The old mine maintenance department

[tamrock]

I was up see some hardscrabble miners today and we got on the topic of how things used to be in a hard rock operation. We were talking about how expensive the drill parts, rods and bits are today, as a box of 50 1-1/2 inch tungsten carbide bits in now over a grand. I said something to the fact the mines really might start thinking of refurbishing the rods and bits like they did in the past. That was still a practice in the mine I worked at and there were two dudes in the bit regrind shop re-tipping bits non stop as we ran the deep carbide re-sharping the dull bits into nice hole boring sharp ones. The drill rod which ain't cheap either today can also be unplugged and straighten out and run further. It's all a throw away consumable industry these days, as I believe some mining companies think that's cheaper then hiring a human who might cost more, because it's got a mind of it's own and could be difficult to control. Anyways that topic lead to a visit to another abandoned site in the area and a shop that was just walked away from shortly after WW2 and almost frozen in time. This old IR pneumatic drop forge would hammer hot cherry red broken drill rod within a die new fresh rod ends and this old brick forge would be used to reproduce probably all kinds of fixes by a skilled blacksmith. I could almost imagine the activities going on in this old building by the sounds and smells that all took place in there long ago.

 

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[firemanphob]

Very interesting Tamrock. I worked in maintenance for a distillery for 25 of my 42 years there and this stuff really interests me.

 

[Kray Gelder]

Interesting post. There are a lot of things I have never been exposed to, hard rock mining is one. All interesting info. Thanx.

 

[xr7ator]

Good stuff, Tam!

 

[gunsil]

Very cool!! Seems like such a waste to have all that stuff abandoned and idle.

 

[Mudflap]

Cool pics! Worked at Open Hearth #4 (OH4) at Homestead Works, USS in Homestead, PA once. They had shops that all they did was rebuild carbide tipped cutting tools. One product was a 15 foot log of 24" diameter steel. They ran 10 each carbide tipped cutters into the log leaving a 6" core.... Inserted steel wedges and gave a wack with a 20 ton steam hammer splitting the discs from the log. Sent them out to another plant. Heated them up and stamped them and machined into wheels for trains!!

Like that old drill you show there. I think those bits are called star drills/

 

[cyzak]

I was up see some hardscrabble miners today and we got on the topic of how things used to be in a hard rock operation. We were talking about how expensive the drill parts, rods and bits are today, as a box of 50 1-1/2 inch tungsten carbide bits in now over a grand. I said something to the fact the mines really might start thinking of refurbishing the rods and bits like they did in the past. That was still a practice in the mine I worked at and there were two dudes in the bit regrind shop re-tipping bits non stop as we ran the deep carbide re-sharping the dull bits into nice hole boring sharp ones. The drill rod which ain't cheap either today can also be unplugged and straighten out and run further. It's all a throw away consumable industry these days, as I believe some mining companies think that's cheaper then hiring a human who might cost more, because it's got a mind of it's own and could be difficult to control. Anyways that topic lead to a visit to another abandoned site in the area and a shop that was just walked away from shortly after WW2 and almost frozen in time. This old IR pneumatic drop forge would hammer hot cherry red broken drill rod within a die new fresh rod ends and this old brick forge would be used to reproduce probably all kinds of fixes by a skilled blacksmith. I could almost imagine the activities going on in this old building by the sounds and smells that all took place in there long ago.

Look at that ole jack leg least it aint a widow maker is that a old mucker or just a donkey cool pics.

 

[tamrock]

Cool pics! Worked at Open Hearth #4 (OH4) at Homestead Works, USS in Homestead, PA once. They had shops that all they did was rebuild carbide tipped cutting tools. One product was a 15 foot log of 24" diameter steel. They ran 10 each carbide tipped cutters into the log leaving a 6" core.... Inserted steel wedges and gave a wack with a 20 ton steam hammer splitting the discs from the log. Sent them out to another plant. Heated them up and stamped them and machined into wheels for trains!!

