Trenching

I am upgrading the electric line to the barn to handle 220 volts.  Because the electric lines to the well and all the out buildings are very old (cloth wrapped wire) and a hassle being overhead lines (I worry about a tree branch taking out the electric lines to the well in the Winter), I am doing an upgrade to new wire and placing the wire underground in conduits.

First step (after getting an estimate and selecting an electrician) was to call Udig.  They wouldn't guarantee the locator would call prior to coming and their estimate for them coming was for Wednesday or Thursday last week.  They said I had to mark the location of where I was digging.  I laid ropes down.

Fortunately I was here when the locator arrived last Wednesday.  Marking the location was pointless as my digging locations were all 'beyond the meters'.  The locator studied the maps and then marked where the gas and telephone lines came to the house.  Udig doesn't check for any electric or water lines that an individual may have buried 'past the meter.'  Udig was useless.

Udig's markings

 
Sunday I hand dug in a few places.  I found the electric line that goes to my well (along with a few tree roots).

I found the drain field pipe from my grey water septic system.  I was amazed to find the pipe on my first attempt to dig straight down when I only had a general idea of where the pipe was from the time I opened up the septic tank ten or so years ago.

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I had an electric wire buried that left the garage building and went who knows where?  I had the time and had no problems digging so I dug between the garage and tool shed, and then between the garage and where the line will go to attach to the trench to the barn.  The electrician preferred the trench to be here rather than the shortest way between the house and garage (due to concerns about the willow tree roots).

I didn't find the wire.  After I was done digging the electrician found where the wire came into the tool shed.  A board in front of the tool shed hid and protected the wire.  The wire was for 220 volts as the overhead wire was only 110 volts.  The wire's outlet was funky looking and the electrician thought it may have been used for a welder in the past.

Hand digging out from the house.

All the other areas I had dug by hand.

Yesterday (Monday) I rented a trencher to finish the digging.  I know my uncles must be shaking their heads as they know I like digging with a shovel by hand.  But I wanted to get done sooner than later and the trench would cross my driveway which is very hard packed gravel.

From pickup time to return time I had the trencher a little less than four hours.  A half hour plus of that time was the electrician and his worker checking where I had/was trenching and for the electrician to update his helper (who would actually do the work as the electrician was going on vacation in a few days) as to what had to be done.

Also a time sponge was the fact the trencher would not quite drive up the small tilt trailer for transport.  The tires wouldn't quite get a grip on the smooth wood and I couldn't quite get the trencher over the small extra 'bump' board on the middle of the trailer.  Because one had to hold their handle on a button at all times for the machine to run I couldn't quite push/pull the trencher to help it.  I called and asked Donna to come hold the button but she elected to give the trencher an little push while I handled the button and controls.  That extra push did the trick.


The trencher was a pain to operate.  All levers has to be in a 'neutral' position before the engine would start.  The forward/backward lever was tricky as it had to be in a certain spot which could be hard to find.  If the button was not pressed down the engine would die.
 
Levers (from left to right):

1. Orange: speed
2. Blue: some sort of lock which I left alone.
3. Green: raises and lowers the bar with the chain
4. Orange with button: forward and backward.  It also controlled the wheels for turning.  This was annoying as sometimes the wheels swiveled fast and other times slow.  And times I wanted the wheels to turn they wouldn't and other times when I didn't want them to turn, they did.  In the end I hand dug straighter lines than by using the machine.
5. Next Orange: engages the hydraulics.
6. Yellow: starts and stops the trenching chain.

I did inside the corral first.  After I finished trenching and started to drive out of the corral Buddy came over. I easily made it through the gate as he went wild rubbing his face and neck in the fresh dirt.  Then with a dirty face he stood up and bellowed for the cows.  Half the dirt has been pushed back in the trench by now and the rest spread about.  Later I placed boards over the trench so he and the steer do not accidentally step in the trench and twist their leg.

The trenches. Tuesday I will clean them up, fix the connections between various trenches, and fix the corral trench.  Our high Monday was a new record at 94 degrees F and while the trencher was faster, wrestling the machine was still work.

Wednesday the electrician will bring the conduit and wire so I can backfill the trenches, then they will hook up the various buildings during slack time on their current projects they are working on.

Here is a 25 second video of the trencher operating:  https://youtu.be/_DYIi2H-5fQ

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