I recently read a post on a social media site that began a spirited discussion. How to use, or whether to use, a common tool in geotechnical drilling. I’m speaking of course of the slip ring, used to quickly hoist geotechnical rods for sampling. Some drillers love ’em. Some drillers do not. But most geotechnical drillers have used them at some point of their career, or do use them, on a consistent basis.
Maybe you’re a guy who spent his entire career in the water well industry or doing oil and gas work, so maybe you don’t know what I’m talking about. A slip ring is a simple tool: a donut shaped piece of steel that has a tab on one side with a shackle to hook your hoist to. Rods used in geotechnical and environmental drilling are typically flush joint and have no slots machined for breakout. This leads to the use of the slip ring.