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Author	Goin' down an 'ole!
brianrob1961 Joined: 05/12/2017 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 01/10/2018 21:02:04 Reply \| Quote Well, maybe not going down a hole exactly. I am 57 and far too old for that kind of stuff, but I know of an 'ole that I would like to look into. I would appreciate your comments on my idea. First of all, I cross two pieces of ropes and secure them with tent pegs at four points over the said 'ole, so that where the ropes cross is above the centre of the 'ole. This gives a central point where another rope can be passed across and something lowered into said 'ole. Secondly, I lower a football down the 'ole in a plastic bag with a little bit of ballast. When the football reaches water or the bottom, that gives us a depth. Thirdly, we lower a camera down on a rig of some kind, with lights. Knowing the depth, we don't lower it further than we know that we can safely. Lastly, we marvel at our amazing photographs. Right, can anyone point out any obvious flaws in this plan? Brian. IP: 88.106.13.9 Edited: 02/10/2018 08:19:40 by brianrob1961
John_Smith Joined: 09/07/2017 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 01/10/2018 21:25:57 Reply \| Quote What is the top of the 'ole made of? You should be very careful hanging around the top of shafts, as a considerable area around the collar can give way with little warning. IP: 109.158.135.25
ttxela Joined: 04/09/2007 Location: Cambs View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 01/10/2018 22:09:48 Reply \| Quote Why not use timbers or scaffold pole or something rigid to make your cross piece? If the 'ole is deep you may end up with a considerable weight of rope hanging down, maybe enough to pull out tent pegs! You could also push a rigid cross piece over the hole from further away so avoiding the hazard of the ginging collapsing a bit more as mentioned above..... IP: 86.140.142.43
brianrob1961 Joined: 05/12/2017 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 02/10/2018 08:21:29 Reply \| Quote It's an old coal mine shaft and I have only seen it on a photograph. There is fencing around it and I was hoping to avoid the need to cross beyond the fencing towards the 'ole. Mad, I may be. Totally insane, I am not! IP: 88.106.13.9
brianrob1961 Joined: 05/12/2017 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 02/10/2018 08:22:49 Reply \| Quote The 'ole is up on a hill with dodgy access. Ropes would cut down weight considerably. I agree that I would have to keep an eye on the strain points. Perhaps those corkscrew things, rather than just tent pegs, would be better. IP: 88.106.13.9
robnorthwales Joined: 21/05/2008 Location: Denbighshire, North wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 02/10/2018 17:56:03 Reply \| Quote As has already been said, the shaft collar or ginging may be unstable, and could give way at any time. Never mind the rope, camera, etc. If you are within 20 feet of the shaft top, the real question is what are YOU attached to ? IP: 80.189.176.37
brianrob1961 Joined: 05/12/2017 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 03/10/2018 21:13:54 Reply \| Quote Well, you might be right, but I doubt it in this case. The field is well used with cattle, farm machines, etc. If it was going to cave in, I think that it would have done a long time ago. And weren't the areas around shafts deliberately left stable, with coal not removed for that reason? I seem to recall that when the old Moston colliery near Manchester flooded, the new shafts were dug very close to the old one for that reason: it was the most stable ground. IP: 88.106.13.9
Buckhill Joined: 08/04/2008 View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 03/10/2018 23:18:26 Reply \| Quote I think you're confusing the shaft pillar left to protect a working shaft from damage and the advice people are trying to give you to be aware that after abandonment shafts are not inspected and maintained. Depending on the state of any lining and the depth of unconsolidated surface deposits a sudden collapse in the shaft could result in formation of a fairly big crater. What several people are trying to tell you is that in that event anything on the surface will go down with it - cattle, sheep, and possibly you and your tent pegs and ropes! I was told over 50 years ago in respect of the old shafts and disused workings we used to inspect "Some say it's stood all this time so it won't go now, others say every day it's stood is a day nearer it dropping. I take heed of the latter". Good advice which I always followed. IP: 109.155.27.86
John_Smith Joined: 09/07/2017 Location: North Wales View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 04/10/2018 09:37:41 Reply \| Quote Buckhill wrote: "Some say it's stood all this time so it won't go now, others say every day it's stood is a day nearer it dropping. I take heed of the latter." That is a great quote! I think I'll go and live in a self-contained bubble now and quit going underground. IP: 147.143.12.98
Roger L Joined: 01/06/2010 Location: Huddersfield View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 04/10/2018 10:53:20 Reply \| Quote Why not use a fishing rod with nylon line and a large float or paternoster to plumb the depth. then you can stand well away from the shaft. If you knot the line when you get to the bottom you can measure the distance from the hole to knot and subtract this from the line you can lay on ground and measure. You could also use a slate lath with bent nails to form eyes for nylon to run though. -- Mine Lectures & Walks available for around Huddersfield IP: 82.6.216.127
ttxela Joined: 04/09/2007 Location: Cambs View Profile View Posts View Personal Album View Personal Files View all Photos Send Private Message	Goin' down an 'ole! Posted: 04/10/2018 13:36:24 Reply \| Quote Roger L wrote: Why not use a fishing rod with nylon line and a large float or paternoster to plumb the depth. then you can stand well away from the shaft. If you knot the line when you get to the bottom you can measure the distance from the hole to knot and subtract this from the line you can lay on ground and measure. You could also use a slate lath with bent nails to form eyes for nylon to run though. If you do this buy some fish from the supermarket to lay on the grass beside you to show to any curious passers by...... IP: 213.105.166.162

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