Author Topic: Return To Reservoir Hole (Read 7900 times)

Cap'n Chris · « **Reply #50 on:** November 07, 2017, 08:16:30 pm »

Hi TOR. Conveyor belt is unbelievably heavy and bulky and a nightmare to move through a cave, so much so that it rarely gets taken back out again when it is no longer needed. Please do not take any CB into Reservoir Hole. It will rot there forever, most likely, if you do.

braveduck · « **Reply #51 on:** November 07, 2017, 11:02:21 pm »

Yes conveyor belting, must be loads of thrown out

stuff in your local quarries.
But the amount you want will be very heavy and difficult to transport to where you want it.
Please get some young fellows to help ,there comes a time when common sense has to be put before age !

mikekushy · « **Reply #52 on:** May 14, 2018, 05:47:20 pm »

Went to JS Sunday 13th May.

No extra mud at the bottom，the mud pressed up on the sides was very dry and it was breezy and cool at the sharp end.

There was a clear pool at the bottom which I sent forwards into the ongoing hole，this ran several seconds then sounded as if it dropped into more water. Also the entrance to the dig has received some inlet water as the floor was washed clean and more manganese flowstone was on show.

The mud floor of the passage is no where near flat anymore.

Mike.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #53 on:** May 14, 2018, 05:54:02 pm »

Well done Mike. Peter still sorting the belt. They forgot to get back to him. Certainly on again when Vurley gets gassed out. However the political situation regarding caves on Longleat land is currently unclear and a bit worrying.

mikekushy · « **Reply #54 on:** May 14, 2018, 06:04:11 pm »

It is a little，it would be a shame also.

Conveyor would be needed to continue but only 10 metres at about 600mm wide. I will get this in and out if we still have access.

Fingers crossed it all works out.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #55 on:** May 14, 2018, 06:15:35 pm »

Yes re the other comments. We are talking about food factory belt not heavy industrial stuff. Oscar Meyer at Chard change the belts twice a month and said we can have some. Unfortunately they forgot to get back to us. That sort of belt would travel in and out fairly easily.

mrodoc · « **Reply #56 on:** May 14, 2018, 06:26:47 pm »

I will ring em again.

droid · « **Reply #57 on:** May 14, 2018, 07:29:24 pm »

Can't see the images.

Click on the little icon and get a lint to PostImage, that's all.....

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #58 on:** May 14, 2018, 08:39:05 pm »

Effing Postimage changed the URL code resulting in the loss of millions of images worldwide. Effing Postmage and those Bast8rds at Photobox have put me off posting images anywhere now.

SamT · « **Reply #59 on:** May 14, 2018, 10:26:20 pm »

We used to roll the heavy matting up into a very tight roll, then used a couple of roof rack straps to hold it together. This could then be slung and with a bit of gaffa, to hold the sling in place, it could just be dragged, bit like a torpedo,worked well, or, it did fit nicely into the old Dragon 'darren' tackle sacks, (the thin silver one). Yes its heavy, but it drags well, if you take so care to package it well.

As for it sitting and rotting. I doubt very much it will rot at all, probably be there in tens of thousands of years!! But it doesn't half help when dragging kibbles down a tight passage.

PeteHall · « **Reply #60 on:** May 15, 2018, 09:08:54 pm »

I did have a contact at a quarry on the edge of Mendip, had about 200m of belt off him in the past. Let me know if you are interested and I'll see if I can get hold of him, been a couple of years...

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #61 on:** May 16, 2018, 08:43:30 am »

OK Pete. Thanks for that. Will see how Mr O'Doc gets on with Oscar Meyer.

KrissGC · « **Reply #62 on:** November 03, 2018, 10:12:13 am »

How would I get to join the digging team here?

Laurie · « **Reply #63 on:** November 03, 2018, 12:15:26 pm »

Quote from: KrissGC on November 03, 2018, 10:12:13 am

How would I get to join the digging team here?

You have to be over 90.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #64 on:** November 03, 2018, 06:28:39 pm »

Quote from: KrissGC on November 03, 2018, 10:12:13 am

How would I get to join the digging team here?

