ABI Attachments RASCAL Series Owner's Manual page 14

Operation Guide (cont'd)
Setup & Guide for Grooming Gravel Parking Areas, Sidewalks & Driveways
One of the many uses for a Rascal is for grooming/repairing gravel parking areas, sidewalks and driveways, or
maintenance. The setup and maintenance is covered in the setup guide. This section will cover how to manage
problems that may come up on the gravel areas. One of the most frequent issues with the Rascal happens when
the operator uses an inconsistent speed, i.e. stopping and starting, speeding up and slowing down.
Removing Pot holes and Washouts – These are the easiest to handle. Lower the scarifiers down to the desired
ripping depth. Start the first pass with the wheels down, to help stabilize for the initial loosening. Travel at a
slow consistent speed, allowing the Rascal to dig in while traveling in the gravel area. With each pass raise the
wheels more and drag the area till the washouts or potholes are gone. To give the gravel area a finished look, go
back over for a last pass, setting the Profile Blades (as mentioned on the previous page "Setting up for use with
Profile Blades") about 1/2" below the surface and the finish rake digging into the surface about 1" to pack the
area and give it a clean finish. If more weight is required for deeper ripping, the weight rack and weights for the
Rascals are available (see "Options" section below). The weight rack holds suitcase weights, giving more weight
for deeper dragging/ripping.
Putting in a Crown – To use the Gravel Rascal to put a crown into a driveway or sidewalk, drag the area as
normal so the scarifiers loosen the gravel as well as the edge of each side of the driveway/sideway, then put the
Rascal into a grading position. To setup the Rascal in grading position, adjust the scarifiers out of play by flipping
each scarifier up so the tips are on top (the scarifiers will be upside down). Pin the right wheel into either the
middle hole or top hole (depending on the desired amount of angle of the crown) as shown on page 17 (Fig 31).
Adjust the finish rake down to a 90 degree angle. Lower the wheels so the right side of the finish rake tips are
down into the gravel about 1/2". Pull material to the center of the driveway/sidewalk, raise the Rascal and leave
the material behind in the center of the driveway. This will need to be repeated down both sides of the driveway.
Lowering the wheels slightly after each pass down the driveway/sidewalk may be necessary until the desired
crown height is achieved. This is much easier with the Electric Actuator attached, but may result in battery
drainage. Using the box blade option helps prevent some gravel from rolling off the end of the Finish rake back
out into the yard by capturing it within the box and moving it to the center of the driveway/sidewalk.
Dragging with a Crown – To keep the crown, drag only the outside of the crown at a slow steady pace. Avoid the
crown and allow the Rascal to rip the soil on the sides only.
Common things that cause Wash boarding - One of the most common causes of wash boarding is inconsistent
speed. Using an inconsistent speed can cause a "bump" in the gravel. When multiple bumps occur, it becomes
what is classified as a washboard effect. Dragging at a higher speed may cause the Rascal to bounce or give it a
hopping motion, leaving behind bumps as it goes. Washboarding can also be caused by sudden acceleration, or
by starting and stopping. Once there is a bump that is not immediately cared for, it will continue to cause more
bumps as the Rascal travels over it. Eventually this will give the gravel area a washboard effect.
Removing Washboard effect from a gravel area – When finished dragging the gravel parking area, sidewalk
or driveway and notice a washboard effect, it will take more time to fix now but easier to fix while the groomed
driveway is fresh rather than after it has been driven on and repacked. If it has been driven on, or repacked, the
area may need to be ripped again. Once the material is loose, set up the Rascal in a grading position with the
wheels down, and the scarifiers out of play. This is done by moving the finish rake down more at a 90 degree
angle. Going at a very slow speed, perform a serpentine pattern to remove the waves. The illustrations below
show one of ABI's serpentine patterns that can remove the washboard effect:
Pass 1
The dotted line indicates the center or "crown" of the driveway/sidewalk.
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