Anybody ever dug a well?

[Jack of all Trapping]

I have what I believe is a spring on my property. The water come directly out of the ground in a rocky area. I have dug it out with a shovel and enlarged it to about 3 foot circumference and 3 foot deep. The hole filled up in about a hour. I would like to dig it deeper and borrow my friends back hoe to do it. QUESTION?? What should I use to keep it from collapsing after I enlarge it? I have access to a 8 foot piece of metal culvert pipe which is 24 inches wide. Any problem using it?

[paddyg441]

;D

"Jack", rather than use a Metal Culvert, (which eventually rusts), I would search out a Recycle Depot/Scrap Yard and try and get a Polymer/Plastic Culvert it would last a Lifetime. I know on this side of the Big River we have such Places.

[townson]

I'd dig it so it tapers twords the top and line it with stone.

[patricimo54]

This is a great thread for me

I have a spring on my Ozark property that I have intents to harvest. It is actually causing me problems flooding the lane on the place.



I have considered a spring box to uses as a source of refrigeration. I will build it out of utility brick. A shallow well might be another good option. For me 12" PVC with a series of holes drilled down low, an over sized hole so that I can put a perimeter of P gravel around the pipe to filter out the silt.

[TRAPnHUNT]

I'm currently drilling methane wells at a landfill. Does that count?

[Admin]

I have seen wells where metal culverts were used but I don't know how either one of the culvert types would effect drinking water, that's if you were planning on drinking it. I would think the plastic pipe would pollute the water from the toxins in the plastic. Unsafe for drinking but fine for other uses. At my NH camp, I'm still fetching water from a well that was dug by settlers back in the 1800's and lined with stones. It's amazing these wells have never caved in and no mortar was used.

I'm glad this thread came up because I'm planning on trying to do the same at the cabin and had the same question.

Keep us updated on how your project unfolds.

[Jack of all Trapping]

Yup, will do!! Guys I think you are right about effecting the taste of the water and rusting so the culvert pipe so thats out. The backhoe is tied up on a job right now. I put a fence around the hole .Not that anybody would fall in the hole, but snapping turtles and critters come up from the big pond and follow the runoff from it.

[stickbowhntr]

I'm still fetching water from a well that was dug by settlers back in the 1800's and lined with stones. It's amazing these wells have never caved in and no mortar was used.


YEP and the WPA build stone walls along the Highways here in Pa and even most them the cement has never cracked so way to go for the NEW BETTER WAYS we come up with....them old guys KNEW their stuff didn't they?

[Admin]

This about the nicest old well I've ever found, dug some time during the 1800's.



This is the one I get water from.



The doodledog likes it fresh from the well

[Jack of all Trapping]

Now thats a dandy!!! I probably could get enough stones at 1 or 2 of the farms I trap and work at. They have piles of them from old walls. I just have boulders as big as a house at my place.

[paddyg441]

I Concede to the "Bossman", I rushed in, instead of Crawl, and gave no thought to the Breakdown of all of those LEECHY things in to-days World of MANUFACTURING You Prevail "JC". ;D

[Admin]

You crack me up sometimes Paddy but I needed the laugh after seeing the oral surgeon today.

[patricimo54]

May 1, 2013 6:23:31 GMT -5 Admin said:

I'm still fetching water from a well that was dug by settlers back in the 1800's and lined with stones. It's amazing these wells have never caved in and no mortar was used.

How deep is the well you are dipping from?

[Admin]

May 1, 2013 22:12:04 GMT -5 patricimo54 said:

How deep is the well you are dipping from?

This particular well is only about 8' deep or so. It's cold and clean and been this way all my life. Some of the old wells out there go really deep. I don't think I would have enjoyed digging them. NH is the "Granite State" and appropriately named. Can't set a shovel down without hitting a rock.