002.160.Idrija

Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Centre, Bazoviška 2, SI-5280 Idrija

Public

Republic of Slovenia

/

Mine

The drilling set consists of two interrelated machines, namely a drilling machine and a flush pump. The drilling machine has a drill and a compressed-air, which is horizontally mounted on two vertical steel brackets. The bottom part of the brackets is mounted into the ground, their upper part in the ceiling. A pressure measuring device is next to the drilling machine. The other part is a flush pump, which is connected to the drilling machine and equipped with cast iron wheels. Different drilling bits, drilling nozzles and samples of drilling holes are positioned in the space next to the device.

Drilling machine with a drill: length 350 cm, width 87 cm, height 82 cm; Support: diameter 7 cm, height 410 cm; Pump: length 110 cm, width 58 cm, height 73 cm; Measuring device: 66 cm length, width 27 cm, height 27 cm.

Cast iron, steel, artificial mass, rocks.

1960s

Manufacturer information is not known.

The Craelius drilling set served for research drilling and detection of mineralisation areas on the main levels and levels of the Idrija ore deposit. Obtaining the core during research drilling was particularly challenging in the poor rocky conditions which occur in Idrija. Therefore, during the exploration of part of the Idrija ore deposit (in the Pront area), the Idrija geologists turned the water flow direction for flushing the bottom of the well. The technical master Franz Lapajne invented the construction of a special-shaped drilling bit for reverse drilling, especially in soft rocks. Drilling with “reverse circulation” has become the special core drilling technology in extremely poor rocky conditions. With the modified method of drilling in soft rocks – tectonically completely covered carbon slates or Skonca beds, they got almost 100% of the core instead of 10%, which was an exceptional achievement. F. Lapajne did not patent his innovation, therefore it was used by the drilling set manufacturer Craelius.

The drilling set is being preserved, secured and presented as important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. It is a part of the CUDHg mine collection. Visitors can view it within the permanent museum display Anthony's Main Road. It is a part of the presentation that represents the entire story of mining in the Idrija Mercury Mine and with the related work process and ore deposit exploration. The drilling set is a part of the museum presentation on the level I/20 of the Kropáč mining field. Three phases of the excavation in the Idrija Mine are presented here: drilling, blasting, loading and removal, from the beginning of the 1960s.

Idrija Mercury Mine.

Anthony's Main Road (level I/20 of the Kropáč mining field), Kosovelova 3, SI-5280 Idrija.

The drilling set is well preserved. It was cleaned and protected with coating for the purpose of the museum exhibition. Additional interventions are not necessary. Security of the premises is taken care of.

good

Regular seasonal maintenance.

- CUDHg Inventory Book.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

5. 3. 2018

Never