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General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: JV on December 26, 2008, 05:56:14 PM

Title: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: JV on December 26, 2008, 05:56:14 PM
We still have sheets of ice covering everthing including our long driveway.  My brother-in-law called and asked if I could spread some gravel over their new driveway as one delivery truck was stuck going uphill.  It's a simple drive through our barnlot and across a field, so I thought.  I fired up the track loader and started out across the lot and started up a sidehill.  Street track doesn't have a lot of grip on ice especially sideways.  It's suprising how fast a dozer can move sideways.  After recovering, I spread some #9 stone and got the truck out.  Hmmm, this might be fun out in the clear, no one close.  Figure 8's, doughnuts, might start a new sport.   :D
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Don_Papenburg on December 26, 2008, 09:26:24 PM
Ice and street pads ..........slipand slide .  I have pulled my crawler up a lot of slopes where  I had no intention of going..    But it was a fun ride .  An articulated four wheel drive  tractor sliding sideways  on ice while trying to make a turn is fun also.
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Left Coast Chris on December 26, 2008, 10:34:59 PM
It always seems like what ever you are driving when breaking loose on ice accelerates when it breaks loose.  It must just be the adrenline. :)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: JV on December 27, 2008, 09:04:24 AM
I don't mind it so much on the track loader, but the excavator is a different story.  That higher center of gravity has a tendency to increase your pucker power on the seat.  Several years ago I was cleaning out a deep V-ditch and from the edge of the bank to the bottom was a least 7 or 8 feet.  The bank was a long slope 25 to 30 degrees and was heavily grassed making it slippery with the style of track on the excavator.  While digging, the machine decided to suddenly head sideways for the ditch  I dropped the bucket and boom and pushed with the dipper while cranking the track at 45 degrees to the ditch.  Walked her up the bank and had a cup of coffee while my adrenaline level subsided.   :o
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: sprucebunny on December 27, 2008, 09:50:17 AM
We had some ice last winter ... not as much as this year, but plenty of ice with the record breaking snow.

My 17,000 ? pound backhoe did more than one 180 spin and it certainly did seem to accelerate when it lost it's grip  :o At least with a rubber tired machine you can put chains on . Maybe one could weld bolts to every third cleat on a steel track machine ???

It would be lovely to see a synchronized skidding performance with heavy equipment  ;D Maybe a new winter Olympic sport ???
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: JV on December 27, 2008, 10:41:04 AM
Yep, pairs skating with excavators, curling with D8's, and speed skating with pan scrapers.  I'd pay to see that.   :D
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Ron Scott on December 27, 2008, 11:05:29 AM
Be sure that the dozers are chained down good when moving them on the lowboy. I've seen a few of them skate right off the lowboy. Not a good situation, especially if on a busy highway.
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: pigman on December 27, 2008, 11:36:12 AM
Quote from: Left Coast Chris on December 26, 2008, 10:34:59 PM
It always seems like what ever you are driving when breaking loose on ice accelerates when it breaks loose.  It must just be the adrenline. :)

It is not adrenline. It is because in almost all cases the coefficient of static friction is greater than the coefficient of kinetic friction.
Several years back I was using my old TD 15 to clear a heavy snow here on the farm. We had a thick layer of ice under the snow. After shutting of the dozer off on a slight grade sideways, it slid sideways about 100 ft to the bottom of the grade. One of the best  sled rides I have ever had. ::)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Don_Papenburg on December 27, 2008, 10:00:04 PM
Most street pads have holes for caulks . I just put 5/8 " bolts in my pads for caulks . It does not slip as much on ice now.
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Paul_H on December 27, 2008, 10:23:02 PM
We lost a friend that we grew up with in early 93, when the D8 he was plowing snow with,shot sideways off the icey logging road  and plunged hundreds of feet down towards the lake.The D8 scattered pieces all the way down but he was thrown from the machine and crushed to death just below the road.
A sack of ice lugs and a hour and a half's welding would have saved a lot of sorrow.


If you type these coordinates into google earth,it should give a good idea of the country there.It's 40 minutes NE of my place here.


