5/4/2019 Saturday
This is the next round of blasting, which we were there for. This was a really neat day for Martin, the blasters let him set off this day’s blast! This blast cleared the crawl space under the west master suite and the northwest corner of the lower level.
Here’s what goes into the bottom of each hole. The yellow cord is shock cord. It sets off the non-electrical detonators - the small silver and red tube that’s being inserted into the booster. The booster is a highly energetic explosive that cracks the rock at the bottom of the hole and gives and nice planer cut. It, in turn, detonates the main lifting charge of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. To keep the site safe, non-electrical detonating systems were used. These are almost impossible to set off accidentally. The only electrical system used is the actual top of ground initiator that starts all the shock cord.
Here a hole is being loaded with ANFO, the pink pellets. They’re pink because farm usage, non-road taxed fuel oil is used and that’s dyed pink.
The blast! Martin set off this one!
The yellow smoke is from the ANFO. The west edge of the crawl space is now cleanly cut. The surface shock cord and it’s orange connectors mostly survives the blast.