The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:38 pm**

I have hired a small honda petrol wacker from Jewsons to compact the scalpings for a small gravel area in front of the house. This is my first time with a wacker!

Ive ended up with a patchy result, some areas are great but others still consist of large loose stones, particulary at the edges, but also in the middle.

What am i doing wrong? Do i push or pull? do i keep the machine flat or angle forward/backward? and how do you turn around!!

Should i introduce sharp sand to the loose areas and wack again?

looosing sleep over this one!!!

Help!

Posted: **Sun Jun 18, 2006 8:16 pm**

The plate should drag you along behind it!

From your description of areas having lots of large loose stones, it sounds as though the sub-base material itself is at fault, and has distinct portions of lumps and of fines instead of being thoroughly mixed with an even distribution of big bits and lickle bits.

Proper consolidation of a sub-base requires AT LEAST 8 passes of the plate; even more for deeper sub-bases, or when you're lumbered with a farty little plate. It should progress forward of its own accord and just require a light guiding hand from you. If you need to push or to pull, or it's hard to steer, there's summat up!

The Brew Cabin

Wacker technique - How to use