2 guys serious about mining

[mchlmacdonald]

Hello all, new to the forums and to the gold fever that seems to be spreading like a wildfire.

My father and I are pretty serious in wanting to start mining. We're researching like crazy, trying to cram as much gold knowledge as possible. We're looking at doing this as a good source of income in addition to a serious stress reliever/father-son bonding/fun time. With all the bs going around, is it still possible to make some good money mining in California, or are we reaching a little too high in our aspirations? We know California is getting hit hard by the greenies, dredging is banned (hopefully the Brandon Rinehart case can be won), and numerous other BS hitting the mining community, but is there still enough freedom to make a profit here in the Golden State?

 

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[Oakview2]

I think you are right on track with the stress relief and bonding time with your father, however it might be a bit unrealistic to count on a good source of income in a state and country, who worships green ideals, more than it does people, laws or God given RIGHTS. jmho

 

[Aufisher]

Welcome and happy hunting. Real, real tough to get much gold. A good day for me is about $20 worth of gold. Usually just covers my fuel costs. Some do better, but many do worse! One hell of an adventure though, great for the mind, body and soul. Spending time with your father would be the real gold!

 

[mchlmacdonald]

of course the time with my father is the most important part

we know it's gonna be rough going, but we want to take a crack at it. we've got the money for some pretty good equipment for moving lots of material, and we're looking for good spots to file a claim.

work for both of us is rough (CNC machinists) working 60 hours a week on night shift (and for far less money than we both should be making). we're pretty much just looking at alternatives to making a living that don't involve other people telling us what to do for our money.

 

[rocme44]

I'm half of a father/son prospecting team and agree with the others. The memories built up over the years are some of the best in our lives. Trying to make money for a newbe in CA will set you up for disappointment. Doing it for the other reasons and making a little is a more rewarding way to go. The memories are more valuable then money. We have never sold any of our finds,
aA few others on this forum do make money mining. Talk to them before deciding.

Good luck to you and your Dad!

 

[smokeythecat]

Welcome. As far as a reliable income source, that's doubtful this day and age. However, you should be able to make a little extra cash selling the gold as specimens on the net. Specimens bring more than bullion value.

 

[dave wiseman]

Unless you have your own tertiary river claim or a highgrade hard rock claim that's run very efficiently your chances of making a good living off of gold is zero.Not trying to be a downer,just the facts of life...especially in California.Any small time operators in California that are successful and there are a few handfuls are keeping an extremely low profile.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Welcome to the forum.

I have to agree with Oakview and Aufisher here Mac. This is a hard enough business to be in for a single guy and when you look at trying to have it support two people it's even harder. To be profitable you have to be able to move and process a lot of dirt. That takes equipment of some type. There's also a lot of work to be done BEFORE you even get to that point.

Let's take a look at some of the things you're going to have to do to get ready......
1. Locate profitable ground. NOT as easy as you think.
2. Secure the rights to that ground
3. Sampling and testing the ground to make sure it's going to be profitable as well as the best way to work the area.
4. Secure any permits needed in your area. This can be a real battle in California and can take years to do.
5. Finance the operation. It takes money to make money You're looking at having to buy/lease equipment, fuel costs, food, lodging for you and your dad. etc etc etc.
6. Is the area you've found to mine going to be accessible year round? If not can you pull enough gold out to see you through the lean times? If you can't work year round then you have equipment storage and or security costs during the down time.
7. Let's not forget the TAX MAN!!!! If this is going to be your income, it's going to have to be declared to the IRS. Plus you'll also have to make payments to Social Security as well. This is going to be a business and has to be treated a such. Records and documentation to back everything up are required. Many miners are great miners but lousy business men and end up loosing their operations because of poor business decisions. If you're not ready to run a business then you're not ready to mine full time for a living.

Now I'm not trying to scare you off here. It's a good dream to have but like all dreams worth following it's going to take a LOT of work, time and dedication to see it come true. Just make sure you keep all the ducks in a row and it can be done. You've come to the right place to get good valid information as there are several of us on this forum that mine for a living. For the most part these guys are more than willing to share info on just about anything except the location of their last big strike. I've been mining for years now and I'm still learning all kinds of things from the people here on T-Net.

