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Water witching

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Mark

04-03-2001 05:26:05




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I had a hole drilled on my farm about 400 feet south from where there are 5 wells that pump 20-25gpm in a housing subdivision. This hole came up dry and cost me 300/.
Does anyone use witching to find water and how does it work?
Can you use bent metal or does it have to be wood?
All I need is 20-25 gpm for a drip system.

Mark




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Steve

08-24-2002 20:49:30




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
worked in the water well industry for over 12 years and have never found one well witcher that could do what they say but have watched many many guys that can con you into thinking they can witch wells ,most of them are so good at it that they can make you use the same tool(willow stick,steel rods etc... and they will move for you-power of suggestion)



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DHunter

04-03-2001 20:39:02




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
This is a very interesting phenomenon. I am an advanced degreed Petroleum Engineer (retired) and have worked with seismic data all over the world. My best guess, and it's only a guess, is that somehow the latent magnetism of the earth in the area that you happen to be in is influenced by the density of whatever is underneath. The difference in that density influiences the forces that affect the diving rods that are employed. Now with all the bullsh*t aside....I have used "L" shaped copper rods to locate pipelines, whether gas, water or oil, and know that it works. How it does...I wouldn't even venture a guess. So much for science!!!

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John Ne.

04-03-2001 17:15:23




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
When I was eight the well driller pulled in and started dowsing for our new well. When he had a spot picked out and my dad agreed, he spied me a watching. Taking my hand he asked if I'd ever doused, I hadn't. Took both my hands and said you can do this, you got the feel. Handed me the Y shaped branch and got me to hold it just so, I walked all over the yard, found the water lines, and felt the strongest pull where he wanted to put down the new well. 41 years later we're still drinking from that well. Found about six more wells since then too. Can use the bent wires, but doesn't have the same good feel as the branch. John

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Bill D

04-03-2001 15:03:04




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
It works don`t know how Don`t really believe in it but I can do it and find water lines Don`t know how it works but it works



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T_Bone

04-03-2001 14:58:16




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
Hi Mark, My grandfather drilled wells for over 50yrs and never hit a dry hole, my unkle's(4) also did the same with only one dry hole between them. Needless to say they were good at it.

Willow works best or steel filler rods. Steel rods can also be used to locate underground power lines! Same principle.

You know if a driller muds up the hole as he's drilling, He'll seal the side walls so water can't come in, anotherwords he doesn't know what he's doing!!!

If it was my dry hole, I would take a walk one night with some black powder and fuse(a long one) and accidently drop that sucker in the hole. It's amazing how much water a dry hole can produce. Did I say to run like he**? Na it blows dirt out the top and rocks so be warned. BP is $7lb in 25lb quanitys. A coffee can full with a packed top of clay works well and may take a couple cans. Maybe one at the bottom and one hung on a rope about 350ft. It could colasp the side walls but what are you gonna do with a dry hole?

You know I was playing one time and got some BP wet and laid in a 1/8" cotton rope and it absorbed all that BP. Gees I woder what I could use THIS for?

Becareful!

T_Bone

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ltf in nc

04-03-2001 15:21:04




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 Re: Re: water witching in reply to T_Bone, 04-03-2001 14:58:16  
Dry ice will give the same results without the safety related issues. Drop the dry ice in and seal the casing.



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T_Bone

04-03-2001 18:49:47




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 Re: Re: Re: water witching in reply to ltf in nc, 04-03-2001 15:21:04  
Hi ltf, If i'm right, the driller used too much "wet" drilling mud while holding his bit in one spot too long thus sealing the side walls with drilling mud or "clay". Now that it sat for awhile there's only two solutions to solve the problem. One would be to run a larger bit into the hole which the current diller won't do because he knows if it produces water afterwards, his name and reputation is "mud". Another driller usually won't drill into an existing hole because if the original driller didn't drill a straight hole, he stands a chance of loosing his bit and pipe into the hole, very costly and he gets to drill a new hole for free. The second solution is as I described.

