Porky's Hole Thoughts

Well Drilling Work a Family Tradition

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 08:00:00 -0500

I may write about my sons a lot, but I’m so proud of them both.

Well Drilling Passes from One Generation to the Next

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:30:00 -0500

In my travels around the world, I find that many farmers are also the local well digger (that is, the person who digs wells by hand).

Cable Tool Rig the Star of Virginia Water Well Association Event

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 -0500

In October, I and my sons Randy and Piglet attended the Virginia Water Well Association’s 2016 Outdoor Days in Christiansburg, Va.

Floating Through the Good Old Days

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 -0400

As a water well company, Cutter and Dad Drilling Company in Adel, Ga., our advertisements consisted of the company name on all our equipment, a basic ad in the phone book, referrals and our reputation.

Working the Oil Fields During an Earlier Boom

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400

In our almost 60 years of marriage, Bess and I have lived in most of the United States. We have some great memories of these places.

Remembering a Training for Drillers in Taiwan

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:00:00 -0400

One of my most enjoyable and satisfying consulting jobs was in Taiwan, teaching drilling in 1984.

Reflections on the 2016 South Atlantic Jubilee

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:00:00 -0400

The exposition was great for those of you that missed the recent South Atlantic Well Drillers Jubilee in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Overhead Wires a Danger on Drilling Jobs

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 09:00:00 -0400

In the ’50s, my dad and I traveled from Enid, Okla., to Cabot, Ark., to drill 3,000 post holes 16 inches in diameter and 3 feet deep.

Drilling Rig Delivery Comes Up Flat

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 09:00:00 -0400

Our elder son Randall is working for a local drilling contractor. He will be rebuilding cable tool and mud rotary drills for us in his spare time.

Help Get a Cable Tool Drilling Rig to Haiti

Sun, 01 May 2016 09:00:00 -0400

Our company, Drilling Consultants International, was formed in 1989 in Virginia Beach by Howard and Bess Cutter.

Raised Behind the Wheel

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 09:00:00 -0400

I don’t remember learning to drive.

Drillers Can Help Water-Stressed Areas

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 09:00:00 -0500

Many people make the following mistake: Never use a piece of metal, like a wrench, to measure the levels in a water well.

Water Well Drilling Veteran Porky Cutter Turns 80

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:00:00 -0500

This month, I will turn 80 years old. For most of these years, I have been involved in drilling of some type.

The Cutters Cut Their Teeth Young

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 09:00:00 -0500

After leaving Georgia Tech, we reformed Cutter and Dad Drilling Company in 1968 in Adel, Ga., and we drilled wells around the area for many years.

For Drillers, Education Often the Key to Licensing

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 09:00:00 -0500

To be a water well driller today, most states require you to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive the equipment and a state well driller’s license for the states that you drill in, as well as current continuing education classes.

Regulation Can Be an Obstacle, Opportunity for Training

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 09:00:00 -0500

In the middle of September this year, Piglet and I traveled to the southwestern part of Virginia to assist some fellow water well drillers in obtaining their Virginia Master Drillers Licenses. The drilling company they work for has been in business since 1905.

For Water Well Drilling Contractors, Reputation Sells

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 09:00:00 -0400

In my travels I find that many businesses today are owned by a person or persons that know nothing about the business they own. Some own several businesses and in many cases these people attempt to micromanage a business that they know nothing about.

Can You Help Support Water Well Drilling in Haiti?

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 14:36:00 -0400

Bess, Piglet and I recently formed a non-profit business, Ground Water International Solutions, to generate funds to purchase equipment, refurbish it and send it with the expertise to teach people in developing countries to drill water wells properly.

Travel a Big Advantage for Drilling Consultants

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

For many years, I traveled the world teaching water well drilling and now our son Chris (known as “Piglet”) continues in my footsteps.

Training Drillers, Troubleshooting Drilling Jobs in Haiti

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0400

On May 7, Piglet went to an island off Haiti to meet with some people and view a piece of broken equipment to evaluate the possibility of getting it back into service.

In Water Well Drilling, Hand Pump Service Repair Is a Lost Art

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Our son “Piglet” returned to Haiti the first part of April to evaluate an old Buckeye 22-W cable tool drill.

Knowing When to Use Cable Tool vs. Rotary Drilling is Important

Mon, 25 May 2015 11:35:00 -0400

Most equipment that we sell is for an individual or a company that we know, or we know the history of the specific equipment.

Drilling Rigs Don’t Come with a Driver’s License

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 09:00:00 -0400

Most equipment that we sell is for an individual or a company that we know, or we know the history of the specific equipment.

Four Generations of Groundwater Gurus

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0500

By the time you read this article, I will have turned 79 years old.

Spreading the Know-How of Water Well Drilling

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

I grew up on a well drilling rig with my dad.

Drilling Contractors Can Be Burned by Credit Card, Wire Payments

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 09:00:00 -0500

I thought I was quite business savvy. However, I soon learned that I don’t have a clue when it comes to unscrupulous schemers.

Hunting for Water in Georgia

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 13:14:00 -0500

Well drilling has been my life. We don’t usually think of it as exciting. However, we do run into some jobs that are unusual and memorable.

One Water Well Drilled, 148 Days in Tanzania

Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:00:00 -0400

On June 5, our son, “Piglet,” flew to Tanzania to teach cable tool drilling.

REDA Submersible Pump Kept Water Well Flowing for 57 Years

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 14:00:00 -0400

After seeing my article about a REDA pump that I wrote sometime back, a reader sent me the following letter with a photo.

Tips for Groups Doing Water Well Drilling in Developing Countries

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:00:00 -0400

In 1989, Drilling Consultants International was formed to teach well drilling all over the world.