hollow bit tongs

[Strine]

The things we have to come up with? I need a pair of hollow bit tongs to pick up 1 1/2 inch diam bar 40 to 50 feet down a 3 inch diam hole. The hole is full of muddy water and black as at 40 feet. The hollow bit bit is ok, and the basic tong bit is OK too. It's the remoteness of the piece to be picked up that's the problem. Any assistance greatfully received.

[mike-hr]

How about a conical coil spring, that when rotated, grabs on the bar. I think folks that work on water wells use something like that for mistakes.

[Glenn]

Try this in a spare 3" hole with light first to see how it works and feels before going down hole.

Take a circular plate of steel of sufficent strength to lift the weight and smaller than the 3 inch hole.

Drill or cut a hole in the center of the plate just a bit larger than the 1-1/2 inch diameter bar.

Weld or attach a place to tie a rope/cable on "top" of the plate.

Slide the plate and rope/cable down hole and try to put the 1-1/2 inch bar into the hole. When you succeed, pull on the rope/cable and the plate will tilt, digging into the bar and lifting it.

That is the theory, and I have seen it work on a water well when the wooden sucker rod broke. Took some fishing but the project ended in success.


Best of luck with fishin' it out. :wink:

[Strine]

Thanks Mike and Glenn.
The bar (actually a tube full of D size batteries) is 8 inches long and would probably be leaning against the side of the hole. It is actually the bottom end of another, longer tube that has been retrieved using Mike's method. The longer tube screwed into the shorter tube. You cannot imagine what the long tube is worth.

Lads, this is all theoretical now as the short tube has 'gone to God', but should the need arise in the future I would rather be for-armed with a u-beaut tool than not.

BTW Mike your method cost $4000 in the end and during the rotation the bottom section was unscrewed.

[irnsrgn]

Strine, I believe a lighter modified fishing tool I made for the local oil patch would serve your purpose well, the original was made with car springs, but for your purpose I believe strapping or banding material would work.

A - is a side view of a finger.

B - is an inside view of a finger.

C - shows either 3 or 4 fingers attached to a small pipe coupling that can be connected to small diameter pipe to insert the tool down the pipe and force the tool over the object. The sharp multiple points will spring out and then bite into the object.

This worked well at 1800 feet below ground to retrieve a length of well pipe, of course it had the coupling still attached and only needed to slip over the coupling.

[elkdoc]

OK... It's going to veer off topic but I have to ask.

What're we retrieving that's so priceless? A tool? Gold bars? My curiosity is getting the better of me.

:oops:

[irnsrgn]

elk, I think it was a flashlight that got accidently dropped in a place it shouldn't be. by the description.

[Strine]

Irnsrgn, another good idea. Ta. Is your tool like an inverted wine glass or is it two flat strips. Another problem is that the tube had no catch points, it being nice and smooth to slide down the hole.
Elk it's a device that measures the angle in two directions, dip and strike if you like, and the azimuth (angle from north) of the hole....just a tad high tech. :cry:

Thanks again for the input.

My thoughts were a pair of a 3 inch hollow bit tongs that closed to about an inch. A cord (A) would be passed from one rein through a loop on the other rein and then to the surface while another cord ( is attached to the rein with a loop. Lower the tongs with cord B but haul up with cord A which closes the tongs. A miniature block and tackle between the reins would add power to the grip.

This is where I have the fun nutting out a solution to a new problem, and part of the reason for the topic was that I thought you fellas might might also enjoy the challenge.

[irnsrgn]

Strine its basically 4 sharp fingers with sharp points that will dig into most smooth surfaces except heat treated steel and the spring action of pushing the fingers over the part center it and also helps the points dig into it, when you pull it out it will drag all the way to the entry point thus increasing the tension on the sharp points, it usually doesn't take much to retrieve a small object like that, sometimes spring tension alone will do the job.

the trouble with a tong arrangement is the tongs have to have very short reins to open any significant amount and do not exert a lot of squeeze on the object they are grasping.

Another thing you could try is a plastic pipe with a bevel on the end to rotate it and center it in the pipe, a pipe that the part will just slide up into that is, and hook a strong shop vacum to it and retrieve it that way.

[Mills]

I have used the method that irnsrgn recommends for retrieving plastic bailers down hole. It works well. I am generally fishing a 1.2 in bailer in a 2 in casing. fashioning a treble hook that will slide to the inside works usually. On the occasion that I have to retrieve that size bailer from a larger diameter well, I cut the end off of a 1 L bottle, push some tie wire through as irsrgn suggests and fish around til it drops over the end. I use some weight to assist in pushing it down. The weight also helps me feel the bailer when I hit it. i guess better string tension. I do recommend that you use non twisting line at that depth. Here it is called masonry line and is a braid not a twist.