Dry ice works well on an existing producing well to increase production.

T_Bone

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Rich

08-30-2002 11:25:02




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: water witching in reply to T_Bone, 04-03-2001 18:49:47  
Dry ice may work, but like a laxative that works gently overnight.

If I've got a dry hole, I'm going for an evening stroll with T_Bone and just happen to lose a few pounds of fused black powder down that pup. Like he says, it can't hurt, and probably makes you feel a little younger. Besides, if it doesn't work, you got a little revenge.



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bbott

04-03-2001 12:08:48




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
Look in the phone book and see if there's a 'Dowser' in your area. If he's good he should be able to give you lots of references to satisfied customers.

We have a fellow here who has brought in literally hundreds of wells.

I know it works for me with a forked willow stick, twists the bark right off in my hands if the water's close... but it doesn't work for everybody.

I'm basically a scientific person.. but this one has me (and the rest of science) currently stumped

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Grove r

04-03-2001 11:21:38




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
My late dad said he didn't believe in "dowsing, divineing, or witching" or whatever you call it, but he sure could find water, using just an ordinary willow fork, held just so, worked for him, but not me! When operating heavy equipment, building roads and such, we had an engineer that used a one eighth inch brazing rod cut in half, and each piece bent in an "L" shape, used to find all the oil flow lines for us, he never missed one! Sure would like to see science explaine this one! Have a gooder, R.E.L.

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rhudson

04-03-2001 11:47:22




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 Re: Re: water witching in reply to Grove r, 04-03-2001 11:21:38  
Paul, years ago as a young engineer, we had purchased a $5000 underground locator. as we were trying it out at a plant we were visiting, a maintenance worker walked out to see what was going on. He showed up the L brazing wire trick. it worked for 4 out of the five engineers there. haveused it many times since then. like you i would like to know the science behind it. i think it probably has to do with magnetic fields and induction in the rods?

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Paul

04-03-2001 09:09:54




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
I worked with a crew that was installing "Do Not Pass" signs along the highways over a 13 county area. The guy running the post driver truck would jump out with his witching rods and walk from the edge of the pavement to the right of way line, painting spots on the ground at each place the rods crossed. He could find them as fast as he could walk. We hit one water line in the thousands of posts that we drove. I made a set copied after his - #6 solid copper bent into an "L" - and had my 8 year old son walk across our yard with them. They crossed exactly over our water service. I found that one of two things are necessary for success with them - either complete ignorance of what you are doing (in my 8 yr. old son's case), or extreme confidence in your ability. I never did have enough confidence to drive a steel post on each side of an 8 inch water main.

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Bob

04-03-2001 08:01:55




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
A well digger made a "beliver" out of me! He used two steel rods. After finding "the" spot I walked the same ground & darned if those rods didn't cross right there in my hands as if by magic. THEN - he took a willow stick. Held it by the butt end over "the spot" & counted the # of twitches. Told him water was 80' down. Most wells around there are 200'. We hit BIG water @ 60'.

Don't have a clue how it works and I know science sez it doesn't, but it sure worked for us!

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Jim

04-03-2001 07:42:07




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
One afternoon a friend who can witch showed me how it worked he picked up a couple sticks that were shaped right and showed me where there were some power lines. Then he got out his sticks that he uses. I tried it and it won't work for me. He told me of going and looking for water and finding it.



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Rod MI

04-03-2001 07:27:56




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
that is how I got my well the old timer used some sort of special wood (twig)and walked around my property and when it pointed down that is where you put you well that is what they told me I have never seen this though



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Dean

04-03-2001 06:04:31




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 Re: water witching in reply to Mark, 04-03-2001 05:26:05  
I had an old-timer witch once and he hit a great source. He told me that most do it for free. Ask around and see if you can find one.

Another approach is to try a different well driller. In my new place, the neighbors all got bad water. I got all the perfect water I can use by getting a driller who has been drilling here his whole life. Yes, he was very expensive but a lot cheaper than a dry hole!

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