Livestock well: prep

I hired Paul Erickson to drill (pound) a 6 inch pipe for a livestock well for me to replace the old pipe that plugged up with sand. I should have done this last year before my failed efforts to get a well pipe into the ground with "do it myself' methods.  Paul has the equipment and expertise and did a great job in getting the pipe into the ground.

I believe Paul is the last of the pounding drillers left in the Valley.  His truck is a 1969 model.

Paul set up his drilling rig and prepared the pipe on a Monday evening May 12.

Paul hadn't used his drilling rig in a week and we discovered a bird nest in the back of his truck.

In position.

In my 'do it yourself' plan I had the bottom of the pipe bent into a point, cut and drilled holes in the pipe.  Paul didn't like this as it affected the integrity of the pipe and he was concerned it would fail when pounding it into the ground.  I believe his pounder had 2000 pounds of pressure.

So Paul cut off the bottom 8 ft of my pipe.

Then he welded a bottom 'shoe' on the pipe.  The 'shoe' is super hard steel and protects the bottom of the pipe when it is driven into the ground.

Daisy wasn't so sure about this strange guy welding the pipe.

Once Paul left for the day Daisy checked out his trailer and drilling rig.