dust control on homemade tracks

[HondaChris]

Does anyone on here use anything other than watering down the track before riding/racing on your homemade tracks? I am in Southern Michigan, and have a track in a small field that my grandpa let me build. I finally got the layout put in like we want it, but the dust is just WAY OUT OF CONTROL...simply because its in an old field. I was mainly wondering if anyone used the Calcium Chloride for dust control, and if it is used, how is it applied, dry flake form, or diluted in water, and which way works best. I am mainly interested in this, because thats what the local farm supply center recommended. We can only make about 3 laps before you cant see anymore. Please let me know.

[Woodsrider]

I would check the MSDS on calcium chloride before you use it. find out what your inhaling and what the long term affects of will be.
I would suggest watering it down if you have a tractor mounted tank sprayer or a water truck. If you dilute the CC in water and spray it on, it is only going to hold the dust as long as it is wet. Once it dries, and you ride a few laps on it won't it just break up and turn to dust again?

[HondaChris]

Calcium chloride is a moisture attractant, which means it will attract and hold any kind of moisture...rain, morning dew, it will even actually pull moisture out of the air...one pound of cc will absorb 14 pounds of moisture, according to Dow Chemical's product information sheets. This is not hazardous to people, it is used on dirt/gravel roads for dust, although it is much more expensive than brine, which is more commonly used for roads because of the larger quantity used. It is also environmentally friendly, since it is naturally made. It just has to be refined to pull out the impurities. I do have a spray tank and everything needed to spray available, I just wondered if going the extra with cc is worth it. Supposedly I would only have to apply it maybe twice per year, and water it down in the dryest times. I can buy it for $12 for a 50# bag.

[flying400ex]

hey man I also have a track around the
Lansing area were are you at? We should get together and ride sometime! I just got my 50 foot double in i will take pictures and show em to you. I would do it today but its raining. I have the same problem with dust i am going to probably do brine or CC also

[HondaChris]

I'm straight south of you down 127, in Hillsdale County, little berg of Waldron...2 miles from Ohio (so close I can smell the stink!) I dont have any bbig jumps on mine. We just needed someplace to all go to and ride. We have a group of 7-10 of us, and we all decided not to get anything to big so we dont break bikes (or people for that matter!)

[oynot400]

I have thought of that before also. I was wondering how well it would hold up on constant riding. I would thing that it tore up and get thrown into the berm, on a corner any way. If it works let us know. :D