National Driller articles from September 2004

National Driller archives from September 2004

The returns are in: and we thank you.(For Openers)
September 1, 2004... We had a great time at Jubilee--saw a whole lot of old friends, made some new ones and took home a lot of ideas on how to keep raising the bar that we've set as the No. 1 publication in the industry. (Look for a complete show wrap-up article...

Peter J. O'Brien, Sr.(In Memoriam)
September 1, 2004... Peter J. O'Brien, Sr. died on June 11, 2004. Peter was the founder of Boulder Water Well Service and Supply Inc. and Water Well Wholesale. Both companies continue in Boulder, Colo., under the management of his sons. Peter was loved by many and...

Hooray for earning an honest living: it's disheartening how many hustlers are masquerading as legitimate businesses.(Smart Business)
September 1, 2004... Never mind Enron, WorldCom and all the other major league business scandals from a few years ago. Big shots are going to jail, accounting reforms have been enacted, and there's reason to believe big corporations are behaving better, if only...

Pump motor protection--single-phase: the fundamentals of pumped water systems.(Tech Topics)
September 1, 2004... Last month's article was the first in a 10-article series on the electrical portion of pumped water systems. We began with single-phase components, talking about pressure switches, two- and three-wire motors, enclosures and general hook-up...

Sitting 'round the table--Part 2: the conclusion of this informative conversation.
September 1, 2004... Earlier this year, four water well contractors from Michigan met with the National Driller staff to discuss current issues. Their much-appreciated candor lent some valuable insight into what contractors are dealing with right now. The two-part...

Drilled shaft construction--Part 1.
September 1, 2004... The usual role of a deep foundation is to transfer vertical load through weak, near-surface soils to rock or strong soil at depth. Shallow foundations, on the other hand, frequently are used when the surface soils are capable of supporting load...

What makes a good contractor?
September 1, 2004... Take a hard look at the following problems and make sure that your firm is not susceptible to any of them. These problems can cause contractors to go broke: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * They grow too fast. * They lose their leadership...

Porky in Haiti--Part 1.(Porky's Hole Thoughts)
September 1, 2004... I was recommended for a project in Haiti by NGWA president Randy Taylor to Loring Green of Tucson, Ariz., whom I understand was contracted by Mrs. Louise Bowditch, the director of Seed USA, Brookline, Mass. Loring Green, a geologist, had made a...

Coming events.(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... SEPTEMBER 13-16 Wyo-Ben Inc.'s 2004 Mud School Billings, Mont. Phone: 800-548-7088 www.wyoben.com 15-16 Arizona Hydrological Society Symposium Tucson, Ariz. Phone: 520-575-8100 www.azhydrosoc.org 23-24...

New hammer introduced.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Secoroc COP 54 Gold Express from Atlas Copco CMT is designed to handle drilling 5-inch to 6-inch holes. Made of wear-resistant steel, the hammer cylinder is longer to provide greater impact strength and higher wear- and temperature-resistance....

Upgrades to water well DTH hammer.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Design upgrades to the new Mission 60 and 60W are designed to lengthen hammer life. The outside diameter has been increased by 0.1 inch. A new, longer driver sub is engineered to provide additional wear protection for the piston case, while...

Under-reaming wing bit.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Numa's Super Jaws Bit is an under-reaming wing bit made for simultaneously setting casing while drilling in unconsolidated rock formations of boulders and loose strata. Super Jaws Bits have replaceable jaws that extend out farther than the...

Custom-sized bits.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Tee Jay International Inc. offers custom-sized bits, such as the 9 7/8-inch with a 4 1/2-inch API pin. The company also sells many other hard-to-find sizes and pin combinations. Hole openers custom-made to the customer's specifications are...

20-button bit.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Bit Brokers International is proud to announce the newest innovation to its hammer bit line--the TIM-INATOR. Designed in-house by the company's own Tim Thomas, the TIM-INATOR is a hammer bit for the 6-inch series hammers (QL60, SF6/360,...

Drills with a grouped hammer and bit design.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... New Full Face drills from Halco America Inc. offer a grouped hammer and bit design. Designed for performance and flexibility, they range from 20 inches to 72 inches in diameter and operate with minimal clearance. Off-the-shelf spare hammer...

