DISCO DAVE'S TUNNEL GUIDE

Chapter 5 Phase 8

Digging chambers

  After around 8 to 15 feet of tunnel you'll want to start digging a chamber (living area). A chamber can be as long as you want but no wider than 6 feet. Don't finish digging the chamber before you shore. Having an unshored area 12 feet by 6 feet wide will be tempting fate. The fixation for digging tight and nasty tunnels at the Sir Cliff Richard camp at Manchester insanely carried over to the design of the first chamber which was 15 feet long by 6 feet wide but only 3 foot high. The protesters occupying the tunnel during the eviction sincerely regretted making the chamber roof so low but admitted lunching out had something to do with it. Unshored arched chambers are also a possibility. The arches inbuilt strength means it doesn't need shoring. That said it may be difficult to find someone who'll happily go to sleep everynight looking up at bare earth. This was the case during the eviction of the Travesty tunnel at Arthurs wood in Manchester. Torrential rain during the first week of eviction had caused the clay to become unstable. With the chamber unshored large chunks of the ceiling began to fall in ...Mercifully no one was injured. It may be tempting to dig small chambers just for one person. Though this will ensure privacy it will mean more supplies ie candles will be needed . Not to mention the fact that its more comforting to be around people than alone in a small chamber.

Phase 1 Tools

Phase 2 Shoring the down shaft

Phase 3 Digging the tunnel

Phase 4 Shoring the tunnel

Phase 5 Constructing and erecting Shoring

Phase 6 Angle of descent

Phase 7 Dropshafts

Phase 8 Digging chambers

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