first of all Cat blades all the way
for instance yesterday i went to a new job with 4 inlets and a high point in the middle of the road and i know to keep my runs long but it is hard for me to define the ridge points by making those long runs. its easier for me to dish out the inlets first then make longer runs touching it up.
like if you had a parking lot with inlets flowlines high points you would start at the lowest pints and work your way to the high points right?
As mentioned above , it's a tough call to give specific advice of a job without actually seeing it . Way too many variables , and it's rare to find two operators that do things the same .
That said , I can share some advice or tips of things I've learned along the way .
I can concur with the good advice already given . Take your time . Patience really is the virtue of a good finisher , and that saying of experience is the best teacher is so true . One of the best grader operators I've ever had the privilage to have worked and learned from once told me that he only really felt 100% confident after about 7 years of finishing under his belt . It really blew my mind at the time , but as I too get older and more experienced , I appreciate him saying it more and more .
Visualization is also very important . Try and picture what it should look like when it's finished . It really helps to have a mental picture as a goal to achieve . Again , this takes time and experience , for some it takes a lot longer to grasp then others .
Professionalism . My personal pet peeve is getting into a machine thats filthy . I've seen machines that you can barely see daylight thru the windows and the stench of rotting month old lunches is over powering . How can you finish if you can't see and you're struggling to breath ? To me , being a professional is about having a great work ethic and having good habits . Strive to keep your work area clean . Neat and tidy makes work less stressful . This also includes daily fluid checks . I alternate doing the windows one day and greasing the next while it's either warming up in the morning or when refueling . Also , I usually give most surfaces in the cab a quick wipe down during those rare times you find waiting for something or someone . Oh , and I usually sweep up the floor when waiting for it to cool down before I shut it off . If you do it regularly and make it a habit , you'd be surprised at how little time it actually takes to keep it clean and a somewhat more healthy environment to live in . Think about it this way , I'm in that thing 10-13 hours per day , 5-7 days a week . It's almost more time then spend at home so "living" in a clean machine has got to be better for me then if I breathed dust and dirt and crap all day .
Well , I may chime in with more later , but Im done for now :sleeping
As mentioned in the above post that I should reiterate is that what works for one guy or gal doesn't always for another . Having a good attitude helps , as does being able to turn a big challenge into usable product .
Anyway , sorry I can't be more help with your parking lot issue , and for the length of my ramblings:sleeping
Cheers ,
Rob
