How To Make A Professional Soil Monolith Model
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Soil Monolith Procedures 6-10
6.) Attach a flat board (approximately 3/4" x 8" x 48") over the flat side of welded angle iron frame with C-clamps.
7.) Depress the frame over the sculptured profile being careful to allow no side- to-side or vertical slippage and maintain constant pressure until profile is free from the pit face.
8.) Excavate along both sides and the bottom of the frame with the objective of capturing 2-6 inches more profile than is eventually required to fill the frame.
9.) When both sides are essentially mined to the center, insert a tiling spade at the surface about 4-6 inches beyond the frame and complete the separation of the profile from the pit face. Care must be exercised to insure the sculptured profile does not slip downward or is otherwise pulled from the frame.
This is a very precarious step. The frame containing the separated profile is simply tilted away from the face in one smooth motion.
10.) Then it is lifted from the pit. Place the frame, board-side down, on a flat surface. Gently yet firmly depress the extruding profile downward into the frame and against the backing board.
Back to How to Make Soil Models
Back to Soil Monolith Procedures 1-5
Go to Soil Monolith Procedures 11-15
Go to Soil Monolith Procedures 16-20
Go to Soil Monolith Procedures 21-23 and Final Procedures
Permission to digitize and display the images and text of "How to Make a Soil Monolith" was granted by Dr. Maxine Levin, USDA's Agricultural Research Service.