WEEKEND DIGGING PICS!

[atdadump]

I apologise to everyone in the group if i offended anyone. I meant in no way to start trouble. I don't jump from group to group starting trouble as dirtflicker stated. I go thru and read the posts everyday as my time allows. I didn't target you Dirtflicker to be demeaning and i apologise to you i offended you. I don't have to prove to anyone that I've dug a forteen foot holes or dug twenty foot cisterns, I do buy a bottle or two on e-bay once in a while. Everything i previously said was meant to dig Safe!! Bottom line, no one has to take any sides, no one has to change there way of diggin. I'm older now, I've been in those places, I'm not jealous of what your finding Dirtflicker, I'm impressed with your finds. You got one hell of a dump there. We've obviously have two different styles of digging. When I get a chance I'll scan some photos and show some goods and bads that I've done.

Please don't take it personal, we're all here for the same interest

 

[madman]

ok damn ive been guilty of tunneling lol !! lets all just be very carefull, and enjoy digging and discovering the past, whether it be abm or pontil just have fun !! there is no other feeling i wish i had a 14ft dump, amen brother mike

 

[dirtflicker]

just lay off the lectures atadump....I don't think anyone in here wants to hear you preach safe digging....I think most of us are adults and common sense should let us know the risks and dangers. You and I obviously have different versions of safe digging. I will tell you another thing...I will keep posting photos of my DEEEEEEP holes and digs because I want to share my digging experiences with others. If you don't like my photos, skip over my posts....it's that easy man. Thats it on this issue for me....

 

[lexdigger]

Hey ya'll, I do have one thing to say on the subject. I've not been digging long, but long enough to know that you're going to get into a deep hole every now and then. The thing is, you just have to use common sense. We dug a 12 foot deep privy a couple of weekends ago and I felt as safe as I've ever felt down in a hole. The walls were Hard packed clay and it was almost impossible to even cut foot holds in the wall just to get out of the hole. On the other hand, I've seen people cause a cave in in just a four or five feet deep hole in a dump. It was thier own fault for tunneling under a huge slab of concrete. When it's wet, it's even easier to cause a cave in!!! Like I said, as long as you use common sense, it doesn't matter how deep or shallow you dig. It's always best to have someone up top watching the ground for cracks. When you notice the ground cracking, it's best to go ahead and knock it off instead of letting it cave in on you!!! If I feel safe enough, and have some other people with me, I wouldn't have any problem digging in a twenty feet deep hole. On the other hand, when you're digging alone it's always better to be safe than sorry... JMHO, Chris Capley Lexington, Ky.

 

[deepwoods]

Telling a guy not to dig deep after he's dug a few really good bottles is like telling a guy dating Miss November that looks dont matter. Next to futile.

 

[diggerjeff]

for those of you who dont like lectures ,please disregaurd this info.!

this is advise for the beginner digger. you older seasoned diggers know what you are doing, i presume!


there are several cheap and easy ways to protect ones self when digging deep holes. simple boxes made of plywood or sections of large dia. pvc pipe works well. cave-ins can happen even if you are not doing something STUPID such as tunneling. i have been digging steady for MANY (about 30) years and this issue still scares me. i dig straight holes and have had cave-ins at 6 feet down. that does not seem deep enough to trap a person, but the weight of the dirt is tremendous. always dig with a buddy if you plan to go deep. this is the guy who will watch the edges of the hole for cracks. i can't tell you how many times my buddy has saved my a$$, and i his!! diggers have lost lives by not paying attention to the surrounding dirt. please people , no bottle if worth the cost of your life!!! dig safely and use your common sense!!!

jeff

 

[bearswede]

Thanks, Jeff, for your wise words... This is a forum about sharing ideas and opinions, and if someone feels the need to express concerns about safety when digging so that inexperienced diggers don't make some tragic mistake, I think we should all be able to accept that; especially if it's delivered in a thoughtful way, which I thought this was. We all have stuff to learn, and we all need to temper our strongly held beliefs thru compromise...


Ron

 

[youngpup]

since we're all on the subject of digging...I would like to ask how to start a hole...I've always scrounged off the bottles on top, but now feel like they're just too common...I would like to start digging and don't know if i should just go ahead and dig with a shovel...or use a hoe to start the hole...I wouldn't want to break any bottles...The dump I found that I would like to start digging has WWII coke bottles on top and a bunch of old pepsi's so I figured it'd be a good place to dig....It's also like 6 miles into a deep greenbriar patch...so I know it's a virgin dump. Any tips on how to start and type of hole to dig would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks,
~~Jesse~~

 

[dirtflicker]

Jeff.....you are absolutely correct.....I did not mean to start trouble...but you all know me in this forum by now.....you all know I dig deep.....and you all know I have been at it for a while.....so I will not have someone telling me how I should dig my holes. If you look at the pic, it is a nice straight hole with NO TUNNELING!


youngpup,

If you want to start a hole...first make sure you have a dump over two feet deep. Do do this use a probe or dig a "test hole." Once you determine how deep the dump is or may be, you can decide how to dig your hole. if the dump is down a bank or ravine, you should start at the bottom so you are not moving the tail pile more than once. If the dump is fairly shallow...it is safe to "ramp in" a little as long as you do not tunnel. If the dump is real deep (over 5') you should trench your hole and make sure the sides are straight....NO TUNNELING ESPECIALLY AT DEEP DEPTHS!!!! DANGEROUS!!!

 

[youngpup]

thanks a bunch dirtflicker...it's a flat area and i'm pretty sure it's a shallow...might prove myself wrong tomorrow tho...I'll make sure i wont tunnel