[Rhodes22-list] New Dock Pilings With A Hydraulic Drill

Mon Jun 28 19:33:32 EDT 2004

Ed,

Let's see, my old dock lasted 21 years.  How often is S. Carolina visited by
hurricanes &/or heavy flooding?

You couldn't pay me enough to install docks for a living!

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "ed kroposki" <ekroposki at charter.net>
To: "'The Rhodes 22 mail list'" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 8:17 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] New Dock Pilings With A Hydraulic Drill

> Roger,
>
> My wife was looking over my shoulder when I brought up your
> pictures.  "What is that?"  I explained what happened and what you are
> doing.  She said, "Doesn't he know not to fight Mother Nature?"  All you
> have to do is move to South Carolina.  We do not have ice flows.
>
> Ed K
>
> P.S.  Is the new business's named Pihlaja Hydraulic Drilling or Roger and
> Sons Hydraulic Drilling?  Have you gotten your business license and
> insurance coverage yet?
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Roger Pihlaja
> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 7:18 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Fw: Preparing To Set New Dock Pilings
> WithAHydraulic Drill
>
> Michael,
>
> Thank you.  The article & pictures look great!
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Meltzer" <mjm at michaelmeltzer.com>
> To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 1:49 AM
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Fw: Preparing To Set New Dock Pilings With
> AHydraulic Drill
>
>
> I am pretty sure Rodger wanted this posted to the list with the picture
> attached, Doing that for him now.
>
> MJM
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Roger Pihlaja
> To: Michael Meltzer
> Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 5:10 PM
> Subject: Fw: Preparing To Set New Dock Pilings With A Hydraulic Drill
>
>
> Michael,
>
> Enclosed is an article for the Rhodes List along with 3 annotated
pictures.
>
> Roger
>
> _____________________________________________________________
>
> Hi Everybody,
>
> As many of you recall, my dock on Sanford Lake was destroyed by ice this
> spring.  We've spent the previous month demolishing & removing the
wreckage
> of my dock as well my neighbor's boat hoist from in front of my property.
> We are now just about ready to start building the new dock.  To that end,
> I've built myself a new toy, a hydraulic drill for sinking the new dock
> pilings.  The three attached pictures illustrate how it works.
>
> In picture 1, you can see the entire set-up.  The hydraulic drill is run
by
> a 6.75 hp pressure washer.  Our house well water is stepped up to 2-1/2
> gal/min @ 2800 psi in the pressure washer & this high pressure water is
fed
> to the hydraulic drill thru 25 ft of high pressure hose.  The hydraulic
> drill itself is fabricated from 2 inch nominal diameter, schedule 40,
> galvanized steel pipe & fittings.  High pressure water enters the drill
thru
> the T-Handle on the upper end.  The drill runs hydraulically full in order
> to give it sufficient weight to reduce the tendency to lift up in reaction
> to the water jet.  There is a small hole bored in the cutting head.  The
> high pressure water is forced out thru this orifice at sonic velocity,
about
> 1200 ft/sec.  Yes, this is a highly dangerous tool!  It can cut right thru
> your foot if you get in the way of the water jet.  That's the reason for
the
> large T-Handle, in order to provide sufficient leverage to keep the drill
> under control when it is cutting.
>
> Picture 2 is a close-up of the cutting head.  The lake bottom where I live
> is composed of hard gravelly mud.  Note the four 7/16 14UNC grade 8 bolts
> protruding out of the cutting head.  The ends of these hardened steel
bolts
> have been ground down to chisel points and 7/16 14UNC wing nuts have been
> epoxied in place on each of the bolts.  These wing nuts act as "mud
> impellors" or stirrers.  The chisel points on the hardened steel bolts
acts
> to pop the gravel particles loose as the hydraulic jet blasts its way down
> thru the hard mud.  In use, the T-Handle is used to rotate the cutting
head
> 90 degrees back and forth.  The gravel and mud cuttings are forced up and
> out the annular space in between the 2 inch pipe and the bore hole.  Yes,
> this tool makes an incredible "mud slick".
>
> Picture 3 shows my son, Daniel and his friend Keith using the hydraulic
> drill to set new stairway pilings for my next door neighbor, whose dock
was
> also destroyed by ice this spring.  Hey, when you're trying something new,
> it's good to experiment with someone else's dock 1st!  Note that the hill
> Daniel & Keith are working on is so steep that they are both wearing
> climbing harnesses & belayed off to trees at the top of the hill.
>
> The new hydraulic drill worked great its 1st time out.  The cutting rate
is
> about 12 inch/min.  The installation of our new dock should go smoothly
with
> this tool.
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
>
>
> > Name: Hydraulic Drill 3.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 136716 bytes Desc:
not
> available
> > Url:
>
http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200406/28/HydraulicDri
> ll3.jpg
> >
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
>
>
> > Name: Close-Up Of Jet.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 142373 bytes Desc: not
> available
> > Url:
>
http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200406/28/Close-UpOfJe
> t.jpg
> >
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
>
>
> > Name: Drilling Stairway Pilings @ Harpers.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size:
> 142369 bytes Desc: not available
> > Url:
>
http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200406/28/DrillingStai
> rwayPilingsHarpers.jpg
> >
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
>
>
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
>