Like that old drill you show there. I think those bits are called star drills/

Yeah in the past they were called star bits. These days they're tungsten tipped knock off bits and almost everyone refers them as cross bits.

 

[tamrock]

Look at that ole jack leg least it aint a widow maker is that a old mucker or just a donkey cool pics.

Those old drills are known as drifter feed drills that were mounted on a screw jack post or column. The miner had a lot to do in the way of repositioning the drill to drill each hole in a face round with those machines. Those were made by Chicago Pneumatic. What I believe you think is a mucker are some old ore cars without the carriages.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Oh the fun I could have in that shop. I could get myself into all kinds of trouble there. Lol.

 

[tamrock]

Indeed the times have changed, but the concept is pretty much the same. I was out at a new minesite under construction week before last and I took this picture as it was coming together. You got the head frame as a shaft is being sunk and a ball mill being built. I found an old photo from the past, that's all same idea. Only thing is today everything needs to be hauled in and in the past much of the resources to build your mine could be found in the way of timbers and stone right at the location of your operation. Noticed the lack of powerlines in the old photo. Them old timers were pretty efficient in their day with a mill that ran off hay and oats.

 

[barrelroll]

That's really cool. Times have changed big time. Some of the old torch cut mine built creations were really cool. Now days you can't build much or modify anything without an engineer and 3 managers from up stairs approving it.

The waste in the mining industry these days is crazy. If something gets rebuilt it gets sent out otherwise it's thrown out and replaced. We don't even repack cylinders in our shops any more.

Tamrock you get to see a lot of cool stuff in your day to day travels.

 

[cyzak]

The photo's of the old workings are excellent it gives people a real perspective of how they operated back them. It is real unfortunate that the small operators got shut down and if you want to see a mine it is a tourist trap now.

 

[tamrock]

The photo's of the old workings are excellent it gives people a real perspective of how they operated back them. It is real unfortunate that the small operators got shut down and if you want to see a mine it is a tourist trap now.

Indeed there's many elements working against the small operator in this country these days, but some still have the guts to keep on pushing on. Their success can be my reward, so say a prayer for those who have the willingness and determination to try. I've had my heart broken many times over this long career of the boom and bust of the smaller mines. I've come to know quite a few good eggs along the way with only a small handful of stinkers I've encountered in this industry. I get a pension from the former mine I was employed at beginning September 1st 2021 so the light of the portal is within view and I believe that's when I'll hang my old hard boiled hat up with the others on the wall of the Outlaw there in Ouray Colorado. It's got stickers on it that go back now over 40 years. The one sticker I have from the great Homestake in Lead South Dakota fell off, but I still got it. I don't wear that hat these days as a very observant little MSHA man had me take it off to inspect the mfg. date code. He looked around a bit before I told him it ain't got one. He was cool and just told me to loose it. Got me a new MSA now good how long, I don't know as I'd have to look that one up under all the overwhelming rules and regulations that have implemented these days on the miner. It's all good as its meant for his rights and protection which I stand behind.

 

[cyzak]

 

[Mad Machinist]

That's really cool. Times have changed big time. Some of the old torch cut mine built creations were really cool. Now days you can't build much or modify anything without an engineer and 3 managers from up stairs approving it.

The waste in the mining industry these days is crazy. If something gets rebuilt it gets sent out otherwise it's thrown out and replaced. We don't even repack cylinders in our shops any more.

Tamrock you get to see a lot of cool stuff in your day to day travels.

If you ever get the chance come in down here. Since your Freeport a visit should be able to be arranged.

I went through all that with the engineers here up until the day I had to go save their arses and now they don't bother me. I build whatever I want when I want and they just sign off on it.

We're taking back most of our pump rebuilds now that we have apprentices. Hell, they left me spec out my service truck to a point at a cost of nearly $200k.

Things are changing slowly but they are changing. Soon enough I'll walk away from Freeport for my own gig.

