Well drilling can be very dangerous! Amateur well drillers, Driving the casing and advancing deeper

Well drilling can be very dangerous! Amateur well drillers, Driving the casing and advancing deeper looking for water. We are close but still haven't hit water yet. As we advance further into the ground we are driving the casing along with the bit to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Well drilling with a cable tool like this is tricky business let me tell you. I know enough that if you are not careful things can and will go wrong.
Stay tuned for the final video when we show you how deep we had to go for water.

[@chrisvaughan6245]

As a new generation of well drilling it's kind of nice to see and respect the old timers

[@phildupere5151]

I don't know if you are still playing with this rig, it seems that your drill line is right lay cable.You need Left lay cable so when you drill the bar turns to the right to keep the bit tight.Also cable clamps are backwards.Never saddle a dead horse .( The short end of cable ) .Be careful ! Phil

[@ccjensen4670]

Sold my 100 year old drilling company 6 years ago..purchased it from an old timer in 1972. First rig I learned on was a model 71 speedstsr cable tool..got my thumb smashed by the drive clamps ...ouch. Third owner of the company just purchased a year old JEFCO 30 K and my crew is still operating the rig..lots of stories about drilling in Northern CA. .

[@752brickie]

Drilling can be very dangerous !! My family drilled oil,gas and water wells for over 70 years . Never had a bad accident or lost a bit in the hole ! Keep checking your gauge on the bit. If it gets too small when you run a new one or weld it to gauge you may dive and stick. If you have button bits they like to stick if they get worn . I would advise you to run jars . Drilling with cabletools just keep your line tight and go easy and you will do fine. The secret to drilling is mainly PATIENCE ! Good video, just be careful and if you drive pipe on another well use a drive shoe. Could save you a bad fishing job.

[@veggitarianredneck]

Welcome advice, thank you!

[@752brickie]

@@veggitarianredneck You are more than welcome. Just take it slow and you will do fine. Just make sure you do not run too loose .

[@chrisg4804]

Ready for the next one.... keep em coming.

[@gqp3215]

Nice simple casing alignment tool

[@veggitarianredneck]

Thank you

[@PastorBCoy]

OffGrid406, could you give us a walkaround the machine to let us see how that thing works? I find that old machinery fascinating.

[@veggitarianredneck]

I'll be making another video come spring and I will do that thanks

[@robmurphy806]

Gotta give you props for ingenuity. However I'd suggest stick welding the casing. Grew up in a family of diamond drillers and water well drillers and worked as a pipeline welder. Tends to hold up better.

[@veggitarianredneck]

We are drilling another well right now and have decided to stick weld it for the reasons you mentioned.

[@robmurphy806]

@@veggitarianredneck good to hear. Usually we would get threaded casing but that tends to be a little more expensive

[@richavic4520]

There's such a thing as a spline lock fitting to join the well casing. No welding. You might investigate them

[@haynillesen]

@@richavic4520 casing is no longer smooth on the outside , which may give problems driving the casing down

[@michaelladue5655]

Great video, looking forward to more.

[@patcummins6036]

Ahh Jeez! All that steel cable and a big open winch and not a glove in sight, particularly the guy letting the steel cable run through his hand as the drill bit was lowered into the hole!

[@manzion7599]

I suspect the gloves are safely stowed in their work boots back at the motel, over in that corner with the hard hats.

[@rickrickman5277]

Thanks for sharing. There is so much lost knowledge. Looking forward to the next video. Could you please make a video of how the mechanical gears, clutches etc work. What does what. Thanks again

[@veggitarianredneck]

Be making a video soon of an old timer in our area that has a virtual junk yard full of old machines, bits etc. Going to try to get him to narrate. I'll try and get a close up of the mechanism as well. Thanks for watching.

[@gqp3215]

I could make every part on that rig. 10 years machinist, 30 years cable tool master Maryland. Had 6

[@ralphreilly2434]

Do you still have your old Well Drilling rig and would you be interested in selling it or trade

[@tonyhudson8698]

Unusual bailer. We used sandpump, which tipped To unload the Gravel, glay, however for what you are doing, get a drum, cut a hole in one part at Bottom on side.. Steel plate in botton, or boarding bolted in.. Allows you to empty and stay Dry.. Cable tool work is a ONE MAN operating machine, but help with moving caseing is good.. Keep second man Away, its not safe, someone is going to get hurt There.. Cheers..