Jeff

 

[Jeff95531]

Unless you have your own tertiary river claim or a highgrade hard rock claim that's run very efficiently your chances of making a good living off of gold is zero.Not trying to be a downer,just the facts of life...especially in California.Any small time operators in California that are successful and there are a few handfuls are keeping an extremely low profile.

Yep. True story.

 

[Aufisher]

The old timers didn't leave too much behind for us, but if a pan like this makes you smile give it a try!

 

[mchlmacdonald]

Welcome to the forum.

I have to agree with Oakview and Aufisher here Mac. This is a hard enough business to be in for a single guy and when you look at trying to have it support two people it's even harder. To be profitable you have to be able to move and process a lot of dirt. That takes equipment of some type. There's also a lot of work to be done BEFORE you even get to that point.

Let's take a look at some of the things you're going to have to do to get ready......
1. Locate profitable ground. NOT as easy as you think.
2. Secure the rights to that ground
3. Sampling and testing the ground to make sure it's going to be profitable as well as the best way to work the area.
4. Secure any permits needed in your area. This can be a real battle in California and can take years to do.
5. Finance the operation. It takes money to make money You're looking at having to buy/lease equipment, fuel costs, food, lodging for you and your dad. etc etc etc.
6. Is the area you've found to mine going to be accessible year round? If not can you pull enough gold out to see you through the lean times? If you can't work year round then you have equipment storage and or security costs during the down time.
7. Let's not forget the TAX MAN!!!! If this is going to be your income, it's going to have to be declared to the IRS. Plus you'll also have to make payments to Social Security as well. This is going to be a business and has to be treated a such. Records and documentation to back everything up are required. Many miners are great miners but lousy business men and end up loosing their operations because of poor business decisions. If you're not ready to run a business then you're not ready to mine full time for a living.

Now I'm not trying to scare you off here. It's a good dream to have but like all dreams worth following it's going to take a LOT of work, time and dedication to see it come true. Just make sure you keep all the ducks in a row and it can be done. You've come to the right place to get good valid information as there are several of us on this forum that mine for a living. For the most part these guys are more than willing to share info on just about anything except the location of their last big strike. I've been mining for years now and I'm still learning all kinds of things from the people here on T-Net.

Jeff

thank you for taking the time to reply the way you did, and putting things into perspective.

well, perhaps we will tone down the dream and stick to learning as much as possible for now.

we've got a couple claims we're looking at (in el dorado county), and we're looking for some good spots in the desert to file a claim on.

i'm looking at buying a highbanker (Gold Hog stackable Highbanker is at the top of my list) to move some serious material.

should we be looking at another piece of equipment for better fine-gold recovery, or will the Gold Hog be good enough for all types of gold?

 

[Remnar]

While I can't say how well big gold is caught by hog mats. (I live in Michigan. Fine is all we have) I can tell you that Gold Hog Mats do a great job catching the dust we have up here. I always hear that if you set up your gear to catch the fine stuff the bigger stuff is easy.


Remnar

 

[mxer47]

Dream away, but follow it up work. Don't buy expensive equipment without the ability to find gold and evaluate your needs. I have wasted money imagining there was gold, enough to justify my purchase only to find it didn't fit my needs. The gold hog equipment looks high quality , and the videos prove to me they work but, what if where you settle has poor access to water and a dry washer is what you need? Sample do the math then fulfill your equipment needs.
Good luck!

 

[goldenIrishman]

thank you for taking the time to reply the way you did, and putting things into perspective.

well, perhaps we will tone down the dream and stick to learning as much as possible for now.

we've got a couple claims we're looking at (in el dorado county), and we're looking for some good spots in the desert to file a claim on.

i'm looking at buying a highbanker (Gold Hog stackable Highbanker is at the top of my list) to move some serious material.

should we be looking at another piece of equipment for better fine-gold recovery, or will the Gold Hog be good enough for all types of gold?

No Problem Mac. Don't let the dream die on the vine, just make sure you can pull it off without causing you and your dad a lot of heartache is all.

