Irons MD & Prospecting thread

[newmisty]

a hernia repaired

Arrrhhh...du loife of a poirate.
I-a herd how tuff 'luggin' dem totes a'booty be.

 

[Irons]

Arrrhhh...du loife of a poirate.
I-a herd how tuff 'luggin' dem totes a'booty be.
View attachment 231062

Ha! I'm in my mid 50's and have led a very active life so some things are getting worn out.

I plan on staying active so I'm getting them fixed!




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[dacrunch]

From all the panning I've done... not that extensive I must admit, and not in rivers known for gold findings... I've never posted a pic since all that I get is gravel & sand...

In France, you need to secure a "permit" from the "local authorities" in order to go panning in a "known gold-bearing river"... and no sluices allowed... let alone "pumps"!!

And metal detectors will get you ratted out to the po-po as soon as you start waving them around... "historical national treasures protection, which belong to all society"... so my $80 radio shack detector just sits in the basement...

 

[Unca Walt]

Ha! I'm in my mid 50's and have led a very active life so some things are getting worn out.

I plan on staying active so I'm getting them fixed!




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Still poopin' yellow.

 

[Unca Walt]

From all the panning I've done... not that extensive I must admit, and not in rivers known for gold findings... I've never posted a pick since all that I get is gravel & sand...

In France, you need to secure a "permit" from the "local authorities" in order to go panning in a "known gold-bearing river"... and no sluices allowed... let alone "pumps"!!

And metal detectors will get you ratted out to the po-po as soon as you start waving them around... "historical national treasures protection, which belong to all society"... so my $80 radio shack detector just sits in the basement...

The dumb-ass Frog law is totally counter-productive. All it does is flat-out guarantee jiggery-pokery. The Brits give honest $$ evaluations for the finds, with 1/2 to the landowner and 1/2 to the finder of "ancient national treasures". NOBODY CHEATS <-- there is absolutely no reason to.

 

[Irons]

Was out exploring and prospecting some creeks today on the Mule and I found good Gold in Silver Creek! 4 big specks in the first pan! Good speck counts in 3 other pans too. I didn't bring my camera because I'm just hitting them fast checking for color, and it's really nice out this weekend so there is a lot of people around. We're going to be in the same area again tomorrow I have 3 more creeks that are close together I want to check.

This is another area that has a lot of smaller creeks running through deep gorges all flowing into a good size river. Probably 8 creeks in like a 3 mile stretch of river. This is state forest too so I won't have to worry about federales like I do in the national forest. Fish cops (DNR) are universal though those guys can pop up anywhere. Beautiful area I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow!


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[smooth]

Was out exploring and prospecting some creeks today on the Mule and I found good Gold in Silver Creek! 4 big specks in the first pan! Good speck counts in 3 other pans too. I didn't bring my camera because I'm just hitting them fast checking for color, and it's really nice out this weekend so there is a lot of people around. We're going to be in the same area again tomorrow I have 3 more creeks that are close together I want to check.

This is another area that has a lot of smaller creeks running through deep gorges all flowing into a good size river. Probably 8 creeks in like a 3 mile stretch of river. This is state forest too so I won't have to worry about federales like I do in the national forest. Fish cops (DNR) are universal though those guys can pop up anywhere. Beautiful area I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow!


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I've been quiet for way too long. Theres no such thing as free gold! LOL. All that metal detecting cost you how much in elbow surgeries? Now you are scraping creek beds for Pyrite...

Just Kidding. Hope you find huge nuggets of Pyrite Sir.

 

[Irons]

All that metal detecting cost you how much in elbow surgeries?

Totally worth it! I'd do it again! . . . .

BTW it was one elbow, both wrists and one thumb. Probably frostbit a few fingertips too.

 

[rte]

Were testing out a section of dirt that looks like a push up.
Push up as in it looks like a comercial mining company years ago pushed up some of the materials in the wash into a pile (pay pile)
There is evidence of them running some of the material.
Piles of larger rocks, piles of midsized rocks and a tailings pile.