  50°33'57.70"N   122°29'0.56"W
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: isawlogs on December 27, 2008, 10:53:00 PM

Paul , I feel for you , I have lost a friend on the high steel to stupidity also , rushing a job never got no one ahead . I lost part of a shoulder to a bosses lack of sense .   >:( 
  We had every thing there to set up the job properly , he came around and put a stop to the instalation of the trolly beam that would of allowed us to bring the steel plates to the work table from where the crane could let um go . He had us carry the plates in . Was ok at the time , they where heavy but not too heavy that two men could not carry them ... but Murphy stepped up to bat and had me doing physiotherapy for five years to regain use of my left arm .

   I took the google trip there Paul ..  nice mountains to work out of . One needs to have respect for those types of jobs . I am able to see the logging show on history channel.
I lift my hat to you, mon ami, thats hard work .  :) ;) :)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Paul_H on December 27, 2008, 11:09:12 PM

That lake is Anderson and it's getting into the drier interior of BC towards Lillooet.My family had a cabin on the East side of the lake when I was growing up.It's pretty country for sure.

When you come out here we'll take a long day trip around that area.Pemberton,over Bralorne,Lillooet and back to Pemberton. :)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: OneWithWood on December 29, 2008, 10:11:17 AM
Early on in my learning curve with the JD450 craler/loader I discovered that grouser tracks slide perfectly well on frozen soils.  After doing the tobagon thing on a steep slope littered with stumps I found a seat belt for the machine.  Now if the ground is frozen I don't venture far.
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: twobears on December 29, 2008, 07:20:31 PM

PAUL:I,AM sorry to hear about your friend.
i,ve taken a few sliding rides..dozers and log skidders.the worst one was on a skidder.we had a trail that crossed a mountain stream.the banks where very steep on both sides and on the uphill side there was a springhole.there was a old skidder trail and the ruts from it.each trip it got icier until one trip i couldn,t make it.i got right to the top and lost it.the skidder slid back down the bank and when it was all over the skidder was standing on the back tires and top of the arch.i was still in the seat looking straight up at god.
ever try getting off a skidder standing on it,s tail??? i got off and walked out to the landing.my boss was picking on me the whole time.."just get on it and drive it out of there"
we went back with another skidder and he wouldn,t even get near it to hook a chain on the blade to pull it out of there..lol oooooooo,yyyyaaaaaaaa.i picked on him about "get on it and drive it out of there.."show me how it,s done".
the same winter i spunout on a mountain trail and went backwards for a good 300 yards.we had chains on the front of the skidder and once i spun out they turned into skates.
there was a good 4 feet of snow and i didn,t darn to go off the trail..i figured the trail was so steep the skidder would turn sideways on the trail and trip over then keep on sliding down the hill on it,s side.it was atleast a 60 degree slope.we had to use two skidder to open the trail.we had them hooked together and would go until one of us got stuck.we had a 640 in the front and i was on a 540.the 640 would go until he got stuck and i,de push him or he would winch me if i got stuck...fun,fun,fun!!

  delbert
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: fishpharmer on December 29, 2008, 10:18:15 PM
I am sorry to hear about a tragedy.  Just don't ever know when the Good Lord is going to take you.

Makes me recall the American Chopper show that had the big daddy guy slide a backhoe in a pond. Then a dozer almost did the same pulling it out.  It was funny to watch afterward but there were many levels of tragedy that could have happened.

I hate to preach but those big machines are super useful, often fun, but, never a toy.
Hope you don't mind me chiming in I work alot with tractors, backhoes, dozers and trackhoes.

The new guy,
James
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: JV on December 29, 2008, 10:46:44 PM
My original posts were meant to be a light-hearted jest, not to suggest that anyone should seriously do this on purpose.  I have operated equipment for many years without anything but the usual bumps and scrapes.  I do take safety seriously and have stopped a job more than once for safety concerns.  I had a crusty old superintendent and a safety officer who wouldn't hesitate to stop work if safety were an issue.  Hope no one thought I actually suggested to do anything unsafe.   ;)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: DanG on December 29, 2008, 11:56:52 PM
Not to worry, JV.  We all enjoy the stories about the occasional dodged bullet, and the joy that comes from having dodged it.  At the same time, it is a good thing that others voice cautions to those that might not be aware of the dangers involved. ;)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: twobears on December 30, 2008, 10:07:34 AM

yep:it,s a good thing to talk about close calls and accidents it just might save a life someday.
i,de much rather offend somebody on here then hear somebody went to the woods or sawmill and died because they just didn,t know how deadly something can be.
we work in a industry that has taken alot of lives over the years and saddly it,ll take alot more.
the northern logger mag had a article in it this month about a new hire.the boss took him back in the woods and showed him where to cut.he left and 20 minutes later he came back and found the guy dead. no hard hat and a four inch tree limb hit him in the head.they sure could have used some safety training or atleast some good reading on it.