DTH hammer.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... The Mincon 6DH from Mincon Rockdrills is a DTH hammer for demanding 6-inch to 6 1/2-inch drilling applications, including water well, shallow oil and gas, exploration and construction. New performance enhancements have been made to provide...

Hammer and bit surplus inventory.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... KS Bit Inc. carries a complete line of hammers and hammer bits as well as many other products. The company's Web site www.KSBit.com offers prices and descriptions. KS Bit Inc., Card No. 205 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Rotary hole openers.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... T & T Carbide prides itself on the quality and workmanship of its tricone rotary hole openers. The company has manufactured single-, double- or triple-stage hole openers for more than 25 years. Custom-built for each application, they can be...

DTH bits.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Rockmore International manufactures efficient down-the-hole (DTH) bits to fit the most popular DTH hammers for drilling operations in the mining, quarrying, tunneling, construction and water well industries all over the world. Rockmore...

Rock drilling system made for vertical and horizontal drilling.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Geocorp has introduced the HydroBit impact rock drilling system for both vertical and horizontal drilling applications. HydroBit is powered by water/polymer drilling fluid. The system produces up to 300,000 foot-pounds of impact energy per...

Casing hammer introduced.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Atlas Manufacturing Ltd. offers the 5000 casing hammer. The unit weighs 4,750 pounds and provides 7,850 pounds of driving energy. Despite being made without cylinders or valves or timing devices, the 5000 uses a hydraulic system to deliver 35...

Horizontal directional drilling bit.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... The Ditch Witch Talon Rock Bit is well suited for horizontal directional drilling applications in a variety of soil conditions, including sandstone, shale and chunk rock. The Talon Rock Bit features replaceable carbide-tipped cutting teeth in...

Cutterhead designed for tackling caliche.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... USExploration Equipment Co. announces that its hollow-stem auger cutterhead design enables drilling through caliche, particularly the 3 3/4-inch ID two-key heavy-duty version. Caliche is known as a formation that is not conducive to auger...

Casing hammer for formation problems.(Hammers & Bits)
September 1, 2004... Drill An Drive Inc. has developed a drill through casing hammer that can be installed in the field when formation problems are encountered. The system for advancing casing through caving formations is engineered to be installed to a top-head...

Thoughts on water treatment.(The World According to Wayne)
September 1, 2004... A lot of drillers offer water treatment as a part of their services. This is a good thing because it expands our customer base and allows us to offer a better quality product to our customers. Basic water quality is well understood by the...

Common questions about solids contamination.(Drilling Fluids)
September 1, 2004... I recently was on a municipal well project in the upper Midwest where we had to cement a portion of the borehole due to a very unstable cobble formation that continued to cave. The upper portion of this well was drilled through glacial till and...

Domestic well cap.(Product Info)
September 1, 2004... The Turtle Cap from Baker Mfg. is designed to be durable, watertight and vermin-proof. This well cap features stainless steel hardware and 1-inch or 1 1/4-inch conduit tapping. Ground terminal screws and wire ring terminals are supplied on...

Constant pressure controller for single-phase pumps.(Product Info)
September 1, 2004... The MonoDrive constant pressure controller for single-phase pumps from Franklin Electric allows users to convert a single-phase conventional pump system to a constant pressure system with a replacement of a three-wire control box. It is...

Rubber disc swing check valve.(Product Info)
September 1, 2004... The new model 745 in Danfoss Flomatic Corp.'s Flo-Flex line of rubber disc swing check valves features a 45-degree seat with a steel/ductile iron valve reinforced rubber disc. The ductile iron 125 flanged body is fusion epoxy-coated and can be...

New valve model.(Product Info)
September 1, 2004... Cycle Stop Valves introduces the new model CSV125. This model has been available in the 1-inch version CSV1 and now is available in 1 1/4-inch version CSV125 size with flow ranges between 2 gpm to 50 gpm. Both the 1-inch CSV1 and the 1 1/4-inch...