Possibly something going over Winter. Speak to Mike Kushy at the Wessex Cave Club. Also possibly some maintenance work ( not sweeping up bat poo ! ). Message Mrodoc on here.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #65 on:** November 03, 2018, 06:30:05 pm »

The conveyor belt has been obtained now.

shotlighter · « **Reply #66 on:** November 03, 2018, 09:44:58 pm »

Quote from: The Old Ruminator on November 03, 2018, 06:30:05 pm

The conveyor belt has been obtained now.

Grief, I knew you were serious about your digs.
Is the Dosco etc. on back order?

mrodoc · « **Reply #67 on:** November 04, 2018, 07:40:52 am »

To allay concerns about digging material being taken in and left, this conveyor belt material is lightweight from a food processing plant. You can carry 20 metres of it about fairly easily but shorter sections needed for moving it underground as it is still bulky. I reckon if you could heat seal along the seams you could make Swaygo like bags out of it. Anyway if it gets used anywhere I am sure you will hear about it .

dugadig · « **Reply #68 on:** November 22, 2018, 06:59:52 pm »

Sounds interesting.. I'm sure we will hear all about it!

Good luck.

mikekushy · « **Reply #69 on:** November 22, 2018, 07:06:40 pm »

I've got this Sunday free if anybody wants to join me in RH?

4 people would be needed ideally.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #70 on:** November 23, 2018, 09:28:02 am »

Mike dont be scared off by that huge meteorological balloon that Peter has left inflated at the dig . He had some bazaar notion of blocking the bigger passage with it to see how much the dig passage draughts. Some tidying up in Chain Chamber is due as well. ( Part of winter maintenance work particularly Willies old wash tub ).

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #71 on:** November 23, 2018, 09:30:13 am »

Its a shame all of the photos got deleted when Postimage ( W*nkers ) changed the URL Code.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #72 on:** November 23, 2018, 09:57:14 am »

Here is the geology at Jill's with the dig representing the latest phase in the draining of the cave. When the phreatic lift at Topless Aven finally became inactive water drained from Grand Gallery via Potter's Heaven and Jill's Slither. Reservoir Hole is confined between two major faults both of which can be seen in The Frozen Deep. It does look as if Potter's Heaven and Jill's is following a route along strike and minor faults to progress towards the Golgotha fault rather than run under The Frozen Deep. The chamber at the end of Potter's which I have named " Never Ever Land " ( sort of antithesis of "Never Land " ) remains unsurveyed and unentered since discovery due to the horrible nature of the end of Potter's . ( Flooded during the survey work ).

Wash Tub. Chain Chamber.

Chris Milne in Jill's dig last Winter.

Roof pendants and enlarged fault or joint at Jill's .

The horror that is Potter's Heaven now best avoided. ( Hence "Never Ever Chamber" ).

mrodoc · « **Reply #73 on:** November 23, 2018, 10:07:01 am »

Quote from: The Old Ruminator on November 23, 2018, 09:57:14 am

The chamber at the end of Potter's which I have named " Never Ever Land " ( sort of antithesis of "Never Land " ) remains unsurveyed and unentered since discovery due to the horrible nature of the end of Potter's . ( Flooded during the survey work ).
Quote from: The Old Ruminator on November 23, 2018, 09:57:14 am
Not strictly true as Ali M and I did two digging trips there and the biologists did some sampling in the sump at a later date. It could be dug in the summer months when it draughts (one of the biologists askfd why we weren't digging it for that reason). However the intermittent draught suggests, to me, that there is a U tube in the choked section between Never Ever land as Nick has called it and the main conduit that is flooded for long periods making it a poor prospect for digging.

The Old Ruminator · « **Reply #74 on:** November 23, 2018, 06:16:45 pm »

Ooo. Do leave your giant balloon in place for Tuesday. I must get a photo.

Potter's never dries out as far as I know. Even when not flooded it is horribly gooey and sticky. I made no effort to see the chamber at the end as getting there would have meant being plastered. I recall Peter saying that Never Ever Land does rise up out of the mud a bit but the journey there would put most folk off. Jill's dig is almost civilised by comparison and when the tube has been floored with conveyor belt it should make removing the dig tray much easier as it continually sticking hampered operations last year.