Bits ‘n Pieces – The Driller’s Blog

We have offered a lot of advice in previous blogs, but it never hurts to repeat important information, especially for helpers and other people new to the industry.

Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been updating our popular e-Guides so our customers would have the latest and greatest information. We started with our most popular guides and have published new versions of how to choose the right core bit, new core bit configurations and our guide on caring for drill rods.

If you want to learn a bit more about how reaming shells and core bits work together and gain a good overall view of the diamond tools used in core drilling, then this video is for you. It provides an excellent visual representation of the core drilling process, and focuses on core bits, reaming shells and drilling parameters.

For optimal drilling performance, you need a drill bit that is designed to handle a variety of variables that are particular to your drilling project. Choosing the right core bit is one of the most important decisions you will make, and the type of ground is an important consideration.

The wireline core barrel is one of the most important pieces of diamond drilling equipment – it’s what you use to recover core.  We’ve written a lot about the parts of the core barrel: inner tubes, head assemblies, outer tubes and overshots but being able to actually see how these pieces work together while underground is really helpful.

Waiting for new drilling equipment can be longer than usual these days. Supply chains everywhere are being negatively impacted by external events far more frequently than ever before. Disruptive events, like the recent pandemic, are causing potential disruption to business activity and the drilling and mining industries are not immune. Delays are now common for drilling equipment especially those made with steel, such as drill rods, inner and outer tubes, etc.

We have another video and this one is about some of the most important equipment in core drilling: drill rods, casing and water swivels. Watch this video to learn about the purpose and different types of drill rods used in both conventional and wireline drilling.

Newcomers to the mineral exploration world are often looking for information that can help them learn more quickly and be more efficient on the job. They may also have a lot of questions that they don’t know want to ask or don’t know where to look for answers. There is a lot to learn and not every experienced driller has the time or the patience to teach. We’ve started publishing a series of blogs and videos that go back to some of the basic information that drillers and helpers, new and old, should know.

Ever wonder about the different types of international standards that exist for drilling equipment? Are there more than just Imperial and metric? Why are they also referred to as DCDMA and CMS?

The next in of our series of videos about the diamond drilling industry is all about the components of core drilling. These videos are ideal for newcomers to the industry, and for workers looking to advance in their careers. We know that when you have questions, information can be difficult to get. It is why we produce so many guides, blogs and videos.