Heat pump system.(Product Info)
September 1, 2004... Eagle Geo-Flo Pipe is for closed-loop, ground-coupled heat pump systems. It is a high-density polyethylene pipe manufactured from polyethylene resin and is designed for use in water distribution, golf course installations and industrial...

New Lubricant System.(Product Info)
September 1, 2004... Tenbusch Inc. introduces its new L-220 Lubricant System. The L-220 can be used in any application where bentonite and/or polymer are used as a lubricant. Designed to operate using any suitable hydraulic power pack, the system's two-tank design...

National water program created.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... Some members of the Senate's Energy & Natural Resources Committee recently have introduced legislation to create a federal water technology program aimed at expanding and coordinating existing water technology research around the country to...

Watersheds eligible for EPA funding.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Mike Leavitt announced that 14 watersheds representing 17 states are eligible for $15 million from EPA's Targeted Watersheds Grant Program. The selected areas represent more than...

Arsenic Relief Act introduced.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... Several western U.S. senators recently introduced the Rural Community Arsenic Relief Act. The act seeks to allow small, rural communities the ability to meet the new arsenic standards imposed by the EPA. The legislation will amend the Safe...

EPA corrections and clarifications.(Legislative Update)(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2004... The EPA has published minor corrections and clarifications to drinking water regulations in the Federal Register. This final rule will help public drinking water systems comply with regulations by clarifying and correcting existing drinking...

Water fund reduction.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... The EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund would get $850 million in 2005 as requested by the White House, compared with the $1.35 billion Congress has been approving annually for several years. The annual spending bill, which reduces the...

Lawmakers sign Great Lakes pledge.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... State House and Senate Democrats recently presented Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm with a pledge signed by several dozen lawmakers to support legislation that would regulate large-scale water diversions from the Great Lakes. The proposed...

Georgia announces its water scheduling.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will require Georgians to follow outdoor water use schedules during both non-drought periods and during periods of declared drought. An official with EPD stated the goal is to get all...

CALFED Authorization Act has been approved.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... The House of Representatives has approved the CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act, which provides $389 million to support CALFED projects through fiscal year 2008. The bill will provide federal support to the construction of both water storage...

Bill for increased federal funding.(Legislative Update)
September 1, 2004... The United States House of Representatives recently passed federal legislation to increase authorization for the Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System from $20 million to $80 million. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The legislation amends the...

Tee Jay International strives to meet customers' needs.
September 1, 2004... Whether customers require one bit or a container, Tee Jay International Inc. offers the products and services to meet their needs. We are located in West Frankfort, Ill., where our company has been serving contractors since 1935. Our customers...

Performance Alloys Corp. specializes in hardfacing down-hole drilling tools.
September 1, 2004... Performance Alloys Corp. is the premier producer of hardfacing rods, electrodes and wire in North America. Our products have been field-tested and proven in drilling, agriculture, mining, excavating, dredging and earth-moving. ...

Rotary Drilling prides itself on its products and services.
September 1, 2004... At Rotary Drilling Equipment Inc., we are committed to our customers and pleased to build relationships that last! Jerry Sherman, president of the Olyphant, Pa.-based company, has taken pride in his relationship with the Driltech product for...

KS Bit keeps you drilling.
September 1, 2004... KS Bit Inc. has been supplying drillers with high quality bits for more than 20 years. With customers across the United States and Canada and in 11 other countries, KS Bit is thriving. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1982, under a shade tree...

Versa-Drill is building power through technology.
September 1, 2004... The Versa-Drill division of Laibe Corp., headquartered in Indianapolis, builds a complete line of state-of-the-art water well drills and a unique sonic drill model. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

Mission offers technology for high-productivity drilling.
September 1, 2004... Mission engineers have scientifically developed a completely new and innovative piston and drill bit shape, a patented concept called Mirror-Impact-Technology. This breakthrough provides outstanding energy efficiency and therefore superior...

Flushing the well.(Water Well Disinfection)
September 1, 2004... Flushing is the process of using the scouring action of moving water to help rid a water supply of contaminants, and it is an essential part of the disinfection process. Flushing normally takes place several times during the disinfection...