delbert
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Sprucegum on December 30, 2008, 10:20:36 AM
Grow'n up I did lots of side-slipin, doughnout burn'n and 4-wheel skid'n just for fun  8)   ::)  ::)

But that first skid sideways in a Cat was a whole different feeling  :o  :o

Keep Yer Stick On The Ice
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: bck on December 30, 2008, 02:49:44 PM
Saw on the news today a city employee somewhere fell through the ice on the city's $200,000 piece of equipment . They had to get scuba divers to hook chains to pull it out. Thing is he was not supposed to be there, he was on the was to his house to clear his driveway  :)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Ironwood on December 30, 2008, 08:57:52 PM
I believe he was trying to clear out a path for ice fishing  :o. In high school buddy sank a Farmall M thru the swamp trying to clean the ice for hockey. He never did that again! We all learned that day. Fortunately they got it out. His dad was PITHED.

We also lost an operator here on a dozer cutting a bank on ice.

This is a good arguement for the skidloader tracks that are bar stock, as there is some beef to weld cross cleats to fro winter traction.

Ironwood
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: Paul_H on December 30, 2008, 10:20:32 PM
Quote from: JV on December 29, 2008, 10:46:44 PM
My original posts were meant to be a light-hearted jest, not to suggest that anyone should seriously do this on purpose. 

JV,

The thread you started was a good one and we've all laughed at our close calls and I have enjoyed the stories posted here.The story I related about the D8 was a reminder of the potential danger of ice but wasn't meant to be morbid.
Laughter is good medicine :)
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: twobears on December 31, 2008, 08:10:55 AM

heres another one i just remembered.i was working in the same area as my backflipping skidder.
i was cutting my own hitches and with the soow being so deep i didn,t get all the branches off my trees.i dragged the hitch out onto the frozen skidder trail locked the brakes and put the blades down.i got off the skidder and started to limb my hitch.the trail was solid ice so i was walking on the hitch.as i got up into the tops things started moving.before it was over i was flatout running on those trees..but,i wasn,t going anyplace.
the skidder took off down that icey trail even tho i had the brakes locked and blade down.i had leftthe winch released so it unwound right to the end and the skidder got moving pretty good before the hitch moved.i was facing away from the skidder and had my trusty husky 272 running so i never knew what was going on until the hitch took off flying.i very well could have been cut by my saw or crushed by the hitch.

delbert
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: JV on December 31, 2008, 10:40:56 AM
Equipment can bite you anytime if you lose focus.  I stepped backwards out of a backhoe forgetting that on this occasion the stabilizers were fully extended.  Looked at the summer sky on my back reflecting on my error.  Bruised pride only.  Another coworker stepped backwards out of a rough terrain crane forgetting he had just swung it leaving the steps out of position.  Again a chance to look at Mother Nature's beauty from a prone position.  Finishing for the day on a storm sewer installation and everyone was anxious to go home.  The last dump truck pulled away and for some reason the driver decided to back up.  He struck an overhead power line brace pole causing the lines to swing and short.  I was going over some drawings sitting in a vehicle under the lines.  Now I've heard that high voltage buzz before and didn't need to look.  The crew said the old fat man looked like a blue badger crossing the road, low and fast.  The lines didn't part thankfully.  The driver got my point not to back up without a spotter in the future.  :D
Title: Re: New Winter Sport - Dozer Skating
Post by: rowerwet on February 01, 2009, 04:54:02 PM
Up on lake Winipisaukee in NH a guy drove a rented buldozer  out on the ice trying to get to one of the Islands I think, the firewater he drank before hand probably didn't help when it went through. I don't think he made it out, I read the story of the diver that had to recover the dozer. after it floated with all the airbags he could find, he had to swim underneath the suspended dozer to get a heavy enough cable around it so it could be towed to the launch ramp. He said he never swam so fast in his life.