We are just getting into the area and so far its peaked our interest with a 0.251 gram picker.

 

[savvydon]

Were testing out a section of dirt that looks like a push up.
Push up as in it looks like a comercial mining company years ago pushed up some of the materials in the wash into a pile (pay pile)
There is evidence of them running some of the material.
Piles of larger rocks, piles of midsized rocks and a tailings pile.

We are just getting into the area and so far its peaked our interest with a 0.251 gram picker.
View attachment 232897
View attachment 232898

Beautiful!

 

[pitw]

View attachment 232898

That looks suspiciously like freakin work to me.

 

[Bottom Feeder]

That rotary sifter — it's hand powered, I presume?
Interesting construction.
Can I see a photo of the other end?

BF

 

[rte]

That looks suspiciously like freakin work to me.

Not suspicious at all...its lots of freaking work.
I've got plenty of other things to do that are something like work, some of those actually pay the Bills.

 

[rte]

That rotary sifter — it's hand powered, I presume?
Interesting construction.
Can I see a photo of the other end?

BF

Sure it's a home built trommel patterned loosely after something I saw years ago.
I didn't get any measurements so of course I way over built it and bigger then needed.
Its hand crank and of course I had to use a bicycle crank...just to be different.
It weighs 60 pounds.
I can pound thru any rocks that fit in the hopper.
3/8" punch plate and a 1/4" screen over the top, that gets most of the dirt off the rocks and the material is screened down easier for the drywasher.

 

[Goldhedge]

It weighs 60 pounds.

I suspect you truck all this gear to the location...?

Unless you have a mule...or two?

 

[coopersmith]

Real nice, got any pics of the dry washer?

 

[rte]

I suspect you truck all this gear to the location...?

Unless you have a mule...or two?

We get as close as we can, usually within 100 feet of the dig spot.
It's not bad setting up, after a day of working comes the putting everything back away.

 

[rte]

I suspect you truck all this gear to the location...?

Unless you have a mule...or two?

The mule is a 1996 jeep Cherokee.

We get as close to the dig spot as possible within 100 feet.

The drywasher is a Thompson puffer.

 

[rte]

Real nice, got any pics of the dry washer?

Thompson puffer drywasher

 

[Unca Walt]

View attachment 232940Thompson puffer drywasher

I can see a cute little generator over there. Is there any reason you could not take the sprocket from that bicycle you tooken apart and connect it to a small motor powered by cramps and jolts? You could have a hands-free trommel.

 

[Bottom Feeder]

I like the way you made the legs individuality adjustable, rte.

 

[rte]

I can see a cute little generator over there. Is there any reason you could not take the sprocket from that bicycle you tooken apart and connect it to a small motor powered by cramps and jolts? You could have a hands-free trommel.

The next one may have a motor.
Usually they are a 12 volt type windshield wiper style motor.
Biggest problem I see with the direst drive motor is a rock jam.
A belt and pull drive would work just as good.

 

[rte]

I like the way you made the legs individuality adjustable, rte.

Pretty simple no frills design.
Helps with the uneven ground.

 

[Irons]

I like the way you made the legs individuality adjustable, rte.

Pretty simple no frills design.
Helps with the uneven ground.

Heh, one thing I have found in my limited experience is If it has to do with prospecting or mining it has to have adjustable legs.
The 100% smartest thing I have done so far is put a leg kit on my sluices.



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[rte]

Heh, one thing I have found in my limited experience is If it has to do with prospecting or mining it has to have adjustable legs.
The 100% smartest thing I have done so far is put a leg kit on my sluices.



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There he is...was missing Irons, that and the water pictures.
Were going to make another run at the new so called Paypile.
One of the others got a few more pickers out of 40 buckets.

 

[Irons]

Damn nice clean up there!

Maybe one day I will find the unicorn creek that has Michigan pickers and flakes in it.
I know there is one here somewhere. If big garnets made it through the glacial grinder intact there is Gold that made it through too.