Flatwater Fleet's well rehabilitation system.
September 1, 2004... Flatwater Fleet is a company devoted exclusively to designing, engineering, manufacturing and servicing equipment and tools for the drill rig support and well rehabilitation needs of our customers. We are located on U.S. Highway 53, 10 miles...

Laibe Corp. delivers with pride.
September 1, 2004... Laibe Corp. already is famous throughout the Midwest for its groundbreaking line of Versa Drill rigs. Now Laibe has made a new home for itself in the Northeast. With 14 rigs sold from the Northeast Division since opening our doors in March...

55-year-old company continues to grow.
September 1, 2004... Merrill Manufacturing started in 1949 in a small garage in Des Moines, Iowa; Mr. Noel Anderson started the company with the invention of the widely used Any Flow frost-proof yard hydrant. This hydrant still is used today with only two minor...

Numa's rock-solid commitment to drillers.
September 1, 2004... Since its inception in the 1980s, Numa has worked diligently to establish the reputation as a leading designer and manufacturer of down hole hammers and bits in the drilling industry. This dedication has seen the company rise from a small...

Myers: dedicated to service.
September 1, 2004... The Myers mission is to provide extraordinary, responsive service and quality products so that our customers find it easy to do business with us. Customers have found it easy to do business with Myers from their beginning. Myers was founded in...

Halco: an evolution in DTH technology.
September 1, 2004... A new evolution in DTH technology has arrived... The new Halco NT6 hammer's improved performance ensures that any drilling project undertaken gets done in a fraction of the time, resulting in cost savings to the contractor. With a smoother...

Mills Machine--manufacturing for more than 96 years.
September 1, 2004... Mills Machine Co. manufactures augers, drilling bits and drilling tools for any type of earth drilling application, i.e. water well, environmental ground water monitoring, geothermal, blast hole mining, horizontal, directional and vertical...

Raising the bar in DTH drilling.
September 1, 2004... Mincon Rockdrills has been manufacturing quality DTH products for nearly 30 years. Our customers have come to trust the name Mincon and we are proud to be known as "the driller's choice." Since the introduction of Mincon's "new generation" of...

The other sides of Foremost Industries.
September 1, 2004... Foremost Industries is best known to water well drillers for its line of Dual Rotary drills that simultaneously drill and case in difficult formations. But there is another side to this Calgary-based manufacturer. In fact, there are several...

Foremost Mobile: serving the geotechnical and environmental markets since 1948.
September 1, 2004... Located in Indianapolis and established in 1948, Foremost Mobile specializes in tooling for the environmental and geotechnical markets. The friendly folks on the parts desk appreciate and understand the needs of their customers and have striven...

GEFCO rigs--the result of listening to the industry.
September 1, 2004... GEFCO--the George E. Failing Co.--was built around the ideas of innovation, customer service and most importantly, listening to the customers in the industry. As a result, GEFCO offers the widest range of drilling rigs in the industry. From...

Kyle Equipment Co. features the Hydro-Frac.
September 1, 2004... Diesel/Hydraulic Hydro-Frac Module--The smallest, most lightweight, portable Hydro-Frac system available [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At 4 feet-by-4 feet-by-5 feet and weighing in at only 2,000 pounds, this completely self-contained unit...

No matter where you are, Baroid IDP is there.
September 1, 2004... Baroid Industrial Drilling Products is a product service line of Halliburton. Since 1958, Baroid IDP has been providing drilling fluid products and service to the industrial drilling industry. The product line includes drilling fluid additives,...

Bit Brokers prides itself on quality service and products.
September 1, 2004... Bit Brokers International is one of the most well-respected companies in the drilling industry. The president and founder, Tim Thomas, opened the business in 1988 with the inspiration for the company to become everything that it is known for...

Schramm Inc. demonstrates a strong industry leadership.
September 1, 2004... From service schools attended by more than 500 industry professionals to introducing innovation such as the versatile KL Rod Handler, Schramm Inc. continues to demonstrate focused industry leadership. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Grundfos--in a class of its own.
September 1, 2004... Grundfos Pumps has become well known in the American market for its stainless steel pumps and innovative designs, but less well known is the Grundfos motor. It seems that one of the unfortunate secrets in the submersible industry is that...

