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The main delivery system used at BYUis a modified four-wheel VWbuggy.

tri ing and Ha ngA letic ields

By Michael DePew and Gilbert before the need arises to remark the ers." These spreaders have a specified Pulley field. slit-width opening and will apply the The problem with this type of strip- material in a band or stripe. These he materials and the equip- ing system is that it creates stripes chalkers may be either hand held or a ment available to mark sports and marks that are "un-turfed." An un- wheeled push-type applicator. Chalk turf areas vary greatly. T turfed surface is more prone to com- for these uses has many times been Primarily, the level of use and bud- paction and may also become slick (in replaced with fine marble dust. get of the sports facility determine finer textured soils) or loose (in sand or Limited use of chalk is desirable due to the types of materials and the deliv- coarser textured soils). The loss of the its potential for eye irritation to ath- ery systems used to apply them. The vegetative crown and degradation of letes. types of equipment and materials to thatch (in sod-forming turf systems) Whitewash lime slurries are made perform the same function from the result in a change in elevation along by mixing the lime with water and recreational level to the professional the striped patterns. This has the applying it through spray equipment. sports level may be strikingly dis- potential to create an unsafe situation The lime must be fine ground and of similar or remarkably alike. where "tripping" over the lines could uniform size and kept well agitated as Low Budget become a problem. a slurry to provide even-flow output Recreational areas with limited Medium Budget and to prevent nozzle clogging. Lime budgets may often use herbicides or Higher use facilities such as high will leave a live turfed system under petroleum (kerosene or diesel) to stripe schools often use a lime or whitewash the stripe, although over time it may and mark fields. Pump-up canisters or system. Lime (chalk) can be applied in build up and cause turf thinning or backpack sprayers are often utilized a dry powder form or as a liquid slurry death. The lime-striping system has a with hand-wands to mark the play (whitewash) that is sprayed on. distinct advantage in terms of its low area. Spray shields or spray guards The dry powder form is widely used cost. can be used on the nozzles to precisely as a marker for the skinned areas of High Profile direct the spray in a specified spray- baseball and softball fields. It is Higher profile athletic facilities band width. This type of marking sys- applied in various types of "drop-box" such as college and professional fields tem allows for long periods of time spreaders often referred to as "chalk- continued on page 16

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Striping continued from page 14 commonly utilize water-based paints specifically formulated as turf colorants. The common delivery system utilized at these institutions consists of compressed air or an air-less spray or pumping system on a motor-driven, wheeled vehi- cle. The use of paints reduces thinning and die-back of the turf and therefore reduces the potential for tripping. The down side of paints is that it requires frequent reap- plication due to removal of the paint with mowing of the actively growing turf. The removal of painted turf can be reduced by lowering the mowing height of the turf to be After painting numbers and hash marks, the paint crew will move into the end zones striped just prior to painting or and paint the "BYU" letters. by using a plant growth regu- lator added to the paint. The Evolution at BYU methods it's used for marking and motorized compressor and paint striping. In the '70s, whitewash was sprayer, tank, and a nozzle mounted to Brigham Young University (BYU), the preferred marking material, which a front guide used to keep the lines like most institutions, has gone was applied through a modified three- straight. This provided an off-white through an evolutionary period since wheeled Volkswagen (VW) striping line with a live turf. the latter 1970s in the materials and buggy. The buggy was equipped with a The lime whitewash system was

