A specialized, hand-operated pneumatic drill mounted on an extendable air leg that pushes the drill bit vertically into the rock overhead. Miners use stopers primarily to drill blast holes in shrinkage stoping or to install rock bolts in the back of a drift. They are heavy, loud, and notoriously punishing on the operator's shoulders and hearing.
Heard on the job
Grab the stoper and put a pattern of six-foot bolts in the back before we bring the loader in.
Also heard as
- stoper drill
- widowmaker