PSA: I used to think you could eyeball the slurry mix on a small cutter suction job

I was running a 10-inch dredge on the Clearwater River last season and an old-timer named Hank told me his rule: 'If you can't see your knuckles through the sight glass, you're losing money on the pump.' I started checking the density every hour with a mud balance and found I was running about 15% too thick. Anyone else have a simple trick for keeping the mix right without slowing down production?

3 comments

3 Comments

west.casey2mo ago

That "can't see your knuckles" rule is solid. I keep a coffee can on the walkway and check the slurry by feel every couple hours. It's faster than a mud balance and keeps you in the zone.

jamieb802mo ago

Yeah, the knuckle rule gets you close, but feeling slurry in a can every couple hours is asking for trouble. The density can drift faster than that, especially with temperature changes. You really need to check it with a mud cup before each stand, no way around it. Relying on feel alone is how you end up with a kick.

viola_lopez302mo ago

Ever seen a guy lose a finger testing hot slurry by feel?