I would suggest that before you spend money on equipment that you do a little more research into the area(s) you're going to be working. What works well in one area will not always be the best choice for another. Look into what you're going to have available to work with. Little things like water supplies, types of soil (rocky Vs Loamy), terrain etc can make a big difference in what type of equipment is going to do the best job in a given area. I live in the S.E. corner of Arizona so if we are going to do "Wet Processing" it pretty much has to be done with a recirculating type of system and we have to haul the water in with us. If we had water to work with we'd be using a different system. Even then, the soil composition out here has a lot of hard clay in it so a regular sluice doesn't work as well as something like a trommel or high banker that will help to break that clay up will. Due to the clay, drywashing is one step removed from useless. Make sure the system fits the area! Doing a little research into what others in your area are using for equipment can show you a lot as well as save you both time and money.

Remember that when you buy a claim, you should be allowed to test the ground BEFORE you put down your money. If they won't allow you to test, then I'd be wondering why. There are some scam artists out there that will take your money and run, leaving you with a piece of worthless ground. You should also make sure that who ever is selling the claim has the right to do so. It may not be theirs to sell in the first place. If the claim is legit then it should have an assigned federal claim number. If they can't supply one then walk away as fast as you can. If they do have one, look up the info for that claim at the county recorders office and make sure everything is on the up and up. Little things like location listed on the file should match up as well as the name(s) of the seller and owner(s). In a nutshell.... COVER YOUR A$$ and you may save yourself a lot of cash.

Another option is to locate a claim on your own. It's not always easy and it's always a LOT of work to go this way but in the end it can be very rewarding. Look into BLM and National Forest lands. Public records at the county recorders office can be looked at for free but depending on the county there might be a charge for copies. Many counties now have their public records on-line now as well.

It can be a confusing and frustrating process in finding and filing a claim. Trust me I just went through it myself!!!! Thanks to the help of some of the other members here on T-Net, I was able to get through the process with my sanity still intact. (Ok... As intact as it ever gets).

 

[golden sluice]

Welcome aboard! Im not going to say california is played out... it is not. California still has gold "in them thar hills". Its just becoming harder to find for the common miner. And harder still for the economically involved miners. In other words, " don't quit your day job".

 

[Fullpan]

Addressing the "social aspects", I was like you in searching for a way to avoid workin for the man. I hated the bosses telling me to do stuff that I knew was
wrong. I also drank a lot (beeraholic). After throwing in the towel, and spending 2 years in the woods at my (leased) dredge camp, I found there was no need to get wasted. In short, I found myself. Did I make a profit? - barely, but when I returned to society, I was a much more tolerant, mellow guy. - in my mind, at least - hahaha !

 

[goldenmojo]

Don't quit you day job but at least your day job gives you the skills to build your own equipment. Who knows maybe you will invent a new gold capture device that everyone wants and make your fortune there. Whatever happens don't be discouraged. Take whatever you can learn from everyone you talk to and put it towards your enterprise and you'll have success that you can measure. Welcome to the forum, good luck to you and your father and hope the price of gold rises.

Goldenmojo

 

[B H Prospector]

Hi MCHL etc. and welcome,
60 hrs a week will seem like a cakewalk if you get into full time mining, and it will be for far less money than you make now. So glad you are taking the Irishmans suggestions and advice to heart. Like he said don't let the dream die though, just be careful and think things through. Ask for help like you did here. That is what this forum is for also, to get advise. You are lucky to have this time with your dad to share. I lost my dad last year and never got to mine with him but we were hunting partners for many years. I cherish every memory.

Good Luck!!

BH Prospector

 

[mchlmacdonald]

No Problem Mac. Don't let the dream die on the vine, just make sure you can pull it off without causing you and your dad a lot of heartache is all.

I would suggest that before you spend money on equipment that you do a little more research into the area(s) you're going to be working. What works well in one area will not always be the best choice for another. Look into what you're going to have available to work with. Little things like water supplies, types of soil (rocky Vs Loamy), terrain etc can make a big difference in what type of equipment is going to do the best job in a given area. I live in the S.E. corner of Arizona so if we are going to do "Wet Processing" it pretty much has to be done with a recirculating type of system and we have to haul the water in with us. If we had water to work with we'd be using a different system. Even then, the soil composition out here has a lot of hard clay in it so a regular sluice doesn't work as well as something like a trommel or high banker that will help to break that clay up will. Due to the clay, drywashing is one step removed from useless. Make sure the system fits the area! Doing a little research into what others in your area are using for equipment can show you a lot as well as save you both time and money.

