Sorting out the drainage in the lower field and other gubbins. An apprentice digger driver writes.

[LKSF]

I’ve had a run on wildlife pond creation - did 4 the last week of Feb. I’d almost do it for free - it’s definitely my favourite sort of work. View attachment 70090View attachment 70091View attachment 70092
View attachment 70089

As a professional how do you get all the depths and levels right? I know they don't have to be accurate.

In the Yorkshire building trade is/was a term called 'rack at eye' (at is short for 'of the') which means if it looks reet then it is reet.

Because I'm largely making it up as I go along and live here rather than visiting to do a paid job it means I can have as many goes as I like to get it right. I'll dig it, fill it and watch. If it needs some adjustment then can go have a play until I'm happy.

I forgot to mention overflows as they're important. If they aren't filtered somehow then critters get washed away, especially tadpoles.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

As a professional how do you get all the depths and levels right? I know they don't have to be accurate.

In the Yorkshire building trade is/was a term called 'rack at eye' (at is short for 'of the') which means if it looks reet then it is reet.

Because I'm largely making it up as I go along and live here rather than visiting to do a paid job it means I can have as many goes as I like to get it right. I'll dig it, fill it and watch. If it needs some adjustment then can go have a play until I'm happy.

I forgot to mention overflows as they're important. If they aren't filtered somehow then critters get washed away, especially tadpoles.

Don’t assume that there is anything professional about what I do!….
(‘Rack of eye’ is the main bit tbh, backed up with a lazer level).

 

[Giles]

Love a wildlife pond build, did this on a trust holiday job was a boggy mess cows had puddled to nothing, sprung energies out rocks so gave it some free standing water and few months later was thriving

 

[Storrsy]

I do like a good pond to get stuck into- a few of my efforts- all naturally filled from the springs/small streams. These were before I even had a laser level so definitely by eye but usually a puddle at the bottom whilst digging out so just guage heights from that. The last one took ages to fill so sadly haven't a phot of it full

 

[Furniss]

I do like a good pond to get stuck into- a few of my efforts- all naturally filled from the springs/small streams. These were before I even had a laser level so definitely by eye but usually a puddle at the bottom whilst digging out so just guage heights from that. The last one took ages to fill so sadly haven't a phot of it full

Nice ....I like a good pond job but they are pretty rare for me, done maybe 6 in last 20y

 

[Storrsy]

Nice ....I like a good pond job but they are pretty rare for me, done maybe 6 in last 20y

Yeah it's good no nonsense work and a more or less immediate satisfaction from your efforts- especially once all the wildlife takes hold. I'll have my biggest one to date to do in summer but think I will need more than a 3 tonner to do it!

 

[Bri963]

Yeah it's good no nonsense work and a more or less immediate satisfaction from your efforts- especially once all the wildlife takes hold. I'll have my biggest one to date to do in summer but think I will need more than a 3 tonner to do it!

I did a half-acre pond and island with a VC15 back in the early 90’s. No real plan, just got shown the area and told no straight edges and vary the slopes all the way round. That was the hardest bit as I‘d spent years doing Just the opposite. I’d love to do one with a dragline before I’m done.

 

[LKSF]

I do like a good pond to get stuck into- a few of my efforts- all naturally filled from the springs/small streams. These were before I even had a laser level so definitely by eye but usually a puddle at the bottom whilst digging out so just guage heights from that. The last one took ages to fill so sadly haven't a phot of it full

I've been stuck in or around 2 of mine

 

[Vinpetrol]

I did a half-acre pond and island with a VC15 back in the early 90’s. No real plan, just got shown the area and told no straight edges and vary the slopes all the way round. That was the hardest bit as I‘d spent years doing Just the opposite. I’d love to do one with a dragline before I’m done.

Me too ! We think we’re Archie on excavators but draglines , that’s a different ball game. I love looking into the way things were built before back acters and I would love to try my hand on a drag line . I don’t know about digging a pond with it though !

 

[V8Druid]

Me too ! We think we’re Archie on excavators but draglines , that’s a different ball game. I love looking into the way things were built before back acters and I would love to try my hand on a drag line . I don’t know about digging a pond with it though !

had a couple of hours on a 22RB drag set up back in the mid eighties, on a coal tip reclamation job I was at, with my Hydrocon putting a cyclonic screening plant together - waiting for lorries to show with the next bits ... stretches the grey matter .. and my first two cranes were a 10RB and Priestman Panther, so was well versed with clutches, brakes, etc. .... would've loved a few days on it, to really get into the swing
very satisfying tossing that bucket away from you

 

[Furniss]

Me too ! We think we’re Archie on excavators but draglines , that’s a different ball game. I love looking into the way things were built before back acters and I would love to try my hand on a drag line . I don’t know about digging a pond with it though !

Your a sucker for punishment - don't know how much longer I can go on without tracking on the levers

 

[V8Druid]

Me too ! We think we’re Archie on excavators but draglines , that’s a different ball game. I love looking into the way things were built before back acters and I would love to try my hand on a drag line . I don’t know about digging a pond with it though !

360 dragline bucket ???

 

[LKSF]

I mentioned it before in the dragline thread, but they were open cast mining on the outskirts of Leeds when they got too close to the river. It burst into the mine workings filing them up completely and it's now a nature reserve.
The huge dragline is still there parked up at the side.

 

[LKSF]

There you go, fulfil that dream with an affordable classic from Lancsladland:

Facebook

www.facebook.com

Woa, checkout that funky Oriental style FB link, WTF?

 

[V8Druid]

There you go, fulfil that dream with an affordable classic from Lancsladland:

Facebook

www.facebook.com

Woa, checkout that funky Oriental style FB link, WTF?

that's not fair .... far too tempting that ..... lot newer than mine was though .. and has glass

this is more like mine looked like - real old, old girl .. crane rigged

 

[LKSF]

that's not fair .... far too tempting that ..... lot newer than mine was though .. and has glass

this is more like mine looked like - real old, old girl .. crane rigged

We'll see you on Sunday then

 

[V8Druid]

We'll see you on Sunday then

you bad bugger .... just msgd 'em for more pix and info. ... Pam'd have a blue fit if that turned up --- look good on the lawn though - know a guy with a 22RB on his lawn

 

[V8Druid]

you bad bugger .... just msgd 'em for more pix and info. ... Pam'd have a blue fit if that turned up --- look good on the lawn though - know a guy with a 22RB on his lawn

and 80 ft of stick on it

 

[TiltyShaun]

There you go, fulfil that dream with an affordable classic from Lancsladland:

Facebook

www.facebook.com

Woa, checkout that funky Oriental style FB link, WTF?

Would that work as a yard machine I am asking myself!!!

 

[V8Druid]

Would that work as a yard machine I am asking myself!!!

worked for me as a yard machine for some time .... 'til I 'upgraded' to the Panther