Question about running sand too thin in a cut...

I was working a channel on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge last week and had the suction start pulling way too much sand, nearly lost my cutterhead. Do you guys pull back on swing speed or adjust the ladder angle first when that happens?

2 comments

2 Comments

hart.taylor23d ago

Why are you changing anything at all? Running sand thin means you're getting good production and the cutter is doing its job, so back off the swing speed slowly instead of messing with the ladder angle. That way you keep a steady cut without pulling the cutterhead out of the material or risking a washout underneath it. You'll lose way less time than fighting the ladder and you won't bury yourself in a hole.

craig.nathan23d ago

Man, you nailed it, that's exactly the kind of down-to-earth advice that saves a guy a headache.