Theres a tool for laying cables under turf – cuts a slot through the turf, feeds the cable underneath at about 4 – 6 inches depth.

Whats the name of a tool like this so I can find / buy / hire one?

Needs to carry the cable (kind of washing line thickness) and feed it out as it travels.

Going to have a guess at it being called a cable laying machine…

https://www.mowers-online.co.uk/stiga-professional-cable-laying-machine

cable laying machine

I resembled that description this morning at 7:15am.

a-haaa so it is.

Blimy – bit pricy – I guess that’s a hire rather than a buy then 🙂

(unless Matt would be prepared to hire out his services)

Is this the same thing as “birthing an Otter”?

Wonder if there’s another name for them – in terms of that particular application as ‘Cable laying machine’ brings up all sorts of major utilities scale and subsea kit (and Matts Linkedin page) and makes examples like the one in the link difficult to find

Is this the same thing as “birthing an Otter”?

its similar to knocking a pile of library books off a trolley.

kind of washing line thickness

Shouldn’t the cable be armoured (so thicker) if you’re just laying under turf?

Thought this was going to be another office toilet thread.

I’m disappointed.

@maccruiskeen
Adding that one to the list!

Rachel

Shouldn’t the cable be armoured (so thicker) if you’re just laying under turf?

I won’t go into too much detail…. but its not electrical cable I’m installing. Its Det Cord.

Flash in the Pan!

Its Det Cord.

round your bike shed, with a trip switch………….. ;o)

Also called a mole eg https://www.speedyservices.com/08_2500-h-mole-45mm

If its just 4 inches under turf then its a very easy job with a spade. As mentioned above you can’t lay power cable like that and any other kind of cable will be very susceptible to damage

If its just 4 inches under turf then its a very easy job with a spade.

got about a mile of it to do

As mentioned above you can’t lay power cable like that and any other kind of cable will be very susceptible to damage

it’ll be there for a maximum of 24 hrs and then it’ll explode so thats not really a worry. 🙂

Does it have to stand up to close scrutiny?

If not, could you lay the Det Cord on the surface and cover it over with turf that you’ve just lifted with a turfcutter?

I won’t go into too much detail….

say its so, please!

Does it have to stand up to close scrutiny?

not especially actually – you’d certainly know we’d been there after we set it off. – a turf cutter might be easier to track down on hire. Its quite rough ground and quite gritty soil rather than neat lawn so not sure if a turf cutter would put up too much of a fight over the area we need to cover – can give it a go though.

Part of the reason of setting the cord just under the ground rather than on the surface is it helps shape the mark we end up making and economises on the amount of wonder-bang-string we need to use but it also helps suppress the sound a bit so we don’t burst everyones ear drums!

Going to have a play next week, weather permitting.

I was going to ask “College Green?” but bruneep sort of beat me.

I was going to ask “College Green?” but bruneep sort of beat me.

+1

Brown trout rising?

Its not a mole, they are used for going under stuff such as busy roads/motorways/railways…dig a hole both sides and then it hammers itself through.

Moleplough is the technique/kit you are after, normally its attached to digger or tractor. At a glance, hire prices seem quite reasonable if you already have the machine to attach it. Some hold the cable drum, others you lay the cable on the ground and the moleplough picks it up and sends it underground.

Please please film this in super slow mo.

Det cord is awesome stuff.

(Edit obviously not the cable laying bit, the boom bang bit)

Please please film this in super slow mo.

Det cord is awesome stuff.

That’s what I used to do, 500 – 10,000 FPS on 16mm film. Hard to believe someone would actually pay you for blowing things up but they did.

as above, the “mole” linked to is for going under a road or something. eg if you want to connect a house to a phone line in a pavement box on the other side of the road you can go under the road with the mole.

A mole plough is a bit like the keel of a boat with a bulbous base. As it’s dragged through the field the bulbous bottom breaks up the soil creating a natural route for water to drain down. You would often install some (expensive) plastic drains in key loactions and then use a mole plough to create the smaller pipes crossing the field. You will have to re-do it every few years but it’s cheaper than laying a lot of plastic pipe under the whole field.

Is there a tool like a pizza cutter/trundle wheel with a depth stop you can just cut a groove with and then stuff the wire in?

I am bloody desperate to know what you are blowing up now!😊

(Wonder if forum will still be online tomorrow….)

^ 😂

Wire laying machine hire for £120
https://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog/zucchetti-wire-laying-machine.html

Hot petrol engine spinning blades big roll of det cord, what could possibly go wrong.

I wish I knew there was such a thing! Recently dug out about 50m of trench to lay armoured cable. 🙁