Welcome to Venture Drilling Supply.
September 1, 2004... Venture Drilling Supply, LLC. was formed in 1983 to provide professional sales and service of the highest quality in Oklahoma and the surrounding states. The business is growing and prospering alongside her sister company, Venture Drilling...

Spectrum Exploration takes delivery of delta base 540.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Spectrum Exploration takes delivery of the first Boart Longyear Delta 540 Drill sold in North America. Pictured are Spectrum Exploration drill superintendent Randy Dockery (left) and Bill Henry, Western Zone business development manager. ...

Dragin Drilling goes with Flatwater Fleet.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Dragin Drilling, Wareham, Mass., has taken delivery of a brand new RTT-Rig Tender, model RTB-2100. This 2,100-gallon unit came with the standard 230-gallon auxiliary fuel tank with the optional 50-foot auto rewind fuel reel mounted inside the...

TLP Enterprises acquires new Rotadrill.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Schramm Inc. recently delivered a new T555 Rotadrill to TLP Enterprises Inc., Hayesville, N.C. This "Triple Nickel" Rotadrill is mounted on a Sterling truck and equipped with 1050/950 air. Chuck Dolby represented Schramm for the sale and at...

Higgins sells EZ Bore.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Jovier Franco of San Diego purchased this 1973 EZ Bore 9042 bucket rig from the Higgins Rig Co., of Hodgenville, Ky. This unit is equipped with 8.2 L Detroit diesel deck engine, 90-foot Kelly and is mounted on 1978 International 2600 Tandem...

Beinhower buys second from Flatwater Fleet.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Beinhower Bros. Drilling Co., Johnstown, Ohio, has purchased its second RTT-Rig Tender from Flatwater Fleet Inc. This 2,700-gallon unit, mounted on a 2003 Sterling LT9513, came with internal coating, a 225-amp welder/generator, 50-foot auto...

New Schramm for Hausinger.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Hausinger and Associates, Palmetto, Fla., recently obtained a new T300M Rotadrill. The T300M is mounted on an International model 7400 6-by-6 truck and equipped with a 4-by-3-by-13 mud pump. Chuck Dolby, assisted by Schramm dealer Atlantic...

Rig refurbished like new for BIGAT.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Drew Ogilvie of Earth Exploration Equipment Inc., delivers a newly refurbished 1994 CME55 to Ozzie Osman (l) and Adolfo Espinosa (r) of BIGAT Testing, New York. All gearboxes and hydraulic system components were fully rebuilt or replaced, and...

Higgins delivers to Hackney.(Trading Post)
September 1, 2004... Higgins Rig Co., Hodgenville, Ky., delivered this 1971 Chicago Pneumatic 650 to David Hackney, Okeechobee, Fla. Hackney's drill is equipped with a 450/250 compressor, 671 Detroit deck engine and is mounted on 1971 Ford truck. [ILLUSTRATION...

Goulds awards scholarships.(NewScope)
September 1, 2004... Fourteen high school graduates recently received $1,000 scholarships from Goulds Pumps, ITT Industries. All of the 14 collegiate aspirants are sons and daughters of members of the Goulds Professional Dealers Association. "We're especially...

Sandvik tabs McClung Logan.(NewScope)
September 1, 2004... Sandvik Mining and Construction (SMC) announces the signing of McClung Logan as its new dealer covering the states of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Headquartered in Baltimore, with offices in Bridgeville, Del., and Manassas and Winchester,...

Little Beaver expands.(NewScope)
September 1, 2004... Little Beaver Inc., headquartered in Livingston, Texas, announces the appointment of three new foreign distributors. Uniquip Canada in Quebec is a full-line distributor and one of the largest suppliers to the Canadian rental market. Tian Gan...

Goulds pumps.(NewScope)
September 1, 2004... This year's scholarship winners are: * David Addis, son of Peter and Robyn Addis, of Avon Plumbing & Heating, Avon, Conn., a customer of D & S Pump and Supply, Willimantic, Conn. * Brian Hernon, son of Tom and Susan Hernon, of HB...