I did some more work on the range. The path required that one section of a facility in which the previous owners raised chickens, be removed. This was an unfinished "yard" which was never enclosed. However; in their accustomed quest for immortal structures, this was an amazing exercise.



The posts I had to remove, were 4 by 4 treated posts. They stood about 5 feet out of the ground. Each post was set in about 300 pounds of concrete! It was about all the tractor could do to pull them up. Required a bit of a tug/relax/tug rythm to get them to move.



There were quite a few involved.



Between the posts, were treated 2 by 10's toenailed to the posts, as a ground retaining barrier at the bottom. These were 16 penny ring nails! And plenty of them. I wrapped a chain around them and hooked it to my tractor bucket. Trying to pull them straight off the posts just raised the rear of the tractor! This was an exercise yard for a dozen CHICKENS! Wow.



I cleared the path and planed the ground smooth. Yeah. Only took five times as long as I anticipated.



Recently; I took out a couple of extra pine trees that were in the way. They became new edging for some of the many paths on the property. It has a "campground" or "lodge" look that I find relaxing. Kelly has enjoyed helping me with these projects. She's a great helper.



The path from the shooting shed to near the end of the lane is 115 yards. That's a conservative usage of the space.

I will be constructing some "blast walls" to keep the sound on my property. These are the type I've seen at some gun ranges. Posts in a line. Around the posts (both sides) you staple chichen wire to a height of maybe 8 feet. Then, you put some wires between both sides of the wire to hold that together ... and fill the enclosed cage with mulch. Thus, you create a spongy wall which will absorb sound very well - and it looks pretty natural - is easy to "top off" as the mulch composts. I plan to build my walls in a serpentine footprint to make them a bit more self suporting and give me more visual interest. Should be fairly quick. I hope to use some recycled materials here on the place.



Speaking of mulch .... I've run a few more piles of cut off tree limbs and stray saplings thru the chipper. I decided to sharpen the flail knives (36 of them) as sharpening the flywheel knives (4) made soooo much difference. I would need a hand grinder to sharpen the 36 swinging tool steel serrated blades. The chipper was set up far from electricity so I got the "Mobile Hydrocarbon Tesla Unit" (We like to call it the MHTU here on the Base ... It might appear to the initial glance to be a small gas generator on a wagon pulled by a garden tractor ... but if you look it up ... I'm sure you will appreciate the subtle differences ....

Well, I got into the works ... and got everything all ship shape. By golly - this thing will eat wood. BTW - I made a quick plywood extension hopper to get me even farther from the knives.

I think that's all the pics. I'll edit if needed. Thanks for reading along.

It's going to be a good range. I have to fence the property edge in that area too. And post some signs regarding the range. I'll keep you up to date. Can't wait to get it complete.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2012 05:55AM by barnespneumatic.

Looks like a good job for that tractor saving many hours of work! Hey somotimes that 3point hitch has a lot more power for certain tasks around the farm.Plus you have the weight of the moter for counter balance. ( did i just say farm ) ? hey you said chickens hehehe !!! I did notice a a beer can holder in that fender that i like. Mite have to find an after market one for mine.( not that i promote drinking and farming)

Thanks
Kurt

Hi Kurt,
Ah - you're right. Three point hitch! But I need some sort of frame. Humm.. I have a scraper blade - could use a chain on that. But things get so bulky with something front and back. I'll check.
Hey - I think that's only a bottled water cup holder. Not sure it would work with beer ... would have to refer to the manual ...
Gary

All you need is a draw bar with to pins and a bunch of holes and you could put a 2 in ball where ever you need it and hall the gennie also . When i got my tractor i actually made a telescopic boom for it out of 4in sch 40 with insert it works easy . Only about 3ft long compressed for unloading things out the back of pickup truck. But it is very cumbersum to be in a twisted position seated foward looking backwards !! Can not do that very long

Nice work there, hopefully you can re-use those pressure-treat posts for some of the new range work. That treated wood ain't cheap anymore, you can't burn it and some dumps say they won't take treated wood unless you pay hazmat rates, so it's hard to legally get rid of it unless you just park it somewhere and ignore it.

I think the mulch wall idea has merit, though you may find that Kelly is robbing you of compost when planting season comes around. If she starts watering your range walls, you'd better make her a big compost bin right off the bat. I'm guessing that you'll easily have enough mulch to feed both of them, especially if you keep finding trees you don't want that will fit into the chipper. Amazing tool there, if perhaps a big scary to run.

If you're wanting to use the 3-point hitch to lift, you might keep an eye out for the attachment that they sell to haul those huge round hay-bales. It looks like a big spike poking out of the back of the hitch. They back up the tractor and jam the spike through the center of the rolled bales, then hoist them up and drive off. They're built pretty sturdy, and if you find one used they're not too expensive. Bore some shackle holes along the length of the spike and you can use it to drag logs, chain-lift stumps, etc. Sometimes you can get the spike into places the forks won't fit, and it carries the weight on the back axle which is good for traction. You can always put some gravel in the bucket for a counterbalance if you need it. Of course, you DO have to remember it's out back when you're driving since it swings pretty wide when you turn sharply.

