What's the best way to dig a really big hole in the bush?

Alan,

Depending on the size of hole you are looking at digging, have you thought about a hand auger?

Dormer Soil Samplers Augers

Cheers Kev

How deep are you talking Alan?

A few feet in a river bed, or a hundred foot deep bore hole?

A post hole shovel, scissor shovel, or post hole auger will get you down a meter or more pretty quick.

If it's deeper, I can only warn that in Victoria, at least, the fine for drilling a borehole without a permit is substantial (10,000 from memory), and the driller has to properly case the hole and log the details of the drill with the Gov.
That's why it's rare to see any of the old manual bore drilling tripod rigs around.

Alan,
I see you want to go between 3 and 5 metres. I am sure you know about the danger of ground conditions. So now you have to dig and shore up the sides.

You could use a motorised hand auger, and then use a drum on a tripod as you suggested, to lift the mullock out with the vehicle. If you aren't going to shore up, make sure the ground is good or have a very big cone.

Hi Al

What size hole, 6' x 6' x 3'............who you trying to get rid of.........



Cheers



Stephen

Inverter, electric jack hammer, shovel.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

1. Get a really big shovel.

2. Tell Massie there's a really big bone buried in the spot requiring a hole.

3. Get Mick to dig the hole.

Alan mate 3 to 5 meters is a well in any terms.

My brother is a windmill doctor, and he cleans wells for a living.

Let me tell you 3 to 5 meters is a big hole and that does require quite some shoring up.

Give you some idea.

A few years ago, my brother was typically charging $100 a foot to clear a standard 4 foot diamter well shaft....I am sure the price has gone up since then.

He and his off sider used to recon they where doing all right to do 4 to 6 feet a day using shovel,bucket and windlass.
NOW remember this is a hole that has already been dug, the shaft already shored up and is filled with more or less lose material.

Now remember for each meter of a 4 foot diameter hole you are shifting about 4 cubic meters of material..as it lies..off the shovel that works out to be arround 6 cubic metres of material..if that is dry sand, that works out to be arround 2 to 3 tonnes, if its wet it could be as much as 6 tonnes.......PER METER DUG

Now untill he recent illness, he was a vigorous little man with a savage shoveling action and well hardened to this work.....and energiser bunny in a big hat.


So..how do you recon you are going to go.

Now...there is a good reason why these shafts are cut at 4 feet......because that is how much room a short man needs to work


now if you are to free dig, without shoring...you will need to dig a hole at least twice the diameter as the depth you are to dig to......that is a F@#$%!G BIG hole.

Now...ya typical heavy rigid tip truck has a 10 meter bin and carries about 12 tonnes maxed out.

so I recon If I was contracting to fill a 5 meter conical hole, I would be safe in quoting 4 trick lodas of fill.

So alan..what exactly are you trying to do.

cheers

G/Day Alan,....Mini excavator mate! ,if you could get one to whatever site, and even then it would be a trick in sandy type soil, Go down three metres, batter the sides out to 45deg,..then ramp in and dig the last bit out of the centre....forget the shovel!, you will be dead by the time you get to 2mtrs!, good idea though...not sure of the legalities.


Cheers Axle.

Quick and easy...........................FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, you've got my curiosity- why digging a big hole? if its water, don't really need to- can do this by several other means (eg; condensation). if its some sort of prospecting/mining, may be fair enough. for rubbish disposal- carry out is better. ays need to consider environment as well- is it necessary to dig the hole? etc..
anyhow, choices are clear- by hand or some form of mechanical device such as hoe, auger etc.
MG.

Alan,
if you have a helper one option would be the old horsedrawn scoop found on many farms
just subsitute the horse with a cruiser
these things were used to dig many dams in the past
just need somenoe to drive the cruiser while you weigh down on the back of the scoop
actually best get a big(heavy ) mate to go with you and drive the vehicle yourself.
even if the ground is a bit hard to get the scoop to dig in it makes it easier to remove shovelled dirt from the hole
cheers
Howard

Alan,

Considering some of the places you frequent, this is what you need.



All you need now is to talk Mick into leaving his quad bike somewhere, and loading on the Dingo. With a few lights you could work all night!!!

Bob.