Teaching the tricks of Grading

[w2bstoned]

When you look around at the morning tailgate meeting does any feel that there isn't any young blood in a grader anymore? Lots of the younger guys I find get frustrated reall quick... Wondering whats going to happen in the next 20 years???

 

[humboldt deere]

Its a progression the young guys start out moving bulk dirt and then slowly work their way into finish grade. You don't want the youngens turning out the finished product, do you? In the next twenty years I'm sure you'll see these guys finish grading, and you'll be shaking you're head at a whole new gruop of guys.

 

[pabear52]

Hey, I agree to that. With blade work there is much repetition, going over your work till you get it right and to grade. Sometimes it takes a lot of time. Thats what it takes and thats how it is and even for some one with a lot of hours up is can seem boring and frustrating. Patience and a good eye and feel and being able to anticipate what the machine is going to do in advance and where your material must be and where it will end up once you done a pass is essential ingredients of a good blade hand. While not wishing to be too hard on the young guys, there are many good operators among them, some of their generation have not learned patience and that is the main essential for all types of trimming no matter what machine you are on. If the job needs another one or two or three passes to make it tidy or right then that is exactly how it is. We all must learn this and just go and do it and not wait to be told by the boss.

 

[Grader4me]

Next twenty years?

My friends.. in the next 20 years you will be operating a computer not a grader...

In the present time though, to learn to operate a grader requires great patience. You evolve over time. Some can only come so far and that's it. Believe me as I've seen it many times. You either have it or you don't. Doesn't matter if you're 55 years old or 20 years old. If you're young and get bored operating a grader then you should be on someting else. You can't learn if you're bored. Some use the excuse that operating a grader is boring because they realize that they just can't do it. Been operating a grader all my life and never got bored. Loved every minute..

Anyway.. nuff of my morning rant...just my 02 cents

 

[Squizzy246B]

My friends.. in the next 20 years you will be operating a computer not a grader...

In the present time though, to learn to operate a grader requires great patience. You evolve over time. Some can only come so far and that's it. Believe me as I've seen it many times. You either have it or you don't. Doesn't matter if you're 55 years old or 20 years old. If you're young and get bored operating a grader then you should be on someting else. You can't learn if you're bored. Some use the excuse that operating a grader is boring because they realize that they just can't do it. Been operating a grader all my life and never got bored. Loved every minute..

Anyway.. nuff of my morning rant...just my 02 cents

Notice:...I never said anything...............yet!

 

[Randy Krieg]

Far from boring

Right on G4me. This is the start of my 35th year operating these jewels and I have a hard time putting “boring” and “motorgrader” in the same sentence or even paragraph. I’m a fouth generation blade operator and the career has taken me halfway around the world and back. I was even awarded patents while helping Caterpillar with the development of the H Series. I got to take the first 24H out of the plant on December 22nd 1995 and put on a demo for the NPI Team. I then delivered the machine to Gillette Wyoming and trained the first operators. I helped deliver some other units and some to S.A. I might never have gotten to go there had it not been for the fact that I could operate a motor grader.

The only limiting factor with the machine is the mass between your ears. It is extremely versatile and can take you and your career just about as far as you’ll ever want to go. I have gotten to travel and work in some of the neatest places and on some of the coolest projects, from pioneer trails through mountain passes to 15,000 ft runways for the military and every other type of project in between.

I’ve worked in 26 States, Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific, Columbia, Peru, Chile, Canada and a few other places; all because of a motor grader.

I can’t wait to get to work tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Randy

 

[Randy Krieg]

Far from boring (cont.)

Just using some imagination!

 

[Randy Krieg]

Far from boring (cont.)

Oh the possibilities...............

 

[Randy Krieg]

Far from boring (cont.)

and this is just a small portion of what's possible................. Where else would you get to crash a brand new $250,000.00 machine just to test the ROPS?????? Boring??? Not hardly..

 

[Turbo21835]

Also great to see pictures of your adventures Mr Krieg. I have to say you have been the inspiration that has caused me to spend all my free time at the training center on a grader. Ive even been told by our 25 year grader veteran at the training center that I have what it takes. Maybe its because ive spent most of my dirt career around finish grading crews. The last season was fine grading with a small dozer. That being said. Its hard for a young guy like me to find a seat in a grader. Maybe one day, but until then, i think im gonna be stuck with this demo stuff.

