and Drilling Practices and Drilling Practices By: Guy St. Jacques Cambrian College Face Preparation: Wash work area. Visual check of work area. Check scale work area. Shoot line and grade, and paint face. Face Preparation: Washing Work Area Wash back and walls from a safe distance. (Preferably from header) Face Preparation: Visual Check of Work Area Look at back and wall for signs of loose, joints or slips. Look at face for signs of loose, joints or slips. Look to see if there is any excessive muck at the face that will have to be removed. Face Preparation: Check Scale Sound walls, back and face for loose, with proper length of scaling bar. Always sound and scale from good to bad ground. Take down any loose that is in work area. (Heading). Face Preparation: Wash and Scale Drill Face Wash and scale face Wash out all remnants of previous blast. (all bootlegs, old cut and lifter holes) Use non-ferrous copper washing tube Flag all lifter holes ( with lifter sticks) If blast remnants cannot be washed, re-blast them Face Preparation: Wash and Scale Drill Face If remnants cannot be washed, re-blast them. Muck out face after re-blast. Repeat washing procedures. Face Preparation: Paint Face Paint circles around old cut and all bootlegs. Shoot line and grade. Paint horizontal and vertical offsets. Paint hash lines on walls and back for easier drill alignment. Paint drilling lines at proper widths and heights. Drilling Practices Selecting Drill Pattern The main aim is to ensure the optimum number of correctly placed and accurately drilled holes. This will help to ensure successful loading and blasting of the holes. Produces accurate and smooth tunnel wall, back, and floor. Drilling Practices Selecting Drill Pattern Drill Pattern Cut Types Parallel 9 hole cut Number of Reamer holes (4 or 5) Accurate and parallel drilling Drilling Practices Selecting Where to Place Cut Try to select an area on the face where there is no slips or joints. Try not to drill cut in large quartz vein, or sulphide vein. Drill cut in host rock, this will ensure better breakage. Rotate or stagger cut from round to round, do not drill cut in same location on the face. Use the painted hash marks on the back and walls to help you properly align your drill steel. Drilling Practices Selecting Where to Place Cut Drilling Practices Parallel Drilling It is essential to drill all holes parallel to each other Contour holes are drilled using the Look Out Angle An experienced driller will visualize where the toe of the hole will be drilled Use proper spacing and burden for holes Drilling Practices Parallel Drilling It is essential to drill all holes parallel to each other Drilling Practices Parallel Drilling Contour holes are drilled using the Look Out Angle Drilling Practices Parallel Drilling An experienced driller will visualize where the toe of the hole will be drilled Drilling Practices Parallel Drilling Use proper spacing and burden for holes Drilling Practices Conclusion If all these drilling practices and the proper loading of explosive are applied, you will get good results.