More cutting and clearing

[Cowboy Billy]

I was at the farm for the last two weeks getting all the dirt work done around the outside of the barn. The back door was almost unusable. As it was built into the side of the hill and the hill side was too close to the door. It also needed the temporary ditches moved back and permint one put in. I had to clear all the woods off first since I already have too much firewood I was just giving it away. Then make a place to put all the dirt I had to remove. I used the dirt I removed to make a 20' tall pyramid that is going to be the base of my observation tower that I am also going to put my wind generators on.

Here's the back of the barn as I left it last year

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The ground was a hardpan with rocks and boulders and my little dozer would barley cut it but the excavator didn't have much problem.

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I also had to clear the woods for a area to dump the dirt. And make a road to get the truck back there.

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Since I am going to use the dirt for the base of my tower and I want it compacted not loose. I put it in in lifts. Which means I dumped it spread it out 1' thick and ran the dump truck over it to pack it down.

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Got the south and west sides done. All the ground slopes away from the barn leaving it two feet higher than the ground around it so all the water runs away from the barn and stays out of the subgrade keeping dry in and under the barn. I dug it back 60' from the back door to leave me plenty of room to pull trailers through and park equ.

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The back of the barn done other than hualing in and spreading gravel for the parking area.

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My dirt hill after I got it shaped up.

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View from the top of the dirt pile. I always wanted a fire tower. I got some 20' pallet racks from a friend a few years ago and I am going to put one up on top of the hill getting it above the trees giving me a really great view!

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It was a lot of work and I burned over two hundred gallons of diesel fuel doing it. But it sure feels good to have it done!. Moving the dirt wasn't the hard part. The hard part was clearing all the trees and stumps off of it.

This is the fourth or fifth load of firewood I got off it and I gave to my Uncle. I also have eight cords more I have piled up for myself. That need to be blocked up and split.

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A good sized pile of cedar spruce and pine for the sawmill.

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And a decent little pile of brush for a campfire to relax around!

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Billy

 

[lukem]

Make sure you sit 6 feet back from that campfire, and have a 5 gallon bucket handy in case you have to quickly douse it. Or is it 600' back and 500 gallon tanker. I can't decide.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Hi Luke

30' is usually good. And I have a 1500 gallon fire pond firehose pump fire hose and a bulldozer.

Billy

 

[smokinj]

Awesome what you can do with a couple hundo's of fuel!

 

[Cowboy Billy]

No doubt Jay

I just called to have another 150 gal delivered. That makes 450 gal this year and also makes it my last big project as I am now broke.

Billy

 

[smokinj]

No doubt Jay

I just called to have another 150 gal delivered. That makes 450 gal this year and also makes it my last big project as I am now broke.

Billy

lol, I do feel the pinch myself but my prodject's are only 20 to 25 gallons! ;-) You are turning some awesome resources. Thats a nice pile for the mill as well!

 

[ChrisNJ]

Looks like a pro job, love the berm and the hill and all the wood :-O

 

[lukem]

No doubt Jay

I just called to have another 150 gal delivered. That makes 450 gal this year and also makes it my last big project as I am now broke.

Billy

I'd rather run it through my dozer than thru my furnace!

 

[thewoodlands]

Billy nice eye on the grade, love the big equipment.





Zap

 

[oldspark]

Man you do everthing in a big way up there, nice looking job.

 

[Bspring]

Give us an update on the wind generators. Free heat is nice but free electricty is even nicer!

 

[oldspark]

Give us an update on the wind generators. Free heat is nice but free electricty is even nicer!

Free I dont think so, just thought I would point out the obivious as they can be pricey, I too would be interested in what you are going to put up.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Chris

I've been a heavy equ operator for 12 years. Most of the time building landfill cells. And have been running finish dozer for the last four.

Luke

I get equ withdrawals if I don't use my big toys for a few weeks. I am always looking for something to do with them!

Thanks Zap

I have to do my own work. I get pretty fussy on how things have to be just so...

Thanks Old Spark

For me thats a small dirt job. But it still feels good getting it done.

