Handsteeling

One of the more dangerous and physically demanding of the events is the hand steel. In this event, five team members will be given two minutes apiece, for a total of ten minutes, to drill a hole or holes into a 36″ thick block of concrete. The tools used to drill are a four pound sledge hammer and a 7/8″ wide steel chisel. In the competition, two steels are allowed to be used, one five-inch steel for collaring and one twelve-inch steel for deeper drilling. Each team member will drill successively, finishing the hole of the previous driller to at least six inches deep before re-collaring a new hole. During the drilling, the hole will be continuously flushed by water, and the driller must keep one hand on the steel, and one hand on the hammer at all times. Failure to do so will result in a disqualification. Once the ten-minute drilling period is over, one minute will be allowed for final flushing of the holes. The total overall greatest drilling depth wins the event.