Caspian in Iron County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Diamond Drill

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 5, 2022

1. Diamond Drill Marker

Inscription.
Donor: Odgers Drilling Company, 1922-1968. This is one of two complete diamond drills surviving today and the 2nd one is located in Australia.

These drills were used for exploration of mine bodies and brought up tubes of sample ore that were analyzed for mineral content. The size and depth of an ore body could be determined from the sample.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 46° 4.062′ N, 88° 37.543′ W. Marker is in Caspian, Michigan, in Iron County. Marker can be reached from Brady Avenue, 0.2 miles north of Caspian Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Marker is mounted directly on the diamond drill machinery, located on the Iron County Historical Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Brady Avenue, Caspian MI 49915, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Big Splash (here, next to this marker); Narrow Gauge Underground Electric Train (a few steps from this marker); Powder House (a few steps from this marker); Snow Rollers 1900's (within shouting distance of this marker); Chicago & Northwestern Railway (within shouting distance of this marker); The Cooling Pond

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(within shouting distance of this marker); The Puotinen Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); The Beechwood Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Caspian.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Caspian Iron Mine Complex

Also see . . . Exploration Diamond Drilling.

Exploration diamond drilling is used in the mining industry to probe the contents of known ore deposits and potential sites. By withdrawing a small diameter core of rock from the orebody, geologists can analyze the core by chemical assay and conduct petrologic, structural, and mineralogical studies of the rock. Early diamond drilling opened up many new areas for mineral mining and was related to a boom in mineral exploration in remote locations. Before the invention of the portable diamond drill, most mineral prospecting was limited to finding outcrops at the surface and hand digging. The key technology of the diamond drill is the actual diamond bit itself. It is composed of industrial diamonds set into a soft metallic matrix. As shown in the figure, the diamonds are scattered throughout the matrix, and
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 5, 2022

2. Diamond Drill Marker
the action relies on the matrix to slowly wear during the drilling process, so as to expose more diamonds.

(Submitted on January 5, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Diamond Drill image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 5, 2022

3. Diamond Drill

Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 73 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 5, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.