Hi Sean,

She has a compost cage. It even has three compartments and stacking board fronts to add as the height grows. But, alas ... I'm not sure she's into composting. Whatchagonna do? hahaha.

The plans and build is progressing on the range house. Man - simple things are not simple.

And, being nearly completely dark at 5pm now REALLY stinks. Especially with so much outside prep work to do.

Hey - I've actually enjoyed some of the "Alaska - The final Frontier" series. Not so much drama. Man - I think that Atz guy is perhaps getting a bit long in the tooth for all the bull work. That's a place and a lifestyle that isn't going to be easy on the frail.

Gary

Gary,

You've made tremendous progress!

Projects like the range serve two purposes, you tidy up the property at the same time, unless of course you had planned on a KFC franchise in the near future.

Lon

Well Lon ...

I have the white chin whiskers, and I can get a white suit. However; they tell me I'm too tall ....

Gary,

You know where the KFC empire started right? Corbin, Ky.

Lon

Hello Gary

I've seen a couple of episodes of that show, and it does seem to be a cut above the usual super-dramatized Alaska themed "reality" show. There was an episode last winter where they were relentlessly highlighting the fact that if he didn't get some firewood cut and split he'd freeze up the cabin. It seemed more than a bit over the top, since it was pretty obviously the result of poor prior planning and even a rookie doesn't make that mistake twice. There was also a vignette where they pointed out the perils of using an outhouse at twenty below that was probably UNDER-dramatized, and if you've never had that "privilege" I can assure you that you are NOT missing out on a "bucket list" item.

And yes, that is a HARD work lifestyle, though he seems to have accumulated quite a collection of ostensibly labor-saving machinery to help him with the worst of the grunt labor. Arguably, he might be better served by selling some of his more recalcitrant equipment and purchasing one good 4wd tractor that he doesn't have to repair EVERY TIME he wants to use it, but I'm sure he probably has that in common with most farmers and ranchers no matter where they live. The true homesteader / subsistence lifestyle is best left to the younger set or those with lots of strapping young sons, but he's hardly alone in that respect either, I saw a LOT of really, really old ranchers out and about at the gas stations and grocery stores last time I drove through Montana and Wyoming.

On the other hand, the area where he lives is one of the prettiest parts of south central Alaska, I've flown over it many times. In fact, when I used to make the run down to the hospital in Homer, I'd often use the route over the Fox River valley when the clouds didn't permit a direct flight over the Boxcar hills. If it was an especially pretty day and the patient wasn't really critical, even the medical crew would sometimes ask to detour a bit to see the upper end of that valley since it's pretty much inaccessible any other way and it wouldn't really add much time to the flight. The whole area around Homer is quite scenic, it's one of my favorite locations on the Kenai Peninsula.

"CA...N'T BREEE.....thhhhh ....

SHUT UP and enjoy the scenery! Killjoy.

The last frontier is one of my Favorite reality shows.I can appreciate the homesteaders life style and all the hard work they do. There are 10000 of others who live that way and for at least 10 yrs have told my wife i wanted to live like that for oh maybe two winters and i am sure it would be out of my system. She of course said in a most loving voice go ahead and i will wait for you when you come back and maybe visit you once . hehehe . The episode that got me the most was when atz and his bro went up to the vally to kill bear that were eating cattle and saw a couple of black bear while the boys went hunting somewere else ( same episode ) and couldnt find any four leg protien to carry them thru the winter. 2 birds with one stone?hmmmm. But the area is the most beautiful i have seen and very comparable to a few places i lived in upper pennunsula of Mich where i am hoping to retire and raise a worm farm and open air gun repair shop some day soon. Back to the range i really like that idea of the chix wire mulch fence to deaden the sound and even the serpentine shape to enhance integrity is awsome idea Gary . I might have to borrow that one here in my yard

I think you may become dangerous with that chipper. If you use it to fill your mulch wall, I don't think you'll have any standing trees on the property. Hey, why don't you combine the mulch wall with the worm farm opertunity and it will pay for itself.

Kent

I'm sceert ah worms. hahaa.

Yeah - I wasn't planning on making custom mulch for the whole blast wall. Saw a place around here with free mulch. Might have to snag some of that. Of course ... grass, twigs, pine needles, vines .... guess they all can become mulch. I'll see. Or - I can buy all those different color mulches and combine them in layers and patterns like an Indian Blanket!

hahah

GAry

Yeah, the kids would love to layer the colored mulch. It would be like sand art on steroids.