[@richavic4520]

Old cable tool rig. It'll give you a straight hole, and you should get a good idea of the lithology

[@joshuareed7528]

I don’t understand casing for cable tool drilling. Do you have to case all the way down, or just to bedrock? Are you ready to sell this rig? I’m in Central Oregon, and I’m desperate to get a well on our property. Thanks

[@veggitarianredneck]

So I have had so many issues with trapping tools due to cave ins that we started driving the casing down as we go. There easier ways to drill. I made a home made drill rig that honestly worked better than those one. It was way smaller and simpler. To date I only have a short video of the whole operation. I Lost so much footage

[@gqp3215]

2 feet driven or more, pressure grouted to surface.

[@tonyhudson8698]

Drive shoe is a must, eSy to make, take 1foot of caseing cut in half, weld onto caseing, hard Face the leading edge, and a bit on outer.. Don't weave the weld, that causes cracking.. I never used a clamp for welding, just stand the pipe, bend a welding rod in semi circle, flaten Both ends, lean caseing Insert bent welding rod , ajust gap, tack weld , then pack other side to bring caseing straight, cont welding, THREE RUNS, Root run, second half on caseing, half on root run.. Then third on top to cover the rest.. I drilled 150 mtrs often 375 feet ?? And then jacked back to expose screen, 10 foot or so.. Never Broke a weld.. Drive collar at top is a Must.. Also just Chain the STEM / Bar to the corner of the rig, safer than the way you are doing it, and so easy, on OWN.. Yes you are learning, but safety is important.. 27 years driller here, and Still have all fingers and Toes..

[@veggitarianredneck]

I will certainly be following this wisdom next time we drill. Thank you

[@gqp3215]

You are doing fine. Keep bar hanging in center of hole. Drive into rock. Continue till water. Go deeper than 20 past if you have 4 gpm or more. If less go deeper depending on gpm. 1 gpm needs 260 below water level. Yes drive shoe. Have fun.

[@veggitarianredneck]

Your advice is well received thank you.

[@gqp3215]

Be careful. That rig will kill you

[@gqp3215]

Find MD well regulations, state code

[@tonyhudson8698]

I WILL add, don't have loose wire rope.. The man in yellow, pulling wire off the drum, causing SO MUCH SLACK, the wire goes loose on drum gets trapped, then pulled down onto its self, causing damage and knotting of it, thereby a man having to Free it, etc, etc..

[@robertmcdermaid2751]

If you are driving casing a drive ring will prevent distortion of the casing and make welding the next length easier

[@veggitarianredneck]

I'll work on getting one of those, thanks for the advice

[@gqp3215]

Welded all mine 6013 first bead. 7018 second

[@tonyhudson8698]

Don't use gloves, use a Rag, in hand, if a wire spike enters the glove it can Yank your arm out, because you are TRAPPED. A rag at least you can let go..and also its thicker , so there's lots of different things to consider.. Cheers from NEW ZEALAND...

[@veggitarianredneck]

Good advice!

[@johncuervo3019]

I liked the video until he said he doused. Not only did he douse it, he told you the depth. Such b.s

[@rchristie5401]

old wire line drilling

[@landbarron1420]

To bad the old guy stands in front of the camera all the time.............................

[@robertmcdermaid2751]

They were lucky the went home with all their fingers. If you can drive the casing through the chain it can always slip.and you will have a fishing job. Only amateurs drive casing without a shoe.

[@veggitarianredneck]

You guessed it right we are indeed amateurs. No shame in admitting that.

[@gqp3215]

You are always learning

[@gqp3215]

First thing you should have checked. Is it legal for a land owner to drill his own well without state license. You can in Md. But if you drill on someone elses property you will see jail time. 7 year aprenticeship in this state. All states have simaler laws or none.

[@veggitarianredneck]

Yikes, that sounds extreme. From what I've looked into so far, and to be honest I didn't look too hard, it's ok to drill yer own well here. Now the owner of the property helped us drill the well which might constitute him doing it idk. It's kinda the wild west out here. Hopefully we're ok and don't get in trouble 😳

[@manzion7599]

Even out here in the beautiful Wild West, we use a few of our few laws to protect precious aquifers from cross-contamination, and other reasons to avoid drilling malpractice. - Lyon Co. NV

[@deananderson6074]

Pp😮 MC