Howdy Bspring

My Dad brother and I bought five 750 watt windgenerators three years ago for $750 each delivered from ARI wind solar. But they don't make small ones anymore. Its a combination unit that I can run solar panels with. We decided to go with a few small ones rather than one big one that way if one goes down I still have power. Since we had no need for a grid tie inverter I was able to get a 5000 watt inverter for $468 rather than having to spend 2500 on a grid tie inverter. The wind generators charge a 24 volt battery then the inverter runs off the battery. We got a small 1100 lb used forklift battery for $800 and I can run the farm for 2-3 days off it before I have to charge it back up. Its nothing fancy but it has been working for us and will be a lot better when we get the wind power going. As Oldspark said it can be expensive to set up its still cheaper to buy you power unless like us you have to run over 1/2 mile of electric lines. The best way to save money is still by using energy efficient devices. To use less power we are using led lights small LCE tv etc.

Billy

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good work Billy. I thought most of that ground up there was pretty solid stuff with it being mostly rock.

 

[Jags]

As usual - good work Billy. Are you still planning to build the home?

 

[DiscoInferno]

Looks like fun, Billy. If you're really desperate for things to 'doze, come on down Munising way. I'll put you to work. Of course, you'd waste more fuel driving there than dozing.

When we built we only had to run electric about 450' underground from the road. It still cost about $4000, plus a ~$10 charge every month whether we use electricity or not. So I think you're ahead of the game.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Nice job Billy. It is funny to me you have to build hills there, we try to reduce them here. I know Michigan is pretty flat, we have more bridges than any place in the world here. I am building a smaller version of a pole barn than yours this summer. I cannot believe today the tax assesor was already there, we have not even started it yet.

 

[davmor]

The only difference between and a man and a boy is the size of his toys. Great job on the excavating.

 

[Woody Stover]

My Dad brother and I bought five 750 watt windgenerators three years ago for $750 each delivered from ARI wind solar. But they don't make small ones anymore. Its a combination unit that I can run solar panels with. We decided to go with a few small ones rather than one big one that way if one goes down I still have power. Since we had no need for a grid tie inverter I was able to get a 5000 watt inverter for $468 rather than having to spend 2500 on a grid tie inverter. The wind generators charge a 24 volt battery then the inverter runs off the battery. We got a small 1100 lb used forklift battery for $800 and I can run the farm for 2-3 days off it before I have to charge it back up. Its nothing fancy but it has been working for us and will be a lot better when we get the wind power going.

That's awesome, Billy! You da man!

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Hi Dennis

Actually I was wondering if I would hit rock before I got the ditches to the depth I needed. Its on the east side of the property. 800 feet or so west of there its solid limestone outcroppings.

Thanks Jags

I want to but its not going to happen this year. And if I don't quite playing around at the farm and get a job I won't have money to build one next year either.

Thanks DI

I would love to but I don't have anyway to move the equ. The dumptruck is a off roader and would take too much to get road leagle. One thing I forgot to mention is that in bad weather is when you are most likely to loose grid power. But with a wind generator storms are when you have the most power.

Howdy G&WN; I could have used the dirt for other things like building roads over my rock outcroppings. But I have always wanted a fire tower and this observation tower I am going to put on the hill is the closest I will ever get.

Thanks Dave

Have toys will play!

Thanks Woody Stover

I'm a little different but I like it.

Billly

 

[jeff_t]

I've been a heavy equ operator for 12 years. Most of the time building landfill cells. And have been running finish dozer for the last four.

Where did you work, Billy? I drove trains for a few years, and we're neighbors so we probably know some of the same people.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Hi Jeff

I grew up in Taylor and worked at Saulk trail hills landfill at michigian ave and I-275 for six years. And have been bouncing around since then.

Billy

 

[jeff_t]

Ah, Sauk Trail Hills. I hauled a bunch of sand in there 7-8 years ago. I hated hauling into landfills. (I mean junk. The sand for new cells was gravy work.)

 

[firefighterjake]

Make sure you sit 6 feet back from that campfire, and have a 5 gallon bucket handy in case you have to quickly douse it. Or is it 600' back and 500 gallon tanker. I can't decide.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Jeff. I would have been there then. Was that coming in the back gate dumping by the clay stock pile when they didn't send a dozer to push up the piles for 3-4 days?

Billy