The ins and outs of milling .

[kick'n assphalt]

Ill add a couple and let the list happen as it will. #1 always know where your ground men are at at all times. #2 Always make eye contact with your operator/ground guy before anything happens . #3 teeth ar not cheep , but its better than aa rebuild

 

[hoosier]

Do a walk around before getting up top.

Check your fluids of course.

Lock out & Tag out before doing maintenance.

Before milling in a minefield I will go paint lines where the manholes and water valves etc..are located.

I try to avoid walking next to the live traffic lane so I generally set my autos on 1 side of the machine.

Be Safe!

 

[Blue Collar]

If your unsure what needs milled and the depth to mill, always ask the foreman in charge. Most important is to make sure when ya unload the machine in the morning to start work is that everything is working, do maintence at night not 20 minutes before the start time.

 

[milling_drum]

Its always nice to have some help around thats on the same page and not trying to fight you on everything.....

And....show up on TIME!

 

[Blue Collar]

Dont call your boss for every stupid, little question. Figure everything out for yourself that you can, dispatchers and supervisors have enough going on, and it will save you from getting your a** ripped later.

 

[milling_drum]

Thats a biggie Blue Collar....the minions complaining over decisions they don't understand.

 

[Buster F]

The metal detector is your best friend. 1 hour of labor is much cheaper than an hour of downtime, a broken shaft, 5 holders, and 2 dozen teeth (not to mention a really pissed contractor).

 

[Toegrinder]

The metal detector is your best friend. 1 hour of labor is much cheaper than an hour of downtime, a broken shaft, 5 holders, and 2 dozen teeth (not to mention a really pissed contractor).

I agree with that, it doesn't hurt to carry one incase. However, if I hit something that is burried and not marked (which we all have many times), the contractor has another thing coming if he things he is going to chew my ass out. It will be the other way around. It is his/her responsibility to talk to the planners/engineer to find out if there is anything burried that might get in our way. We don't get paid to nor are we in the business of locating.:Banghead

 

[milling_drum]

Aight a question...

Doing cutbacks on side streets, what do the users prefer? start on the curb or the center off the high spot?

I like to start on the high spot (crown) and work out to the curb so you have room to crab or move off the curb as required.

Once again something like this has been a huge souce of aggravation with people I've worked with over the years and it isn't so much that my way is the right way but lets try it and then try YOUR way....

Another little thing...I cannot count how many times I've seen foremen/job supers mark manholes incorrectly. To spray a circle around it is not going to help if the machine is on top of it and it can't be seen. I like to mark them off to the side on the curbs so the operator has a heads up its there. They should be marked with a stop/start mark right next to the machine as it goes over it.

And don't forget to remind the sweeper not to cover them up as they pass by and cover it with millings, and the marks. Use the curb.

Again, I'm obviously just some idiot according to half a dozen milling people for making these suggestions, they have no problem running over iron and changing teeth then complaining about it.

See pictures to share 2 for examples

 

[kick'n assphalt]

I always cut my mainline or main part out first then the radius. On the radius pass you can cut along the curb first and then sometimes pop the wedge thats left out with a little bump of the track, or work your way to the curb from the middle and your sidegate will always stay matching on one side. When marking out utilitys its always with lines , a start and a stop.Long lines too, and if im on the ground and the operator is steering the opposite side I will give him some lines so he knows something is coming up . As far as the broom man , well its probable not going to sink in untill you cram the f69k out of something he covered up and you can let him know it better not happen again. nicely..

 

[milling_drum]

Moving right along.....

Be prepared at all times to make a decision on your cut. If you require using slope, have a rough idea of what the current is and what YOU need to cut. Try not to stop the machine to make an adjustment because it can quite usually be seen easily the contractor...either a hole or a ridge...hit it on the fly and make sure your at least close or you will know it in less than a second

On city streets in Ft Meyers Fl many years ago I got to show a few ****** how to save themselves the aggravation of running grade versus using the slope box. There was no curb and the road was seriously eroded in certain spots. In those low eroded areas the outside of the cutter wasn't touching the asphalt if you stayed with a 1.8 to 2 percent slope, cutting it on the grade they told you too would dig a huge hole on the outside....In the end everybody was happy with the way things turned out....only after a yelling and screaming match was this possible.

 

[Turtle]

Preparation helps

Always review the job with the customers foreman before milling. Review the job with your crew as well so everyone knows what's coming up.
Explain to the dumb truck drivers how you are planning on milling the job and try to stage the trucks so they aren't all piled up in one spot.
This will help keep them flowing in and out with out being in each others way.

 

[Blue Collar]

Ha, most of the time i feel like im talking to a tree when i try to explain the routine to the truck drivers. If they **** ya off just sign them out or what i usually do is load the crap of the guy and nicely tell him to shut up and i will load him nice and legal. Now if its a good looking women driver, lets just say im more patient.

 

[milling_drum]

If we had started a truck thread here, we would all be kicked off this server if we told the truth

Hahahahaha

 

[roadtecrumbler]

I always like when they come up to you first thing in the morning when your filling up with water and warming the machine up and ask what were doing today. Gee its pretty hard to figure out with the mill sitting there running! Another one we always get is how many days does it take to pull out and put in a new set of teeth they seem to think it takes over a day for sum reason. Cant fix stuipd I guess!

 

[milling_drum]

What about after hitting something and being in the housing changing teeth or worse, and they come up to you asking "how far are you guys going today?"

I've almost thrown Y bars and hammers at them...

 

[kick'n assphalt]

Milling drum, kindly explain to the incoherent, blind, stick shifter, gear jammer to see how much smoke he can make, not much further as long as you are answering (STUPID)questions..LOL...

 

[milling_drum]

This time last year while I was with Texop. One foreman, the estimator and myself did our own traffic control, swept behind the mill, watered the mill...cut over 24,000 yards in a day.

Good people to work with...the best ever.

 

[Toegrinder]

This time last year while I was with Texop. One foreman, the estimator and myself did our own traffic control, swept behind the mill, watered the mill...cut over 24,000 yards in a day.

Good people to work with...the best ever.

Why leave them then...?

 

[milling_drum]

The same as it always is with all southern outfits = $$$$

I'm working with another really swift mill person right now too. Union fella from Illinois.