002.175.Idrija

Idrija Municipal Museum, Prelovčeva 9, SI-5280 Idrija

Public

Municipality of Idrija, Mestni trg 1, SI-5280 Idrija

510:IDR;RZ-592–RZ-607, RZ-664, RZ-665, RZ-675

Mine

Mining drills have a clamping spindle above the front part of the shaft, which serves for the drill to be inserted in the drilling hammer. Drills have round, square, hexagonal or octagonal form of the shaft. On the other side the shaft can directly continues into the crown of various forms or has a nozzle, which serves for clamping the crown (which is added). The crowns of drilling hammers have different shapes of the blades, however the most common is diagonally broken blade (in a shape of an inverse letter Z) or in a shape of an equilateral cross (four sharp cogs). The cogs are differently sharp (depending on degree of wear). The crowns mostly have a groove at the side.

19 mining drills of different dimensions.

Steel, iron.

Production time is unknown. Used in the 20th century.

Manufacturer information is not known.

The drills were an integral part of the drilling hammers, which were used for drilling mine wells at the working site of the Idrija Mercury Mine. Depending on purpose, the drills differ depending on whether they enabled drilling in softer or harder layers. While working, the miner held the handle and pressed the lever, which released compressed air in the drilling hammer. Simultaneously, it was necessary to strongly press the blade of the drill into the rock. The drill rotation allowed the crown with the blade to gradually hit the entire surface of the well. Especially when drilling into hard rock drill was necessary to grind, even during work in a pit. Within the outdoor plants of the mine, the sharpening plant also operated, where the drills (and the crowns) were sharpened at the end of the working shift. On average, between the years 1967 and 1980, they produced 9,000 m of wells and 8,000 m of tunnels annually.

In total 19 drills are being preserved, secured and presented as an important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. Visitors can view most of them within the permanent exhibition “Five Centuries of the Mercury Mine and the Town of Idrija”. Some of them are stored in the depot and can be used for occasional museum exhibitions. They can also be used for different types of mercury heritage promotions.

Idrija Mercury Mine (miner’s working equipment).

Idrija Municipal Museum, Gewerkenegg Castle (showroom 1 and 7); Idrija Municipal Museum, Prelovčeva 2 depot.

All items were conserved before 1995, during the time of preparations for the opening of the permanent museum exhibition. Additional interventions are not necessary. Security of the premises is taken care of.

good

Regular seasonal maintenance.

- Inventory Book of the Idrija Municipal Museum.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

6. 3. 2018

Never