Hand Auger, IDDO

The hand auger is the most basic of the mechanical drills and is driven from the surface by extensions that are added as drilling proceeds into the ice.

IDP primarily deploys three types of hand augers:

• IDDO: 3-inch (76 mm) and 4-inch (101 mm) cores
• Kovacs: 3.54-inch (90 mm) and 5.5-inch (140 mm) cores
• SIPRE: 3-inch (76 mm) core

The SIPRE, Kovacs, and short IDDO systems take half-meter cores, while the long IDDO systems take one-meter cores. IDP also has two remaining PICO 3-inch hand auger kits in inventory, which are occasionally requested for drilling in blue ice. Much of the PICO equipment has aged beyond its useful life and several PICO drills kits were decommissioned in early 2022. The maximum depth to which hand augers can be used without power assistance (see Sidewinder) is approximately 20 meters. Hand augers are typically operated by investigators without assistance from IDP equipment operators.

Hand augers are individually packed and assigned to investigators, depending on project needs. Augers for users traveling through McMurdo Station are individually packed by IDP and sent to the BFC (Berg Field Center) for distribution to the specified field project. Drills for use elsewhere are shipped directly to the individual investigators or to the field sites. 

The IDDO hand auger system is a small lightweight, portable drill system that is designed to take core from firn, but will also work in many kinds of solid ice. IDDO augers come in two different diameters: 79 mm (3.1-inches) or 101 mm (4.0-inches). Both models can be configured to take ½-meter or 1-meter long cores. The standard IDDO hand auger kit contains everything needed to take core to a depth of 20-meters. Customized kits are provided on request for deeper coring or lighter weight requirements. The IDDO hand auger may be hand or power driven. If power is desired, request the Sidewinder Power Drive.

IDP maintains eight copies of the 3-inch IDDO hand auger and three copies of the 4-inch IDDO hand auger.

The IDDO hand auger barrel utilizes a three flight/cutter design and is made of fiberglass composite pipe with metal-reinforced connection points to the coring head and extensions. The coring head contains three planar stainless steel cutters, and three possible options for catching/holding the core: a tapered head, a split ring collet insert, and core dog assemblies. Carbide cutters are also available for the IDDO Hand Augers and were used with success in blue ice in the Allan Hills, Antarctica during the 2023-2024 season. A variety of penetration shoes and core dog springs also come with each hand auger system to allow adjustments for different cutting conditions. The extensions are hollow stem aluminum, which not only makes them lighter but also enables easy delivery of fluid to the bottom of the borehole if needed. Each hand auger system also comes with a gated extension support tool that can be managed with only one driller, and an extension recovery tool for fishing dropped extensions out of the borehole.