DIY water well drilling rig

[jooger17]

Awesome thread and I will be following along! I am a toolpusher on a oil rig and any info you guys might need feel free to shoot me a PM. It looks to me like you might want to brace up your swivel a little more. The lightest drill pipe I've ever delt with is 2 7/8" and it weighs 10.4lbs per foot. You need enough weight above the bit to keep it from hydraulicing off bottom while pumping. I'd assume you'll probably be doing well to get 2-5k weight on bit. Keep in mind on the bit you'll have to have big jets or nozzels to keep your pump pressure low enough to keep your pipe on bottom. As far as moving the cuttings you can do that with a water hose if your yield point is high enough in your drilling fluid. A little bentonite will do the trick. Careful not to use too much or you'll stick your pipe in the hole. I would deffinatly use PVC casing. Man this is interesting, wish you guys were closer so I could come over and get involved with you

[yanta61]

What do you use for casing, and screen. My well was drilled 5 inch wide to accomodate 4 inch pvc casing. On the bottom of the casing was a sand screen. This is the only way I know how to set up a well. How is yours going to be set up. We are only 60 foot to water though. I have thought about buying a drill for myself.

These guys make a good swivel. http://www.hydra-jett.com

we will pretty much do it the same way. either with 4" or 5" pvc pipe with the pvc pipe screen on bottom.

i emailed hydra-jett when we first started looking and they wouldn't sell me one. the one we have will work and is pretty heavy duty compared to some of the ones online. we are going to be able to drill down to 150' with no problem but not sure about 350'.

AY

[yanta61]

Awesome thread and I will be following along! I am a toolpusher on a oil rig and any info you guys might need feel free to shoot me a PM. It looks to me like you might want to brace up your swivel a little more. The lightest drill pipe I've ever delt with is 2 7/8" and it weighs 10.4lbs per foot. You need enough weight above the bit to keep it from hydraulicing off bottom while pumping. I'd assume you'll probably be doing well to get 2-5k weight on bit. Keep in mind on the bit you'll have to have big jets or nozzels to keep your pump pressure low enough to keep your pipe on bottom. As far as moving the cuttings you can do that with a water hose if your yield point is high enough in your drilling fluid. A little bentonite will do the trick. Careful not to use too much or you'll stick your pipe in the hole. I would deffinatly use PVC casing. Man this is interesting, wish you guys were closer so I could come over and get involved with you

thanks. this is some good info. most of the homemade rigs you see online just use regular 1"-1 1/4" sch 40 pipe with regular npt threads. those rigs aren't rated for much deeper than 100'. i can find 2 3/8" stem but everything is in 30' joints. our joints need to be 10'. we are probably just going to use a 1 1/2"-2" pipe with regular npt threads and see what happens. it would be awesome to find some used mayhew junior drill pipe.

AY

[ramrod]

can you just cut the drillstem down to 10 foot and re-weld the threads on?

[yanta61]

can you just cut the drillstem down to 10 foot and re-weld the threads on?

yep thats what we were thinking about doing. the hard part would be to get it welded on straight. it would be great to find someone that had some 2 3/8" pipe that had no need for the threads and would let me cut them off.
AY

[mikem]

thanks. this is some good info. most of the homemade rigs you see online just use regular 1"-1 1/4" sch 40 pipe with regular npt threads. those rigs aren't rated for much deeper than 100'. i can find 2 3/8" stem but everything is in 30' joints. our joints need to be 10'. we are probably just going to use a 1 1/2"-2" pipe with regular npt threads and see what happens. it would be awesome to find some used mayhew junior drill pipe.

AY

We make watewell drilling equipment. I have alot of May Jr 10' drill stem, but it is all new. I can look around the yard and see if we have any pipe that is used and still worth using. mikemannen@earthlink.net

[yanta61]

We make watewell drilling equipment. I have alot of May Jr 10' drill stem, but it is all new. I can look around the yard and see if we have any pipe that is used and still worth using. mikemannen@earthlink.net

Thanks...just shot you an email

AY

[steerwrestler]

that should work really well dang good job

[ckuehl]

Cool thread. Thanks for posting.

[jooger17]

can you just cut the drillstem down to 10 foot and re-weld the threads on?

Don't do this.... There is a coating on the inside of the pipe that isn't worth a tinker's dam to weld. The integrity of the pipe will be compromised. The original tool joint is bonded not welded. The weld will not hold up to the abrasive cuttings moving up the well bore. All the pipe we use is 30' +/- so I can't help you get any. What will you be using for mud pumps, and what do you have planned for a mixing pit?

[dragonsdaddy]

Don't do this.... There is a coating on the inside of the pipe that isn't worth a tinker's dam to weld. The integrity of the pipe will be compromised. The original tool joint is bonded not welded. The weld will not hold up to the abrasive cuttings moving up the well bore. All the pipe we use is 30' +/- so I can't help you get any. What will you be using for mud pumps, and what do you have planned for a mixing pit?

why not cut each 30 ft piece in thirds and cut new threads?

[jooger17]

The threads or tool joints aren't the same wall thickness. They aren't even the same piece of pipe. The the tool joints are bonded onto the pipe by a process that spins the 2 pieces of pipe at an extremely high rate of speed in opposite directions and then pushed together so they bond. Then the threads are cut into the thicker piece of pipe. If you were to cut the tool joints off an weld them back on the pressure alone would most likely be enough to sheer the pipe not to mention the torque. Bare in mind of the pipe breaks or twist off down hole, you not only lost your bit and pipe but you've lost the well too unless you have an Over Shot and enough pulling power to retrieve your pipe. If you twist off all your cuttings in the annulas or wellbore will fall back in around your pipe an bit and it will get stuck.

[outlaw38]

Where do you get pvc sand screens at ?

[Blast-n-cast]

Cool build. I will be following along to see this thing come to life. We blew our well out a couple of years ago but I think the casing is rusting out and allowing sand to seep back in. If you need a place to test your equipment when its done we are right down the road from you off of McGuill

[yanta61]

Don't do this.... There is a coating on the inside of the pipe that isn't worth a tinker's dam to weld. The integrity of the pipe will be compromised. The original tool joint is bonded not welded. The weld will not hold up to the abrasive cuttings moving up the well bore. All the pipe we use is 30' +/- so I can't help you get any. What will you be using for mud pumps, and what do you have planned for a mixing pit?

i think if they can use 1 1/4" sch 40 pipe with regular npt threads to drill down to 125+'. we would be ok to cut the 30' pc to 10' and re-weld on one end but only time will tell. we are probably going to start off with a 2" trash/water pump and see what that does. as for the mixing pit we will either dig a pit or find some type of tank to use.
AY