 

[tamrock]

So many of the big companies cease to create their own special needs. Their legal departments are always looking for ways to shift the liability on to someone else. At the moly mine in Questa New Mexico the guys in the drill shop built a grinder to resurface the striking end on the pistons of the rock drills. I was asked by purchasing why such an increase in the need for new pistons? I went and asked the drill doctor what he thought. He just said the ends were worn out and need replaced. I looked at the old dyi resurfacing grinder that a previous mechanic build and told him you can stretch the life of the pistons by resurfacing the ends on that deal built by the other guy. The drill doctor told me ever since Chevron bought the mine, he was told he could no longer use that machine, because they can longer use tools built by mine personal. I guess everything needed to be made by an outside manufacturer and that way if someone using it gets hurt, it won't be the companies fault. It'll be someone else to sue if something happens.

 

[barrelroll]

So many of the big companies cease to create their own special needs. Their legal departments are always looking for ways to shift the liability on to someone else. At the moly mine in Questa New Mexico the guys in the drill shop built a grinder to resurface the striking end on the pistons of the rock drills. I was asked by purchasing why such an increase in the need for new pistons? I went and asked the drill doctor what he thought. He just said the ends were worn out and need replaced. I looked at the old dyi resurfacing grinder that a previous mechanic build and told him you can stretch the life of the pistons by resurfacing the ends on that deal built by the other guy. The drill doctor told me ever since Chevron bought the mine, he was told he could no longer use that machine, because they can longer use tools built by mine personal. I guess everything needed to be made by an outside manufacturer and that way if someone using it gets hurt, it won't be the companies fault. It'll be someone else to sue if something happens.

You aren't allowed to modify a tool or make a tool according to our corporate policy and everything has to go through engineering if you want to do something. There might be an MSHA element to this as well but I'm not sure. The liability is also why we use contractors for a lot of work.

If you ever get the chance come in down here. Since your Freeport a visit should be able to be arranged.

I went through all that with the engineers here up until the day I had to go save their arses and now they don't bother me. I build whatever I want when I want and they just sign off on it.

We're taking back most of our pump rebuilds now that we have apprentices. Hell, they left me spec out my service truck to a point at a cost of nearly $200k.

Things are changing slowly but they are changing. Soon enough I'll walk away from Freeport for my own gig.

That would be cool, I might have to make a trip down there when it cools down. I can give tours up here if you ever make it Colorado as well. Is the 4 wheeling down there worth dragging the jeep on 35's along?

It's all about learning how the play the game and make things happen, when you do life is good. I asked the right way for a $250 stool the other day and got told go ahead and order it. Asking the wrong way I would have got deal with the stool you have. Not a 200k service truck but yeah you can some times get the higher ups to "get it".

 

[tamrock]

You aren't allowed to modify a tool or make a tool according to our corporate policy and everything has to go through engineering if you want to do something. There might be an MSHA element to this as well but I'm not sure. The liability is also why we use contractors for a lot of work

Yeah I bet if you told those old timers who worked in that old shop I posted were told they're not allowed to make what they needed, they'd a looked at ya like you had a booger on your face. We found a hand forged box end wrench made from a piece of broken drill steel up there. You gotta be at Henderson. I was up there couple weeks back on that Copco bolter doing a little test on the 37mm bits. That contractor up there is who I was with. I worked at the Leadville operation back in the day. They told me my grandkids would be able to retire from there, but that ain't gonna happen. I became a Republican after all that and saw to it, Carter didn't get a second term. Still we all had to go. We made all kinds of stuff up at Climax. That be me up there front row 2nd left. That photo was taken in 1978 and the only contactors I ever saw up there did the raise bores. They ordered us to do all kinds of jobs up there back then and task training on any of the equipment they used didn't exist. Ya just had to quickly figure it out pretty much on your own if you weren't familiar with it. Anyone that needed to be shown what to do might be considered stupid, so you always said no sweat pard looks easy enough to me.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Barrelroll,

Down around Phoenix you can find anything from mild to wild as far as trails go.