Just curious, what work did you do on Johnston Atoll? The company I work for did a major demolition project on the atoll a few years ago. From what I understand theres not much left there these days. In fact, The last 6 months of the project they lived on a ship the company leased

 

[Randy Krieg]

Stick with it!!!!

:thumbsup Turbo

If you keep showing interest the right person will spot you soon enough.

I was on Johnston Atoll in 89. We milled up and repaved the runway and parking apron. I don't know if you're aware of what Johnston Atoll was? Originally it was used to detonate 3 Nuclear weapons. After the island was cleared up it became a Chemical Munitions storage area. In the late 80s Brown & Root built a Chemical incineration plant there to destroy Chemical stockpiles I believe as part of the salt II treaty with the Soviets. Every horrible agent you would never want to come in contact with was stored on that Island. We were required to carry a gas mask and three antidote kits with us anytime we were down wind of the plant. Once all the agents were incinerated the plant was torn down and the Island is now abandoned. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/johnston_atoll.htm

There were 1500 people on that little Atoll when I was there. It's only 2 1/2 miles long and a 1/2 mile wide. Best food I've ever eaten in my life was there. That's what they had to do to get good people to go. Lot of people didn't want to go due to all nasty stuff there.

Regards, Randy

 

[Lashlander]

Love the pictures Randy. We came in second on a sheetwall job at Johnson Atoll in 97. I was really hoping to get it but an outfit out of Hawaii got under us. Might have been the Mob cost.
You need to post more pics. I know you got em.:thumbsup

 

[stretch]

Who says that operating a grader is boring? (Honestly, I can't say because I've never been in one! Though I wouldn't mind trying it out...)

Randy, sounds like you have some interesting stories. More pics please?

 

[Dirtman2007]

I guess I'm one of the young ones who found motorgraders interesting. I've had the oportunity to to have some seat time in an old John deere 590 grader. Thing was older than I was but it did the job. More flippin leavers that I had ever seen in a machine before but after a few hours I was good to go. Takes time to get the fine grading part down pat, well I thought it looked good Last time I used it I was able to grade out 1500 tons of crush and run in a parking lot in about 8 hrs. Nice machine to run but I don't think I would like to be on one everyday.

 

[HoJay]

Very nice pics there Randy. I am a younger guy trying to get on grader but what i found was I get a day or two here and there but cant quite crack the line up,but the thing is we have about three or four guys that are just deadly finish blade hands, yeah kinda tough to get seat time and not for a lack of trying

 

[Grader4me]

Notice:...I never said anything...............yet!

Lol... don't you start mister man..I'm trying to be serious here

Nice pictures Randy :thumbsup

 

[Dozerboy]

I'd love to learn to run a blade, but for now I like demo there ain't no rain days.

 

[Deas Plant]

Booorrriiinnnnnnggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Hi, Folks.
I don't have Randy's eat time in graders only but I suspect I beat him in total seat time in all machines run. I've had about 10 years total in graders out of 43 1/2 years full time so far and I have found very little if any of it boring. Graders particularly are an interesting bit of gear to run 'cos more often than not, you are leaving finished product behind you. I'd suggest that if you are ever finding any operating boring, you may need to look at the quality of the work you are leaving behind you and/or your attitude.

Also, graders tend to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and Mr Fixit combined around earthworks, quite often being called on to fix some stuff-up somewhere. They often get a bit more overtime too, cleaning up and/or weather-proofing the job. It is also not uncommon for the graders to be first ones out after rain, drying out the haul roads and the fill areas.

The art of grader operation is being able to set your blade and your machine to take the material from where it needs to be taken to where it needs to be placed in the condition it needs to be in at placement in the least number of passes. The same pretty much applies to any earthmoving machine but it is paramount with graders.

 

[ovrszd]

grading

I'm a nineteen year veteran road maintenance blade operator. I've never finished grade on a construction project other than pads for buildings or someone's personal driveway.

I would agree that grader operation is either in you or not, regardless of years at the controls.

I would also agree that finish graders will very soon be running a computer rather than running a grader.

 

[digger242j]

Graders particularly are an interesting bit of gear to run 'cos more often than not, you are leaving finished product behind you. I'd suggest that if you are ever finding any operating boring, you may need to look at the quality of the work you are leaving behind you and/or your attitude.

No, the guy on the roller, that follows the grader, is leaving the finished product. And I defy you to tell me that that's not boring. :sleeping

:cool2