I can't wait to run my cutting edges over some thawed out gravel or dirt. I have been been bouncing over this frozen stuff long enough. It's been a long winter. Plowed across the Yukon River for the last time yesterday as it's finally starting to warm up. Thank goodness. We got the last load out of the pit yesterday at about 3:00pm. This pit will be under water within a few days as the ice goes out of the river. We've been running day and night trying to beat the weather. Spring; bring it on!!!! Regards, Randy
Nice pics Randy, although for me, snow = yuk. LoL :tong We don't see the extreme winters as you would in Alaska, and likewise some types of equipment set ups, so I'm not familiar with that gadget fitted to the ripper shanks on the grader. Some sort of cutter bar for ice maybe?
Not much spring fever to get excited about around here yet either. I recall days last winter when it was warmer in Alaska than it was here. Where is grandpa with his two cents worth on the weather here?
Lol... out plowing snow.... for two cents i'd move to alaska to find some warm weather....ha
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab208/parkrapids/0104111451a.jpg
Thats what it is Atco..can't see the picture real good but I think its carbide tip on rollers. He would plow with his moldboard and scarfiy the ice with the back end. That would take the hubbles off the road making it smooth and less slippery. Two birds with one stone so to speak.
For our friends down south, just to let u know that we had 6" of lovely white stuff saturday morning. No wonder we won the award for the toughest weather in the US. When gramps said he was out moving snow he wasnt lieing (well, probably not this time)
Well, lucky guess on my part, cool. Sounds like a neat idea. But, gramps loves his snow BG, he tried his darndest to share it with the whole northern hemisphere this past winter. :tong
Atco Gramps was trying to share that snow for sure, he just didn't send it far enough. It seemed to stop here in N. IL sure had a lot. Was nice to see how my new plow worked on the skidsteer, but gee not everyday. It tried yesterday here, but was just a little to warm for the white stuff to stick. Great pictures sure nice to see the country, don't forget to share more when it isn't all white!
great pics randy. I agree it is time for the winter weather goes away and summer to come quick. I am sick of mud. I want dust.
Seems like that excavator operator has his work cut out for him with those flood lamps shining right at him as he loads those trucks.Nice pics,glad to see you back Randy.Ron G
Rear Toolbar Gentlemen Thanks for the comments In regards to the rear toolbar; Those are Kennametal Cutting Edges and Cutting Tools. http://www.kennametal.com/images/repositories/catalog/us/KMTL-Scarifier_Blades_for_Graders.pdf We bolted (bolt Caterpillar part #1J-6762; ¾” diameter x 3 1/8” length) all these Kennametal blades to a Caterpillar cutting edge; 8’ long, 8” tall & 1” thick with ¾ “ bolt holes, Caterpillar part #7T-3495. We built the toolbar this way so the Kennametal blades could be unbolted from the toolbar and bolted right to the moldboard if the application required it. When finishing recycled asphalt sometimes I use them on the moldboard. On the 14H we had to weld a 2’ section of cutting edge to the 8’ footer as I wanted a 10’ foot wide tool bar; this way it matches the outside edge of tire with the 20.5 x R25 tires and keeps it under the required wideload permit limit. On the 160H the 8’ cutting edge matched the outside of tires with the 17.5 xR25 fairly close. We cut the tips off of some ripper teeth at just the right angle then welded them to the Caterpillar cutting edge. If I need to use the regular ripper teeth it’s easy to drop the toolbar off. To drop the toolbar off I built a windrow of gravel with the moldboard, stick the toolbar in the windrow, knock the pins out of the ripper teeth, backup about 6 inches and raise the ripper up and drive away. This keeps the toolbar standing at 90 degrees so when I want to reinstall it I just backup to it, lower the ripper shanks back into the teeth and reinstall the pins. I installed the C-87KCSB-SR cutting tool/tooth/bit mainly for working in recycled asphalt and crushed rock. They lack some penetration power, but have great wear characteristic. That set has been in the 14H toolbar for four seasons now and I have not had to replace even one tooth/cutting tool. In the wintertime we use them to texture the corners and hills for traction. Regards, Randy
Great pics as always Randy! I know exactly what you mean about spring feaver I can't wait to get my old #12 out an dress up some roads around the place myself.
Is that the new Ejector Cat trucks in the first 2 photos randy?
Response Danial Yes those are 730 Cat Ejectors. We have 6 Ejectors and 3 Tippers now. They get used for everything. They spend part of the time as lowboy tractors to hauling about anything you can imagine and they spend part of their time as water buffalos when building the iceroads. #12Caterpillar I sure like that old blade you have, The last 12F I can remember running was in 1988 while finishing the Nenana Airport. Great machine! Regards, Randy
Could you please, please with cherries on top post some more pics of the 730 lowbed rigs please? I love them , but pictures of them are so hard to find! Nice group of rigs!:notworthy
Here you go. Randy, your not of the hook for some pics of this winter.
Pics From This Winter Hvy1Ton I didn't take near as many pictures as previous years, but I attached a few to this note. I was on the Badami Iceroad project for 6 weeks and these pictures are from that project. The first couple days I was there I ran one of the Water Bufs and then switched back to the blade on nightshift for 4 weeks. The last day on the job we got caught in a another whiteout and we were searching for the 16M to get him some fuel, he then had to plow the road open so we could get back to camp. The one picture is when we were following him back to camp, we had to stay really close behind or we would lose sight of him. It was about 70 below windchills that day! :thumbdown Regards, Randy
Two More From This Winter This was taken on the last night of construction. We were just about to tie into the Badami drill pad with our iceroad. They were flaring off excess gas from the wells and it would light up the night sky. They burn off enough gas in 1 minute to heat your house for a year! Most of the gas gets used to power the turbines, which are turning the oil pumps, but when too much gas is coming up with the oil they have to flare it off. I love watching it at night! The other picture is when we were building an ice bridge across one of the creeks, it was about 40 below that night and as the trucks were dumping water the bridge would turn to a big steam cloud. Looked like the road was smoking! Regards, Randy
Awesome pictures and info. Thanks Randy.
Thankyou! "Here you go. " THANKYOU!!! THANKYOU VERY MUCH!