Remember that when you buy a claim, you should be allowed to test the ground BEFORE you put down your money. If they won't allow you to test, then I'd be wondering why. There are some scam artists out there that will take your money and run, leaving you with a piece of worthless ground. You should also make sure that who ever is selling the claim has the right to do so. It may not be theirs to sell in the first place. If the claim is legit then it should have an assigned federal claim number. If they can't supply one then walk away as fast as you can. If they do have one, look up the info for that claim at the county recorders office and make sure everything is on the up and up. Little things like location listed on the file should match up as well as the name(s) of the seller and owner(s). In a nutshell.... COVER YOUR A$$ and you may save yourself a lot of cash.

Another option is to locate a claim on your own. It's not always easy and it's always a LOT of work to go this way but in the end it can be very rewarding. Look into BLM and National Forest lands. Public records at the county recorders office can be looked at for free but depending on the county there might be a charge for copies. Many counties now have their public records on-line now as well.

It can be a confusing and frustrating process in finding and filing a claim. Trust me I just went through it myself!!!! Thanks to the help of some of the other members here on T-Net, I was able to get through the process with my sanity still intact. (Ok... As intact as it ever gets).

the dream isn't gonna die, it's just going to simmer until we can realistically make it possible.

as for the areas we're lookin at...the claim up north we're lookin' at has a creek running through it, lots of quartz veins, and good foliage around the creek and quartz. apparently doesn't have a camping area and does get snowed in during the winter. is accessible by vehicle all the way up to the site though. considering we live in southern california the 6 hour drive up to el dorado county is also something we're taking into account.

haven't really found a place in the desert yet but that's where i would rather set up a claim...can't really say why other than we're closer to it and i'm a desert kind of guy. is there anything in particular ground-wise i should be looking for out in the desert?

as for equipment...not sure if i want to go a drywashing route. would have to see one in action in person before making that decision. we will be capable of bringing water with us wherever we go, so that isn't much of an issue as long as the site is accessible by vehicle. (50 gallon drums will NOT be carried in on the back )

highbanker is what i want the most...capable of moving lots of dirt without really classifying. looking at a gold cube as well for fine gold recovery...have to classify to 1/8" but it seems to do a hell of a job grabbin' the little stuff. and my pop's has already got himself a blue bowl for final cleanup duty...he's havin' a good time trying to get the hang of it.

thanks again for the help.

Hi MCHL etc. and welcome,
60 hrs a week will seem like a cakewalk if you get into full time mining, and it will be for far less money than you make now. So glad you are taking the Irishmans suggestions and advice to heart. Like he said don't let the dream die though, just be careful and think things through. Ask for help like you did here. That is what this forum is for also, to get advise. You are lucky to have this time with your dad to share. I lost my dad last year and never got to mine with him but we were hunting partners for many years. I cherish every memory.

Good Luck!!

BH Prospector

thank you for the kind words BH. my pops is getting up there in age (pushin' 60), and we never really spent a whole lot of time doing stuff when I was younger. we work together and are closer than ever now, so we want something fun to do together. we've both got gold fever so there's really no other choice.

it's not so much the 60 hour weeks that are killing us (though we DO want to cut that number down so we can get more time mining! ), it's the night shift and the work itself. we HATE production work, and that is what we're doing. they promised us two years ago when we hired on we would be in their prototyping department within 3 months of good performance. my father has been a part of this industry for 30+ years and has worked on some pretty amazing stuff (machined the lens assembly for the Cassini satellite, now orbiting Saturn and taking some of the most breathtaking images I've ever seen), but their having him do grunt work. as for me, i'm only 2 years in to the industry but i've more than outperformed their expectations. they've pretty much just taken advantage of both of us and our hard working attitude.

we're the kind of guys that NEED to be satisfied with the work we do...and the way this company runs, completely throws that out the window. they cut corners to speed up production, sweep problems under the rug constantly so vendors only see the good stuff...just super disappointing. we're looking for day jobs and without the massive amounts of overtime.

 

[Hoser John]

Find a local yokel club and join up. Keep it simple,clean and quiet. Sluicebox,pan, a detector, a few seives and handtools and good to go. Pumps,engines,permits blah blah blah and the bs begins-John