Removing top material from driveway…

[Jasonized]

Hey folks,
I’ve decided I’ve had enough of dust from my dirt driveway, and have decided to try putting down NDS tufftrack pavers…. Basically, 1.5” deep, 2”hollow hexagons, and filled with pea gravel. So I need to scrape off about 1.5” off the driveway.
What’s the easiest way to get a mostly flat surface? It’s composed of standard road base, so has a bunch of small stones, of course.
Ive tried scraping it off with my boxblade to break it up, then back dragging to get it somewhat flat. Then hand shovel/rake to smooth it.

Thinking of spreading a thin layer of sand to smooth it better…

Any better ways? All hints, constructive tips are welcome!

Thanks!

 

[GeoHorn]

Land Plane.

It doesn’t actually remove product…but it makes it smooth and level.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

if your box blade has scarifiers, put them down 2" and pull. THEY break up the material. Then raise them up, pull BB again to remove the material.

 

[Jasonized]

Land Plane.

It doesn’t actually remove product…but it makes it smooth and level.

Well, yes, and no... Smooth is relative! I do have a small (towed behind my garden tractor) land plane.. It levels stuff out, sorta. But the rocks involved don't help much... :} And they are poking up, and lift the tufftrack off the ground.

But yes, I'd forgotten I had one of those. And it will hook onto the back of my tractor....
Probably have to add lines to the 3point, so I can lift it up when backing up.. <smile>

 

[Jasonized]

if your box blade has scarifiers, put them down 2" and pull. THEY break up the material. Then raise them up, pull BB again to remove the material.

It does, and that's basically what I have done so far. Then went back (since it wasn't *that* flat), and did some hand flattening. And smoothing with a (hand) rake.

If that's the best I can do, well, there ya go. I was hoping for something that would work a bit better, but as it is, I think the rocks are defeating me. Guess dusting with sand afterwords (to fill in around the rocks) is probably the best I can do right now.

Thanks!

Jason

 

[nbryan]

Box scraper is the tool, IMO.
And putting some finer surfacing gravel over that stoney pit run fill will indeed produce a nice smooth and flat finish, it's just a matter of careful and patient adjustment and operation of the boxblade.
For the last passes I've adjusted my BB with a heavy top link tilt to the back so to smooth with the rear scraper and not pick up fresh material. Can play marbles on that sand surface after that.

 

[Jasonized]

Box scraper is the tool, IMO.
And putting some finer surfacing gravel over that stoney pit run fill will indeed produce a nice smooth and flat finish, it's just a matter of careful and patient adjustment and operation of the boxblade.
For the last passes I've adjusted my BB with a heavy top link tilt to the back so to smooth with the rear scraper and not pick up fresh material. Can play marbles on that sand surface after that.

that’s what I was trying to do! Okay, don’t have hydraulic tilt on my tractor yet, so it’s slow going. I was just wondering if there was a better approach or not.

I did use the scarifiers to break up the top most layer, then pulled material out, then ran back over it with the rear blade to ”smooth” it. I don’t have much sand yet, but wasn’t sure if that was the best way to go.

Thanks all, I’ll keep going and see how it goes. Just have a smallish section under test, to work things out before I buy lots more of the tufftrack.

Cheers!

 

[RCW]

Box blade 100% in my book. YMMV

 

[The Evil Twin]

You say "base" and not sub-base. So i assume this is like 57's. Not larger #2s whickmh are fist size. There is another thread around here where an orange addict did just this task with a BB.

 

[Jasonized]

You say "base" and not sub-base. So i assume this is like 57's. Not larger #2s whickmh are fist size. There is another thread around here where an orange addict did just this task with a BB.

yeah, 3/4- road base, pretty standard around here…. Still, especially up near the house, I get larger rocks. So, probably thinner there than father down the road.

Thanks! At least I’ll get lots of practice!