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Circle 107 on Postage Free Card Circle 108 on Postage Free Card 16 sporlsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com not without distinct draw- batches of turf-damaging backs. The most serious was paint were being shipped irritation and even injury to with ethylene glycol added The Stars Are the eyes of athletes. The as an anti-freeze. Ethylene second most serious prob- glycol is supposedly not lem was turf thinning and toxic to turf, but experience Taking The Field die-back as the season pro- at BYU is that it is not as gressed. The length of time inert as promoted. Since before turf damage occurred that time, BYU has speci- was shortened by applica- fied and accepted only non- tion of the lime to the local glycol paints, ordered and native soils, which have shipped during the summer high pH and high lime con- and stored in a heated area. tent. The thinning and die- Typical Scenario back of the turf required the A typical scenario for considerable time and marking the field at BYU's expense of annual resodding Cougar Stadium for football of the striped areas of the starts with laying out guide field. strings. The guide strings With the emergence of are 3/8-inch nylon rope. paint on the market, it was The guide strings are used to mark game fields. strung between appropri- Due to the initially high cost ately placed guide posts. of these paints, their use on The guide posts are 3/4-inch practice and recreational by If-inch galvanized steel First And Only Battery-Powered fields was limited. These pipe driven into the ground Field Conditioner - No Noise, No Emissions fields continued to be at strategic locations. The Remarkable new concept for field striped mostly with the strings are tied to large gut- slurried lime whitewash. maintenance. Silent, full power operation ter spikes that are then • Batteries easily recharge overnight After a few years, the mar- placed in the guide posts. • No engine, no fluids, no pollution. Lowcost, ket began to open up and The string is drawn taut turf paints became more and wrapped around a large minimum maintenance. With scarifier, plow affordable. As the cost gutter spike placed into the and finishers. Choice of the famous Hall Of dropped, the use of paints at opposite guide post. Fame baseball facilities in Cooperstown BYU rose. The guide lines are Along with the switch drawn across the length of from the lime whitewash to the field first for the side- paint, a change was made lines and to line up the on the baseball and softball hash-mark, number and fields from lime chalk to a directional-arrow stencils. fine marble-dust "chalk." Next, the guide strings The three-wheeled buggy are drawn width-wise for was worn out about this the end line, goal line and 5- time and was replaced with yard-line stripes in I5-yard a newly modified four-wheel increments and painted VWbuggy. twice from alternate direc- Paint Problems tions. Stringing and paint- The use of paint for field ing in Ifi-yard increments marking was not without allows for room to turn the some problems. In the early spray buggy around in the years, many paints con- sideline area without tires tained chemicals and petro- gouging the turf from exces- leum distillates that were sively tight turns. toxic to the turf. After a few The sidelines are painted Now With Exclusive Dual-Pump System For years, the products had following the yard lines Perfect Agitation And Brightest Marking reduced toxicities and were with two coats of paint The field marker preferred by the professionals more consistent. applied in opposite direc- • Hydrostatic drive, tight turning and electric Also during this time tions. Rags are placed over finger-tip controls. New spraying system for period, of the mid-1980s, a each of the damp yard lines trend was noticed - some during the sideline painting the brightest maximum coverage. And a new batches of the preferred operation to prevent track- scarifier for conditioning and grooming turf-paint brand caused ing of the damp paint. • Top Liner - leading the field more damage to the turf The stencils are then laid ALWAYS OUT FRONT than other batches. After for the hash lines and num- some investigative work, it bers, beginning from the was recognized that the- end of the field painted first, SMITHGD WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA 19087

Circle 109 on Postage Free Card May 1997 17 FOR PRODUCT INFO FAXED TO YOU NOW! DIAL: 1(800) 817-1889

"no-man's land" area. The blue outline around the numbers, letters and directional arrows is painted next. The outline around the letters is sprayed while the numbers and arrows are brush painted with three-inch brush- es. The field is now completely marked and ready for play. Striping and marking of sports turf areas can be accomplished by using many diverse or similar materials and equipment. The end result is a function of the care and precision used to apply the material. Straight lines, crisp edges and reduction of overspray go a long way to mark your work as a sports turf professional with an atti- tude of "and then some." Michael DePew is an STMA member and an agronomist for ProTurf Environmental and Sports Turf Stencils are laid for the hash lines and filled in with a hand-wand. Services, L.C., Provo, Utah. as the paint will normally be dry on zones with gutter spikes and baler Gilbert Pulley is an STMA member that end. The stencils are filled in by twine. After painting the numbers and and the landscape specialty supervisor spraying with a hand-wand that runs hash marks, the paint crew can move at Brigham Young University, Provo, off the paint sprayer from the spray into the end zones and paint the let- Utah. buggy. ters. The authors thank Todd Munger While two crews are painting the The sideline areas are painted next and Mike Roundy, athletic area fore- hash marks and numbers, a crew will with appropriate stencils and strings men for BYU Grounds Dept., for their layout the "BYU" letters in the end from the coaches box, team area, and assistance in providing information for this article.

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