I have been working with a 16H, and at times an older 16G, at the mine and have a few questions. My basic training is only so good as our roads are pounded out by the 1.1 million pound trucks. Finesse is something you have to look into on your own time. 1. My basic understanding is for a "normal" windrow I should: - shift the Drawbar towards the heel - lean the wheels over towards the heel - pitch the moldboard so that the top is even with, or just behind the cutting edge Is this true? 2. Should I treat low spots the same as I would on a Dozer? I have been able to "smooth" out my roads so there are no potholes but they still rise and fall gently between 2-3% +/- grade. 3. If I "comb" the big bony stuff out of a windrow/dumped load where should I put it? I have heard back into the ditch? 4. Any tricks for cutting ditches in hardened material? I am having a heck of a time on roads that have never had ditching. I keep sliding all over the place, leaves the road looking like Modern Art.
Using your ripper on hard stuff to loosen it up first comes in pretty handy =D Lumpy stuff can be hidden at the bottom of big pot holes and helps harden them up, although it depends on the size of the chunk and the size of the hole. Blade pitch is going to depend a lot on how hard the dirt you are cutting is, and how much of a full blade you have. Most adjustment are subject to the conditions, as long as you have dirt on the blade then you are doing alright.
Hi Shamrock, If I was pulling a new ditch I would drop all the ripper shanks except the one needed to rip the ditch and go easy on the power. If the blade can't rip the ditch line ask your 4man to send a ripper cat to help you as the cat can surely do it and be easied on the blade. It is not unusual to drill and shoot a ditch line. As far as I am concerned the better the haul roads the better the production and cost. Management will surely remember your effort.
As far as blade pitch goes,the top of the blade should be slighty ahead of the cutting edge, this helps the dirt "roll" down the moldboard, leaning it back all the way is fine for carrying loose dirt, but it will limit the penetration of the blade (unless its soft dirt which I doubt your finding on your haul road....When I start a ditch cut,I like to art.the machine so I'm looking straight down the toe of the blade(this also applys to dirt that can cut not rock etc.) As far as wheel lean,I never lean the wheels unless I'm fighting alot of "drift", this can also be corrected with a little "crab" towards the toe, but dont get carried away and take up more room than you need to blade the road.Good luck!
Sounds like you have a lot of big rocks in your gravel. Its not to bad if you are putting down a good lift, as most of them you can bury. Roll them back in the ditch? I wouldn't, especially if you have just ditched it. If I have no place to get rid of them I leave them on the shoulder (out of harms way) until the road gets packed down. I then gather them up and windrow towards the center and we pick them up with a loader and truck. I realize that this might not be an option for you. Big rocks strung over a newly cut ditch looks absolutely horrible, and makes your job look like crap. As far as cutting ditches in hard material, as said, if you can remove most of your ripper shanks and just leave one or two, it would be a great help. Keep the toe of your blade even with the outside of your front tire and while cutting into the hard material just take small cuts. Lift your heel quite high for the first few cuts as this will allow a sharper penetration on the toe. Once you have some depth to your ditch, keep your front tire in the ditch line with your blade (toe) even with the outside of your front tire. This will keep you straight or at least help. There, my two typing fingers are getting tired..
When you get the dirt up out of the ditch and start to roll it out on the driving lane roll you blade all the way back, this will help "screen " the rocks out of your desirable material. When doing this leave the heel of your blade up so no dirt comes out just the rocks . When you got the rocks removed from the material than roll your blade all the way forward and grade the desirable material to grade. Having the blade rolled over helps compaction and also allows the material to travel slower along the blade so holes are filled better.