Overheard a old-timer say "pump it twice, move it once" and it clicked for me

I was helping on a job near Houston last Tuesday, and this guy with 30 years on the dredge said that phrase about pumping the slurry before repositioning. He was talking about how rushing to move the cutterhead when you see a hard patch just wastes time, you gotta let the pump clear it out first. I tried it the next day on a sticky clay section and my cycle time dropped by maybe 15 minutes per hour. Anyone else got a saying from a veteran that actually works better than the manual?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_moore2d ago

I mean, it's a dredge, not brain surgery - seems like a lot of fuss over saving 15 minutes on a cycle. Isn't a little clay just part of the job you deal with?

the_claire2d ago

And that whole "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" thing applies perfectly here too because fighting the clay just makes it worse.

wood.uma2d ago

Yeah @the_claire, exactly - if you rush the clay it'll fight you every time.