My Deceased Mentor and Friend Gave me the Knowledge.....,

Hard Rock Hobbs

Tenderfoot
Oct 17, 2009
7
0
Thirty years ago my mining mentor started my prospecting education. He passed away 7 years past. In the last 3 years I finally got serious about some thing he had said in regards to a prospect that I had in the Mojave Desert. Actually what he said was two things. The first was forget about mining in the Calif Desert. He was right as will be shown next. I never have had much respect for those who want to shut down mining any where for the most rediculous reasons and outright lies construed as fact by those who issue them. I had to find out for myself just how right he was. The second thing he said was "This prospect for gold is the best I have seen in my career as far as potential for higrade gold. To bad you will most likely never be able to mine any of it." Now don't think I have'nt given that a lot of thought in the recent past. On a beautiful Spring day just recently (few years) I discovered what the Old Timers had missed. It is with regret , I had to modify my story to protect my mining interest. Too much info is evidently a liability these days. Maybe one day I will be able to tell my story with out retribution. Thank You , Hard Rock.
 

Upvote 0

Shortstack

Silver Member
Jan 22, 2007
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AUDuke said:
Shortstack said:
WIRE gold in quartz? You can multiply your money take on it by using acid to eat away the rock of chunks of material and leaving the gold as little "trees" with enough of the rock left to form a base. I've always heard that this kind of specimen wire gold is very, very valuable way beyond the value of the gold alone because wire gold is rare. And processing the chucks like this reveals beautiful forms in gold that resembles trees and lace coral. I've seen beautiful examples in the gems and jewelry magazines. These type specimens are sold at auction and bring big bucks. You could have a large pot of mullah in return for one backpack worth of material. Construct a "hide" for your gloryhole and go there a couple of times a year and liveth the goodth lifeth. :laughing7: technique and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just think of how much hard work miUsing nitric acid gets rid of the rock material while giving the gold a good cleaning. :thumbsup: Do some investigating into this ning you'll save while raking in a lot more money.
Nitric acid will not remove the quartz. Only hydrofluoric acid dissolves quartz, it attacks silica, and using it is VERY dangerous.

You are correct. I was wrong about which acid to use to dissolve the quartz. Nitric is used to safely clean the gold of small grunge and soil; such as that collected from everyday wear on jewelry. The hydrofluoric acid is dangerous if certain precautions are not taken. Proper elbow length gloves, full length apron, face shield, and active ventilation. You should also use a face mask with filter cans designed for poisons and acid fumes. Such face masks and filter cans can be found in welding supply stores and paint suppliers.

The sizes of material being processed would be no larger than 2 fists; mostly half that size and smaller because you'd be processing highly marketable specimen sizes. A glass container large enough to hold these pieces (one or two at a time) can be purchased from a laboratory supply house.

In addition to not breathing the fumes and not getting the acid on you; a biggie is to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER add water to the acid. If it's necessary to dilute the acid, you MUST add the acid to the water, SLOWLY. A safety requirement would be to have a plentiful source of cold water to flush a skin area where any acid might splash.

Since wire gold is so rare, the expense and extra work it takes to process those high dollar specimens would be repaid a hundred times over. Just one rucksack full of that rich quartz could conceivably bring 10s of thousands of dollars. If the wrong people get too nosey, the gentleman can just tell them that they were picked up on cross country hikes and "I just don't remember where they came from."

Truthfully, I'd much rather use this technique than mercury, arsenic, or high temps in processing gold. But, of course, that's just MY opinion. It's definitely Hard Rock's choice and I wish him the best in his project. :thumbsup:
 

cedarratt

Hero Member
Nov 14, 2004
613
14
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Find some one that is in the Gravel business, They have to run all the material threw a set of Trommels to classify it to different sizes for sell, then just add a Sluice box to the last trommel and pitch it has "Lead Reclamation Equipment" In an attempt to clean up the lead contamination in the environment. Then you just have to deal with that pesky yellow metallic by catch waste...
 

AUDuke

Sr. Member
Apr 20, 2008
318
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Quartzsite AZ
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Shortstack said:
AUDuke said:
Shortstack said:
WIRE gold in quartz? You can multiply your money take on it by using acid to eat away the rock of chunks of material and leaving the gold as little "trees" with enough of the rock left to form a base. I've always heard that this kind of specimen wire gold is very, very valuable way beyond the value of the gold alone because wire gold is rare. And processing the chucks like this reveals beautiful forms in gold that resembles trees and lace coral. I've seen beautiful examples in the gems and jewelry magazines. These type specimens are sold at auction and bring big bucks. You could have a large pot of mullah in return for one backpack worth of material. Construct a "hide" for your gloryhole and go there a couple of times a year and liveth the goodth lifeth. :laughing7: technique and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just think of how much hard work miUsing nitric acid gets rid of the rock material while giving the gold a good cleaning. :thumbsup: Do some investigating into this ning you'll save while raking in a lot more money.
Nitric acid will not remove the quartz. Only hydrofluoric acid dissolves quartz, it attacks silica, and using it is VERY dangerous.

You are correct. I was wrong about which acid to use to dissolve the quartz. Nitric is used to safely clean the gold of small grunge and soil; such as that collected from everyday wear on jewelry. The hydrofluoric acid is dangerous if certain precautions are not taken. Proper elbow length gloves, full length apron, face shield, and active ventilation. You should also use a face mask with filter cans designed for poisons and acid fumes. Such face masks and filter cans can be found in welding supply stores and paint suppliers.

The sizes of material being processed would be no larger than 2 fists; mostly half that size and smaller because you'd be processing highly marketable specimen sizes. A glass container large enough to hold these pieces (one or two at a time) can be purchased from a laboratory supply house.

