh on impossible. There are convenient large trees at the stream edge, and I'd obtained four massive electricity poles that had been replaced on our field. The plan being to rest them against the trees as retainers, and compact earth behind them, bringing the bank up so that the top was reasonably straight.
Obviously over time the electricity poles will rot, but by that time the Hazel and Willow saplings that I will plant will have rooted and hold it all together.
First job - extend one of the roof drain pipe by 1 metre so it terminates beyond the new barrier. Then carefully roll a pole down the bank - this one was great fun as it had to be slotted under the roof drain - these poles are over 35 foot long and weigh something just over a ton - great fun with just me and the JCB803 - oh for a banksman !
Then I moved 20 tons of earth from the field where I've had it stock piled for some time, and back filled behind the pole.
Second pole was easy by comparison, just roll it into place, poke it with the digger to final location, and start back filling. I've two more poles to do, and about 120 tons of earth to ram behind them, but that's a job for tomorrow as the pigs want feeding
awemawson:
It's important that this build up of earth is well compacted, so I decided to try and get the Benford vibrating roller on it. First question - will it self propel up the 1 in 4 slope up behind the tractor shed - YES amazingly :ddb:
So now to lower it down onto the level I've so far built up to - JCB 803 took it in it's stride.
Roll third pole into place - poke it in with the digger bucket
Then I brought another 20 tons of earth up in the dumper truck, spread it about and again used the vibrating roller to bed it in well.
The fourth pole has 'run out of tree' to rest it against, so I've sunk some fencing posts in front of the other three poles, and it will have to sit forwards a pole width - no great issue.
Then I needed to shift more earth, but what's left is rather full of rubble - so I started separating it using the pronged 'land rake' on the JCB.
It was as I did a rotate in the cab I noticed the oil slick :bang:
Oil pouring out of the rear seal of the main three section hydraulic pump, so work has had to stop until a replacement arrives.
Jo:
--- Quote from: awemawson on July 10, 2018, 12:21:37 PM ---Oil pouring out of the rear seal of the main three section hydraulic pump, so work has had to stop until a replacement arrives.
--- End quote ---
I wonder if someone overstrained the hydraulics by trying to lift/place something that was a bit heavy for it :poke:
You know it will be better for a nice new set of seals :thumbup:
Jo
awemawson:
Jo the pressure relief valve would cope with any overload.
Reconditioned pump on its way ... Only £450 !
Now I need to find clean drums to drain 90 litres of hydraulic oil into
awemawson:
At long last I've managed to spread and level the 120 tons of 'top soil' - well slightly better than the sub-soil that I used for the build up ! And on Thurday raked it to a tilth, seeded it, and raked it again.
The weather was kind to me - the piles of quasi top soil had dried nicely in the recent very hot dry spell, so spread reasonably well, and just as I was finishing the second raking - raking in the hand sown seed - it started to drizzle, which developed into a reasonably heavy prolonged bit of rain - 7 mm in four hours - absolutely ideal for the seed.
Now my arms are aching from the raking and (oddly) somewhat more from the hand broadcasting of 27.5 kG of grass seed - approximately a domestic dustbin full at 70 grams to the square metre. Why a dust bin - well I had three types of seed that needed mixing and it was slightly more than would fit in the bin!
It now needs to 'establish' and will probably be cut a few times this season, but I will leave it to probably early summer next year before I fence it to give the made up ground time to settle a bit.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version