Q:     HOW DO YOU TURN THE DRILL HEAD TO GET TO THE TARGET?

A:     THE TIP OF THE DRILL HEAD IS BEVELED LIKE A CHISEL SO THE POSITION YOU PUSH IT IN WILL DETURMINE THE DIRECTION IT GOES.  IF YOU WOULD PUSH THE CUTTING EDGE TO THE RIGHT IN WOULD GO RIGHT ECT.  THE POSITION OF THE TIP IS SHOUN ON A SCREEN AT THE OPERATER STATION SO YOU CAN TURN IT TO THE DESIRED DRIRECTION.  THE DIRECTION OF THE TIP READS OUT IN TWELVE POSISIONS LIKE LOOKING AT A CLOCK. SO IF YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN YOU WOULD ROTATE THE DRILL TIP TO 3 O'CLOCK POSISION.  THEN PUSH INTO THE SOIL TO MAKE THE TURN. DEPENDING ON HOW HARD THE SOIL IS THE DRILL WILL MAKE SOME TURN. A FIRM SOIL MAY GIVE YOU A TURN BY PUSHING ONLY A FOOT OR SO. A VARY SOFT SOIL MAY TAKE SEVERAL FEET OF PUSH TO MAKE A TURN.  ONCE THE TURN HAS BEEN MADE AND YOU ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION YOU WOULD JUST ROTATE DRILL ROD INTO THE GROUND.  A LOT OF THE TIME A TURN WILL TAKE SEVERAL SMALL ADJUSTMENTS AND YOU WOULD STOP AND CHECK DIRECTION EVERY 10 FEET.

Q.     HOW SHARP CAN THE DRILL TURN? 

A.     DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE DRILL AND THE DRILL ROD, THE SMALLER DRILLS CAN MAKE A 90 DEGREE TURN IN AS LITTLE AS 150 TO 200 FEET.  THIS IS NO USUALLY DONE BECAUSE THE WORST WEAR HAPPENS TO THE DRILL ROD AS THE ROTATE IN A CURVE.  JUST LIKE BENDING A COAT HANGER BACK AND FORTH TILL IT COULD BE BROKE.