This may be a Mike A question.

I think it has been established that a "typical" shot is 8 holes.

What is the depth? I'm thinking about 7 to 8 feet.

Drililng time per hole?

Amount of coal loosened? Is that vein dependant?

Then what? It should all go down the chute, unless something is too big and I assume it would be time to get out the hammer?

Even the number of holes depends on the vein. Were we are at the face it's usually only seven holes that are six feet deep. Assuming you don't hit the divider ( if there even is one) and the coal is of average hardness you could drill all seven in ten minutes give or take a couple if you have to change the bit. And as far as how much coal that'll get you can expect about seven feet or so in the middle and probably only about six feet at the rib give or take. If you have enough pitch that will all run right down into the battery and you could tap away! Now remember, in some parts here the coal is hard enough that you have to use a rock drill, and if you take your breasts wider you'll need extra holes, etc.

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Then it sounds like you would set several shots a day?

It would depend on a lot of things but two guys could probably take two or three cuts a day easy enough. Remember at least every 5 feet you have to set a prop, if you have good top and bottom and you are using open breasts all you need are single props, If you are using the full box method it gets a little more involved. In either case every 30 to 50 feet your going to have to drive a heading too so that will slow you down a bit but there are ways to make that go easier too. Plus you can't go right back to the face after you fire, you have to let the smoke clear. And don't forget you have to fill dirt bags to tamp with and that takes time plus get all the timber, explosives, picks, drills, chipping hammers up to the face which takes time.

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"We don't look for any money all we look for is a little help and the only help we get is for the government to shut us down and if you go to the gas station and buy the gas you'll see why..........................you'll see why"

when you set your shots, like mike said, usually 7 or 8. 3 on the top, one or two in the middle and 3 on the bottom. you use timers so they all dont go off at once or the coal probably wont fall just fracture. you blow out the center, this is called the breaker shot. then fire the bottom, then the top down. this all happens in fractions of seconds, but you can and should count them. then yes the coal goes down and fills the chute. if a piece is too large to fit out the check hole in the bottom, you either break it or put a paster on it. thats a piece of powder cut off a stick, rolled into a ball, slapped like a pancake on the lump or rock and a timer inserted into it. then fire the piece and no more plugged chute.

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