Cat 16G Slopeboard

[Northart]

This a Cat 16G with Towner 22' Slopeboard. Job was building 50 miles of mine access road to the Pogo Gold Mine, near Delta Junction, Alaska 2005

[Northart]

Pulling sideslope and shoulder here. Has a shoe on the end to control spillage. Electric toggle switches in the cab, for controlling.

Sure makes a nice clean ditch.:) Dozer works on the backslopes for final cleanup.

[greywynd]

Looks like it would be an interesting thing to work with. How's visibility, particularly back and the wheel area? Looks like it would be a challenge to see what's going on.

I didn't see the cables going to the outer end of it until almost the last picture, I was starting to wonder about the forces that would be there.

Never seen one of these myself, but great pics!

[bobcat ron]

That is some nice work, those tires really make it look bigger.

What is that red thingy in that last pic in the middle of the blade with the hoses attached to it?

[Northart]

Here's a Cat 14H State of Alaska grader working the Dalton, near Livengood. All hydraulic. Rockland was the mfg, if I remember . A rather short 14 ' slopeboard .

[BIGBEN2004]

That sure is a fast way to build and fix a road.

[Northart]

BobcatRon,

That is the hydraulic winch, line goes to end of slopeboard then to bracket on the mainframe. This is what makes it go in and out.

[bobcat ron]

Got it now!

[Northart]

Greywynd,

You can see everything what the board is doing.

Sloping is a patience demanding job. :)Takes lot of passes sometimes to achieve final product. Just take light cuts on each pass, when reaching all the way down.

Shallow slopes you can take a heavier bite.

[bushcat]

I used to operate a slope board on a old champion motor grader in the spring pulling the traffic gravel back up on the road surface for blading. Mine was a antique as the leading edge of the slope board was attached to the right end of the moldboard by a long steel pipe, and that's how you controlled the angle of the slopeboard. never ending adjusting that end of the blade as heavy pulling caused the circle to turn on it's own.

[Grader4me]

Great looking job! I can see this for pulling up the foreslopes, but why are they using it to take the cut across the road? Wouldn't it be easier to just use the moldboard?

Looks like it would be an interesting thing to work with. How's visibility, particularly back and the wheel area? Looks like it would be a challenge to see what's going on.

It also looks to me like visibility would be limited at rear wheel area.

[Northart]

Hello Grader4me,

I was not going to waste any crush material over the sideslope. Keep every crumb up on top. They were tight on quantities. :) Forgot the specs of the crush already.The slopeboard made a real clean ditch bottom and shoulder.

The work techniques I used, worked perfect for this job. After the lay down crew, did their work I was following behind finishing. They were generally several miles ahead of me.

I had to process,and distribute the material , lay it out and put it back in lifts for compaction. And build my 2% crown and roadway width of 24', with clean sideslopes . After I perfected my work techniques I could average a mile a day. Really had to work hard without any pauses or slowdowns to achieve that. Had to coordinate the water truck and compactor working with me.

I did not have any visibility problems anywhere, I could see the entire slopeboard from heel to toe.

[Northart]

Here's a Champion grader with slopeboard. And a Cat 160H slopeboard . Lot of different Slopeboard Manufacturers. Towner,Rockland,Heneke, some that come to mind.

[Grader4me]

Thanks for explaining. Nice looking job Northart! So is the slopeboard hard to get used to? I suppose if you cut to much it will pull you sideways? I can see that it would take a little practice alright. Little hard on the neck looking back all the time? Sorry for so many questions...;)

[Northart]

Hello Grader4me,

Any natural talented grader man can pick up the use of it very quick. Kinda self teaching, when you go to use it.

You learn to take it easy, just like doing flat work, no high speed stuff here.

The key is to go always in a straight line on the shoulder. No wandering in and out, as that is how your slope will look. Wavy. Just back up and cut the high spots out, by drifting the material forward or pulling it to the top of the road, and then using your moldboard to shove it forward to a shy spot on the slope.

Nothing hard about it, just requires lots of patience.

I just look out the side door or window, and glance back once in awhile. Mostly watch the toe of the slopeboard. I can tell by feel where the heel is and the amount of material being cut.

Depending upon the job, I dress both sides of the road in 1,000' to 2,000' increments. Usually finding a decent turnaround area. Or if just one side then just 500' runs. A lot also depends upon the traffic on the road.

I find it the most satisfying kind of grader work. :)

[Grader4me]

Sounds like you've developed a good technique that works well. I would love to try a slopeboard, but I suppose it's like trying a "M' series Cat grader...probably won't happen :crying