I just have to find it.

 

[Bottom Feeder]

what's a bucket of that 'dirt' weigh?
More than 50#s?

I'd be dead soon,
BF

 

[rte]

what's a bucket of that 'dirt' weigh?
More than 50#s?

I'd be dead soon,
BF

6 to 8 rakes with a gloved hand of sand and rocks into a bucket (my best guess 30ish pounds.
Screened material from the trommel we try and hold to 40ish pounds.
Usually put half Into another bucket before lifting them into the drywasher hopper.
Someone twinged their back one time, that was enough of a learning curve.

 

[rte]

Second run at the pile wasn't as productive.

Moved twice as much material with half the results.
Hmmm, next time out going to take another 3 inches off the bottom into the caliche layer ( keeping it as a separate cleanout)
and start pulling material from the top side ( keeping it as a separate cleanout)

That might give a heads up where the good stuff might be...emphasis on might.

 

[Irons]

what's a bucket of that 'dirt' weigh?
More than 50#s?

I'd be dead soon,
BF

They are heavy as feck! I wet classify material down to 1/8 mesh and I stick with 1/2 or 2/3 of a 5 gallon bucket. Clay bottom creeks the concentrates are even heavier.


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[Goldhedge]

Looks like $7 worth of work

Gold Gram Price Calculator

Calculate the price of gold measured in grams or kilograms; denominated in U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pounds or any of ten other world currencies.

coinapps.com

 

[rte]

Looks like $7 worth of work

Gold Gram Price Calculator

Calculate the price of gold measured in grams or kilograms; denominated in U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pounds or any of ten other world currencies.

coinapps.com

We've all heard of the 7 minute workouts...this isn't one of them.

 

[Uglytruth]

Looks like $7 worth of work

Gold Gram Price Calculator

Calculate the price of gold measured in grams or kilograms; denominated in U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pounds or any of ten other world currencies.

coinapps.com

LOL I figured that out but didn't want to point it out.

 

[Irons]

Looks like $7 worth of work

Gold Gram Price Calculator

Calculate the price of gold measured in grams or kilograms; denominated in U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pounds or any of ten other world currencies.

coinapps.com

"As long as there is Gold in the ground it will be looked for"

For me at least prospecting is done for the joy and the challenge of it, there is no money to be made prospecting in Michigan. RTE however has an excellent chance of hitting a caliche pocket worth thousands or more. I would love to see it, too! The old timers in Arizona could have missed a pocket full of nuggets by six inches where a modern metal detector would find it easily.

Different areas, different opportunities for sure but the thing we have in common with prospectors all over the world is we look for Gold, and that alone is cool as hell!

 

[Irons]

I need one of these shirts, that is freaking cool!

 

[Bottom Feeder]

Secret Society of Dead Gold Miners – Really Cool Clothing!

secretsocietyofdeadgoldminers.com

<grin>

 

[newmisty]

I need one of these shirts, that is freaking cool!

View attachment 234570

That's great & all bub, just please realize now'yer gonna get one of these two designs. The directors will vote on it in the morning then send an emailed update and hopefully catch the printer's before they run this coming month's s'noozeletter.

 

[Irons]

That's great & all bub, just please realize now'yer gonna get one of these two designs. The directors will vote on it in the morning then send an emailed update and hopefully catch the printer's before they run this coming month's s'noozeletter.

View attachment 234603View attachment 234604

Shipping is $25 from BC Canada.


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[rte]

This was from a few weeks ago.
Next picture is what it looks like now after finishing up this morning.
Pretty much just took a foot off the top area, using a small pick hammer knocking the material right into the buckets...easy digging.

Had a BRIGHT idea of making a down and dirty shute to shove into the mountain side then slide the material from the pile right into the trommel.
That may speed up the volume of production.
Just procured the raw materials.

 

[Unca Walt]

Wish ya luck.