Greenhorn needs some pointers

NV native

Newbie
Oct 5, 2012
3
0
I am new to prospecting but I'm in prime gold country on private property with an ancient creek bed and I need to get serious! My gear includes a dry washer I bought used and a new husky 2 stroke blower. I'm a hot mess though because the first time I ran it I blew just about everything out! Is idle the preferred speed? Also, this creek bed has about 6-10" of sand that's drifted in, should I just move that all aside and get to the dry clay and down to bedrock? Any advice is appreciated, thank you!
 

Goodyguy

Gold Member
Mar 10, 2007
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First, test out your dry washer by dropping some tiny pieces of lead shavings into the hopper along with the material that your running and see if your sluice is catching them or blowing them out.

If you have been running sand, only the fine dust should blow out and the sand should make it's way down the sluice looking like dirty water.
Personally I would get past the blown in sand overburden and run the material close and down to bedrock.

I recommend joining a local prospecting club. Usually members will be happy to help you get started on the right track and give advice on how to properly set up and operate your equipment.

I'm sure there will be some dry wash experts on here to give you more details I have limited experience drywashing.

GG~
 

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Fullpan

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May 6, 2012
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Hey and welcome NV! Love your avatar - my old GMC has about a hundred thousand miles of those dirt roads on its odometer. I'm sure others will jump
in on your drywashing questions. Again, welcome to TN!
 

OP
OP
NV native

NV native

Newbie
Oct 5, 2012
3
0
Thanks guys, I've learned quite a bit just reading the advice I see on all the other posts. That pic is my road home, I own a little 40 acre piece of this awesome valley, there are mines out here but I'm the only one brave (or crazy) enough to live out here so remote. I'm typing on my iPhone via satellite so I'm not exactly roughing it haha!
 

nmhunter

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Apr 27, 2013
54
19
Truth or consequences New Mexico
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I would test the overburden. Desert arroyos often have gold in the sand that did not settle yet. If i was in an area i knew had gold i would run the overburden depending on depth and my time available.
 

Fullpan

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May 6, 2012
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Hope NV Native is ok - a lot can happen to someone alone out there in The Big Empty.
 

Alex Burke

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Apr 3, 2013
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Hope NV Native is ok - a lot can happen to someone alone out there in The Big Empty.

Good catch I didn't notice dates send him pm it'll go to his email mine does I can do it if you want I'm sure he's fine but worth checking.
 

Alex Burke

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I heard nothing back from NV native, I guess he could have just stopped frequenting here. I'll try pm'ing again in a week or so I guess. I guess we could blowup is avatar pic and see if anyone recognized the mountain range in background, that is the only clue he stated in his post he lived at end of that road. Lets hope he just got tired of mining.
 

DizzyDigger

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Dec 9, 2012
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Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
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Not enough pixels there to blow up the avatar, but also that looks like any of a
million other roads in Nev. Even the paved roads look like they'll go on forever..

Trip050513a 100.JPG
 

Fullpan

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May 6, 2012
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I heard nothing back from NV native, I guess he could have just stopped frequenting here. I'll try pm'ing again in a week or so I guess. I guess we could blowup is avatar pic and see if anyone recognized the mountain range in background, that is the only clue he stated in his post he lived at end of that road. Lets hope he just got tired of mining.

Thanks for trying - lets hope he maybe went to work for a big mine, or met up with a town cutie.
 

Fullpan

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Not enough pixels there to blow up the avatar, but also that looks like any of a
million other roads in Nev. Even the paved roads look like they'll go on forever..

View attachment 796457

That's the way I like it - plenty of elbow-room. :icon_thumleft: Wild guess - is that Reese River Valley? Looking forward to your posts and pics of 3,000 mile
round trip!
 

DizzyDigger

Gold Member
Dec 9, 2012
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11,447
Concrete, WA
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Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
That's the way I like it - plenty of elbow-room. Wild guess - is that Reese River Valley? Looking forward to your posts and pics of 3,000 mile round trip!

Yep, that's 305 heading up to Battle Mtn....:icon_thumleft:

Working on that trip report off-line, but I've nearly got the first few days
on paper now, so will get it posted asap.
 

Alex Burke

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What about location stuff the website keeps couldn't a mod send him an email or shall we just move on what do you guys think. Interesting that someone could identify that from that pic pretty cool.
 

Alex Burke

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Apr 3, 2013
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He disappeared after posting VP, Fullpan noticed after old thread got revived I sent him Pm's but he didnt reply. We think he's quit or disappeared.
 

Fullpan

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May 6, 2012
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Meteor - he also sent me a PM -call off the search party! He's trying to make a ranch on his 40 acres NE of Fallon, NV.
 

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