[geargrrl]

Last night our mtb club recieved a $2200 check, a conservation grant, from the local REI, in recongition of the work we've been doing.

The budget was written for trail tools, tools and more tools
Mcloeds
GPS/software
BOB with tool rack
rechargable drills
hip chain
clinometer
a couple of copies of IMBA's Trail Solutions and Natural Surfaces books
a measuring wheel
and some $$ for signs.

Since everyone has a pulaski, we didn't put any of those in the budget.

Here's some of our projects.
http://www.fttrc.org/trails.cfm

Now, if we can only find a generator, cheap. We forgot to put that in the budget, oops.

geargrrl

 

[GumbaFish]

Get a mattock if you don't already have one.

 

[rideit]

Explosives!

 

[skinny mike]

don't forget about the ever-popular rock bar!

 

[A.P]

Get a steel spiked rake. The one with the big steel , tubular spikes coming out at a 90 degree angle from the handle. They workreally well for buidling trails, they cut down thru the top pine needles and loose crap up top, are good for sculpting a ledge on an off camber part, and will move small logs, downed trees like a rake cant.

 

[SilentJ]

Get a mattock if you don't already have one.

Since everyone has a pulaski, we didn't put any of those in the budget.

Pulaski:

Mattock:

I find pulaski's a little more useful, though in rocky terrain I suppose a mattock would be better.

 

[SilentJ]

Get a steel spiked rake. The one with the big steel , tubular spikes coming out at a 90 degree angle from the handle. They workreally well for buidling trails, they cut down thru the top pine needles and loose crap up top, are good for sculpting a ledge on an off camber part, and will move small logs, downed trees like a rake cant.

McLeods are killer for that:

 

[PatBranch]

I need a mcleod. They are just so expensive.

 

[lovebunny]

mcleods are the best tools ever

 

[maxyedor]

I need a mcleod. They are just so expensive.

If I have any scrap steel plate lying around mext time I'm at my parents place I'll make a couple and send one up your way, but only if you swear to beat SB kids with it. I was at Knapp's the other day and goddamn are some of those wids anoying.

But back to the subject at hand, Geargirl that's sweet, if you don't have one allready I would recomend a small to medium sized gas powered chain-saw. an axe will work, but for downed trees it's about the best tool you could ever want

 

[PatBranch]

That would be really cool. Thanks! Just make sure it's sturdy .

I will do it .

 

[lovebunny]

If I have any scrap steel plate lying around mext time I'm at my parents place I'll make a couple and send one up your way, but only if you swear to beat SB kids with it. I was at Knapp's the other day and goddamn are some of those wids anoying.

But back to the subject at hand, Geargirl that's sweet, if you don't have one allready I would recomend a small to medium sized gas powered chain-saw. an axe will work, but for downed trees it's about the best tool you could ever want

id so pay you some good money to do that for me

 

[maxyedor]

id so pay you some good money to do that for me

The only issue is that I have no way to temper the steel, so I'm not sure how long they would last. I could always use some 1" plate it would have plenty of heft to it.

 

[lovebunny]

The only issue is that I have no way to temper the steel, so I'm not sure how long they would last. I could always use some 1" plate it would have plenty of heft to it.

thatd be perfect for the dirt out here. cause it doesnt pack for a damn

 

[jonKranked]

i'd absolutely recommend a mcleod. i've used a custom made one that was 1/4" plate steel and had 4 huge teeth made with a plasma cutter. it would even break through softball sized rocks. if i could only have one hand tool for trail building this would be it.


edit: the custom made one i used was named "stampy" - it made a good tamper too.

 

[urbaindk]

Maddocks are very useful in conjunction with a rock bar for moving very large rocks around. You jam the pick end under the rock and pull while another person pushes with the rock bar. You can pivot and surf the rock using maddock. The flat side of the maddock will slide around to where you want the rock. 2 people can surf a rock well over 100 lbs to it's desired location (as long as it's down hill). I've used this technique with the Vermont Long Trail Patrol on the AT to build huge rock retaining walls.

 

[geargrrl]

about half our regular crew uses/has pulaskis, other have the pick-mattocks already. In our terrain, the pick is kind of nice for pulling rocks out.

yeah, a rock pry bar would have been a good item to have on that list. Three people worked on that list, two of them have been building trail for many years, I think it was just an oversight.

at any rate, that's $2K more worth of cool tools than we had before...

gg

 

[urbaindk]

yeah, a rock pry bar would have been a good item to have on that list.
gg

Get the ones with a flat-chisel end and a pointy end if you can find them. They are better for jamming in between rocks than the ones with a tamper end.

 

[geargrrl]

But back to the subject at hand, Geargirl that's sweet, if you don't have one allready I would recomend a small to medium sized gas powered chain-saw. an axe will work, but for downed trees it's about the best tool you could ever want

one of our guys has one already. We were trying to think of things that you wouldn't have laying around the shop to use our grant for.

gg

 

[Greyhound]

This is one of my favorites. The Fiskars 17" splitting axe. Very light and the handle is unbreakable. The axe head is very sharp right out of the box and is very good steel whick sharpens easily. All of our crew has these and have put them through the torture-test for a few seasons. I highly recommend!