In addition to not breathing the fumes and not getting the acid on you; a biggie is to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER add water to the acid. If it's necessary to dilute the acid, you MUST add the acid to the water, SLOWLY. A safety requirement would be to have a plentiful source of cold water to flush a skin area where any acid might splash.

Since wire gold is so rare, the expense and extra work it takes to process those high dollar specimens would be repaid a hundred times over. Just one rucksack full of that rich quartz could conceivably bring 10s of thousands of dollars. If the wrong people get too nosey, the gentleman can just tell them that they were picked up on cross country hikes and "I just don't remember where they came from."

Truthfully, I'd much rather use this technique than mercury, arsenic, or high temps in processing gold. But, of course, that's just MY opinion. It's definitely Hard Rock's choice and I wish him the best in his project. :thumbsup:
[/quotE
Shortstack said:
AUDuke said:
Shortstack said:
WIRE gold in quartz? You can multiply your money take on it by using acid to eat away the rock of chunks of material and leaving the gold as little "trees" with enough of the rock left to form a base. I've always heard that this kind of specimen wire gold is very, very valuable way beyond the value of the gold alone because wire gold is rare. And processing the chucks like this reveals beautiful forms in gold that resembles trees and lace coral. I've seen beautiful examples in the gems and jewelry magazines. These type specimens are sold at auction and bring big bucks. You could have a large pot of mullah in return for one backpack worth of material. Construct a "hide" for your gloryhole and go there a couple of times a year and liveth the goodth lifeth. :laughing7: technique and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just think of how much hard work miUsing nitric acid gets rid of the rock material while giving the gold a good cleaning. :thumbsup: Do some investigating into this ning you'll save while raking in a lot more money.
Nitric acid will not remove the quartz. Only hydrofluoric acid dissolves quartz, it attacks silica, and using it is VERY dangerous.

You are correct. I was wrong about which acid to use to dissolve the quartz. Nitric is used to safely clean the gold of small grunge and soil; such as that collected from everyday wear on jewelry. The hydrofluoric acid is dangerous if certain precautions are not taken. Proper elbow length gloves, full length apron, face shield, and active ventilation. You should also use a face mask with filter cans designed for poisons and acid fumes. Such face masks and filter cans can be found in welding supply stores and paint suppliers.

The sizes of material being processed would be no larger than 2 fists; mostly half that size and smaller because you'd be processing highly marketable specimen sizes. A glass container large enough to hold these pieces (one or two at a time) can be purchased from a laboratory supply house.

In addition to not breathing the fumes and not getting the acid on you; a biggie is to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER add water to the acid. If it's necessary to dilute the acid, you MUST add the acid to the water, SLOWLY. A safety requirement would be to have a plentiful source of cold water to flush a skin area where any acid might splash.

Since wire gold is so rare, the expense and extra work it takes to process those high dollar specimens would be repaid a hundred times over. Just one rucksack full of that rich quartz could conceivably bring 10s of thousands of dollars. If the wrong people get too nosey, the gentleman can just tell them that they were picked up on cross country hikes and "I just don't remember where they came from."

Truthfully, I'd much rather use this technique than mercury, arsenic, or high temps in processing gold. But, of course, that's just MY opinion. It's definitely Hard Rock's choice and I wish him the best in his project. :thumbsup:
Hydroflouric acid cannot be used in a glass container, glass is made from silica.
 

Shortstack

Silver Member
Jan 22, 2007
4,305
416
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Tesoro Bandido II and DeLeon. also a Detector Pro Headhunter Diver, and a Garrett BFO called The Hunter & a Garrett Ace 250.
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Hydrofluoric acid cannot be used in a glass container, glass is made from silica.


The glassware I'm talking about is laboratory glassware. If it can hold Aqua Regia, it'll hold hydrofluoric.
 

AUDuke

Sr. Member
Apr 20, 2008
318
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Quartzsite AZ
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Shortstack said:
Hydrofluoric acid cannot be used in a glass container, glass is made from silica.


The glassware I'm talking about is laboratory glassware. If it can hold Aqua Regia, it'll hold hydrofluoric.
Not true. Aqua Regia will not attack silica, if it did it would dissolve quartz. Hydrofluoric acid attacks silica, that's why it comes in a plastic container. Aqua Regia is only a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids
 

Shortstack

Silver Member
Jan 22, 2007
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416
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Tesoro Bandido II and DeLeon. also a Detector Pro Headhunter Diver, and a Garrett BFO called The Hunter & a Garrett Ace 250.
Primary Interest:
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Aqua Regia would definitely dissolve the quartz rock AND THE GOLD. Warm AR is the acid mix that is used to dissolve concentrates (or scrap) so that the silver or gold can be brought out of solution.

Would you feel better if he used a plastic tub to hold the acid while it dissolved the rock? It's OK with me. :dontknow:
 

AUDuke

Sr. Member
Apr 20, 2008
318
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Quartzsite AZ
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You have no idea about what you are talking about. Aqua regia WILL NOT disolve quartz, if it would it would disolve glass. What do you think glass is made of?
 

Shortstack

Silver Member
Jan 22, 2007
4,305
416
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Tesoro Bandido II and DeLeon. also a Detector Pro Headhunter Diver, and a Garrett BFO called The Hunter & a Garrett Ace 250.
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Saaaaaay, you might be correct. Now, don't break your arm while patting yourself on the back. :thumbsup:
 

AUDuke

Sr. Member
Apr 20, 2008
318
7
Quartzsite AZ
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Good advise, but too late. It already in the sling. :laughing9:
 

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