FORD'S BORING MACHINE.

Southland Times, Issue 1061, 23 November 1868, Page 3

FORD'S BORING MACHINE.

. -♦ (From the ' Bendigo Advertiser,' Not. 6.) The first public trial of this machine took place in the Hustler's Eeef Company's mine, in the presence of the committee, yesterday afternoon. There were present— Mr E. G. Ford, the inventor (Railway department) ; Messrs Joseph Millin, manager of the Hustlers' Eeef Company ; Thomas Eyre, of the Catherine Eeef Company; Joseph Harris, of the Argus Company; Talbott Hawkey, and T. J. Connelly. Two o'clock was the hour fixed for the commencement of operations, and at that time the descent I was begun, and the visitors soon landed in the 000 ft. level. The scene of operation was a small drive off the western cross-cut, to the south. About half of this drive has been driven by the machine. Everything was in perfect order. An air receiver has been erected close to the engine-house, and the condensing apparatus set to work. This air-receiver is capable of containing 362 cubic feet of compressed air. From above ground an iron pipe has been run down the shaft to the cross-cut mentioned, where a strong three-ply vulcanised hose is attached, by means of which the air can be taken to the machine wherever situated. A water pipe is also run down, and flitted with a hose. These are all the necessary adjuncts. The setting up of the machine took a comparatively short time, but the fixing of the borers was not done so quickly. The stone operated on was a metamorphio slate, and the regular sandstone. The first start was not successful owing to a piece of slate operated on being loose, and twenty minutes were occupied in setting for the first hole. The first hole was then bored as follows :— lOin. 3£min ; lft. l£in M limin.— lft. ll|in. in otnin. The hole was sloaping. Fifteen minutes elapsed in fixing for the second hole, and in it 6in. were bored in lmin., but owing to the borer being crooked another had to be supplied, the supplying which took seven minutes. The hole was then bored 2ft. in 3min., 15sec, as follows: — 6in., lmin.; I2in., 1 mm. 15sec. ; 6in., lmin. The third hole was bored nearly perpendicular, and was 2ft. lin. in depth, being done in 3min. 37sec. The fourth hole was in quartz, and there was some difficulty at first in getting the borer to take, as the face it had to work on was chipped and irregujar. Eventually, however, the borer took, and did its work in good style, making the fire fly in spite of the water which was poured on it ; 6in. was bored in this hole in l|min. The whole lime occupied in boring this hole in quartz cannot be accurately stated, owing to a mistake, but tne time almost beyond a doubt was 4min. 40 sec. for 2ft. 2in. The last hole put in was a perfect success. The machine was lowered, and the stone operated on slate and sandstone, and the 2ft. 6in. were done in 5 mm. 45sec, the machine rattling through the work in fine style. All present expressed themselves highly satisfied with the results of the day's experiment, and remarked that when the men had about six weeks' practice with the machine, it would be worked without the least difficulty. The degree of pressure was ascertained every quarter of an hour suring the trial, and gave an average of 751 b to the inch. The average time occupied in setting was 15min., and in fizing drills smin. The stone worked was of average hardness, it being reckoned that it would cost £2 per foot to bore by hanp. Tuere can be no doubt bat that the trial of this machine which took place showed that this machine is a practical invention, which must cause a revolution in quartz-mining, by reducing the expense of boring to such a minimum that reefs which could not be worked now, or are so without any profit to shareholders, can be worked, and yield remunerative returns.