 

[G.rid]

What about renting a plate compactor to get the final smoothness that you're looking for. It should either break up or drive down the odd high stone that's giving you grief.
I'm not familiar with the product you're using, it may need packing also.

 

[cthomas]

Or a vibratory roller. Or back in the old days my grandpa used to spray used motor oil on the gravel to keep the dust down. I don't think the EPA would approve of this nowadays, but, it did work and did not track too bad. I think the OP is talking about geotiles or something similar. Does the OP get snow as I would worry about plowing.

 

[Jasonized]

Or a vibratory roller. Or back in the old days my grandpa used to spray used motor oil on the gravel to keep the dust down. I don't think the EPA would approve of this nowadays, but, it did work and did not track too bad. I think the OP is talking about geotiles or something similar. Does the OP get snow as I would worry about plowing.

View attachment 108749

Yep! That‘s the unit!

Hmmm… plate compactor…. That’s possible, if I can find one locally. The base itself is really packed hard, as it‘s over 25 years old, especially up at the house.

Nope, no snow! CA west coast…. rain in the winter.

I think a flat plate might work…. But I was thinking on what I have, since I’ll be doing this in stages, as I get the cash for materials. Renting would quickly mount up.

 

[cthomas]

I have found a few plate compactors on FB for around the 600 dollar range. I would buy a less abused one and then sell it after the project was over(okay I don't sell tools/toys).

 

[Jasonized]

I have found a few plate compactors on FB for around the 600 dollar range. I would buy a less abused one and then sell it after the project was over(okay I don't sell tools/toys).

Hahaha… yeah, I don‘t sell tools either…

okay, found one for 500 or so, and free shipping. Not the best, not the worst.

reviews were okay for it.

Something else I can now learn to use!

 

[The Evil Twin]

Here is the thread I was thinking of. Not the same project though. However, he did scrape and level with the BB

Redoing the driveway

New project starting today I was tired of blowing gravel all over the place in winter so i'm going with recycled asphalt. I borrowed a box scraper from a guy nearby. It's my first time using one of those. The plan is to scrape it all, move it in a pile in the backyard. Then I'll get about...

orangetractortalks.com

FWIW, pea gravel will not compact. It will always be loose. Keep that in mind.

 

[Jasonized]

Here is the thread I was thinking of. Not the same project though. However, he did scrape and level with the BB

Redoing the driveway

New project starting today I was tired of blowing gravel all over the place in winter so i'm going with recycled asphalt. I borrowed a box scraper from a guy nearby. It's my first time using one of those. The plan is to scrape it all, move it in a pile in the backyard. Then I'll get about...

orangetractortalks.com

FWIW, pea gravel will not compact. It will always be loose. Keep that in mind.

Thanks, read the posts. Not quite the same, but some good info.

Pea gravel goes in the hexagons, not under. No packing involved!

Cheers!

 

[Lil Foot]

I used my front plow blade:

 

[fried1765]

yeah, 3/4- road base, pretty standard around here…. Still, especially up near the house, I get larger rocks. So, probably thinner there than father down the road.

Thanks! At least I’ll get lots of practice!

Is what you are describing as "3/4" road base, plain 3/4" washed stone. or is it "3/4" minus", which is everything that will pass a "3/4" screen ( and compacts like concrete)?

 

[Jasonized]

Is what you are describing as "3/4" road base, plain 3/4" washed stone. or is it "3/4" minus", which is everything that will pass a "3/4" screen ( and compacts like concrete)?

Sorry, should have written out “3/4 minus”. Yep, everything that’s left after larger screens are done. Packs a lot like concrete, hence the need to break up the top layer before leveling. Dusty, though.
But even so, I still have enough rocks in it to make leveling difficult.
Hopefully the compactor will fix what I miss, or at least flatten it if I put a little sand on top as well.
Holding off on the sand until I try the compactor first…

Also, time to finish mounts for my tilt/twist valves for my BB! Now that I have a real reason instead of just convenience.