Answers to the questions we hear most often from geologists, drillers and buyers.
What is a core box and why does it matter?
A core box, also called a core tray, holds drill core recovered from exploration or geotechnical drilling. It keeps the core in depth order for logging, photography, sampling and long-term storage. A good box protects the core and keeps it traceable; a poor one breaks, warps or lets core slip out of sequence.
Which core box fits my core size?
Choose by core diameter. For the wireline Q series: NQ (47.6 mm) fits DD-AP-5-48-K, DD-GB-5-47-H or DD-GB-6-47-S; HQ (63.5 mm) fits DD-AP-4-64-K, DD-GB-4-63-H or DD-GB-5-64-S; PQ (85 mm) fits DD-AT-3-86-K, DD-GB-3-85-H or DD-GB-3-86-S/DD-GB-4-86-S; SQ (101 mm) fits DD-AP-2-115-K or a wooden SQ box. All boxes take 1 m core lengths.
Plastic, wood or steel – which is best?
Plastic boxes are light (around 2 kg empty for the AP series), resist moisture and stack well. Wooden boxes are easy to adapt and avoid metal contact, but can warp or rot if stored wet. Galvanised steel is the toughest option but heavy. Many programs use plastic for daily work and wood or steel for special cases.
Do the boxes come with lids?
It depends on the model. Most plastic and wooden boxes have an optional lid; the DD-AT-5-88-K and DD-AT-3-125-K plastic boxes come with a lid; the galvanised steel boxes are supplied without lids.
What is the minimum order quantity?
Each item has its own minimum order, typically between 50 and 300 boxes. The exact figure is shown in the product tables on our core boxes page.
Can you make core boxes in special sizes?
Yes. We build wooden core boxes for larger cores, for example 125 mm or 180 mm, and for other lengths. Minimum quantities apply to custom builds.
How do I order?
We sell on request, not through an online shop. Send us the core size, the number of boxes, the delivery country and any options (lid, handles, label holder) by email to info@kernkisten.de, and we will reply with a quote.
How should drill core be stored long term?
Label every box with project, hole, box number and depth, keep a single documented layout convention, and store the boxes dry and frost-free on racks sized for the full weight. Our guide to core storage has more detail.
For geotechnical ground investigations, the technical principles of sampling soil and rock are set out in ISO 22475-1. For an example of a national core store, see the BGS National Geological Repository.