New Canadian Gold Rush! Longgun's Logs

[TMLonggun]

Hi everyone! My name is Tyler (Longgun) and I'd like to share some of my prospecting adventures. I am going to use this thread to post episodes of my prospecting log. Like many channels I want to include some fun and educational moments but what makes my focus a bit different is that I want to show people how to make money prospecting for gold by proving up claims and mining on a small scale. I think it's all about being lean and efficient. My philosophy is that an operation needs to have good equipment, good claims, and good people (knowledgeable, tenacious) along with a bit of timing and luck. Now, with record high gold prices, this is an opportune time to begin what can be a very fun and potentially very profitable hobby. There is a steep learning curve involved but with the internet we can share information and experiences at a rate that the old timers could never imagine. This coupled with much higher prices and new technologies creates a unique opportunity for anyone with internet access, a small amount of start up capital, some guts, and an affinity for the outdoors.

This is my first log from Fall 2019:
New Canadian Gold Rush! Finding ounces of flour gold in the Cariboo!



My goal is to demonstrate how easy it is for an informed person to buy a $100 gold claim and get an excellent mining gear set that will save a lot of time and money (and heartache!) without leaving more than the tiniest traces behind. The rest is a matter of a experience and learning from smart folks like those on this board.

I have more episodes coming. Thanks for reading and watching! Let me know what you think.

P.S. Better audio and less shaky camera work in future episodes

 

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[Reed Lukens]

I don't know, it's just hard seeing stuff that was patented in the USA, stolen and copied in BC. Your dad's invention...
https://www.goldhog.com/raptor_highbanker.htm
Bernie's Gold Well mat that you call VDR? I remember when that patent was stolen and I know that story. It first aired on "Yukon Gold" after it was stolen quite a few years ago now.
Looks like a good video other then that. I'll finish it tomorrow
Keep the videos on topic and shorten them up to 15 minutes or less seemed to work best for me.

 

[TMLonggun]

Thanks for the comment, Reed!

My dad didn't invent the VDR, he just built the sluice by using ideas freely available on the internet. I am sure he would be the first to admit he borrowed dozens of ideas from youtube and added his own modifications. I am sure I will make a video on it eventually and include full credits because "The Answer" is kind of an inside joke, meaning the latest best thing. There have been many answers replaced by new answers as we learned, haha. But in all seriousness, I encourage people to make their own low cost equipment and to take advantage of useful knowledge and products. A basic sluice could be made for free out of a pallet of wood if someone wanted. I have learned many of my most valuable skills for free on the net and I owe that to countless generous people like yourself. It is physically impossible to credit and give everyone I learned from their proper due.

As for the discussion about the "stolen" VDR / Gold Wells let's make a new thread for that since it's kind of unrelated to the main topic here. I'd love to discuss the differences and why I hugely prefer the VDR over the wells. I have seen both in action over a significant test size and I'd pick the VDR every time except for one minor scenario that is still a bit iffy. I am a kind of a mining history nerd (I already "stole" all of your album pictures two weeks ago by the way, Reed :P) so I find the discussion about the evolution of mining equipment to be really interesting so please correct me if I make any errors or you have something to add.

I want to give a short example why I don't agree with your assertion that the vortex drop riffle is stolen. Years ago, I bought a Desert Fox patented gold wheel (it was "the Answer" at one point, lol). When I got I thought it was cool. I was impressed. Not once, despite my historical knowledge and love of Egypt, did I get mad that the creator "stole" ancient Egyptian mining technology to create something better. Even if I was Egyptian I'd still try and buy the best product for the least amount of money.

I also know a fair bit of this vortex story too (and read a lot of posts here) and I think it begins far earlier than you imagine. From what I can tell, vortex technology originated in Western Australia in the 1950s. They are the original creators and the inspiration of the Gold Well and VDR and the Dream mat too I think and should get full credit in my opinion. If anyone has more information on this topic or knows some of the old timers or Australian families who inspired the original vortex designs that evolved into a number of different vortex mats - please chime in. I find it very sad that the the original inventor is likely long dead and completely uncredited...

So, no, in short I don't believe this technology was stolen. I even checked the patent dates and the Canadian one is earlier. The general VDR tech idea should be public domain after so many decades. It was improved and transferred as ideas often are. I want as many people in the world as possible inventing, adapting, and improving designs. That benefits everyone.

I think the VDR tech stands on its own as the best iteration of the Australian vortex inspired technology.

 

[Reed Lukens]

I meant the highbanker you said he invented...

 

[TMLonggun]

I am not sure I understand. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say he "drafted, modified, and constructed" than "invented" but that seems semantical and not correct. My dad drew it up and made it from scratch. I can't really speak for the ideas in his head. The design varies from what you posted, especially when considered as a whole unit. I will have to ask him but I am pretty sure he used an Australian highbanker as his main inspiration (among other sources). The main similarity is the hopper because the sluices, mats, and those skinny little legs, the angle, distance of the drop plate, lack of v mat, lack of coarse catch etc are all clearly different. Hoppers have existed for a long time and they nearly all have flared edges and look similar to this. All these hoppers use gravity and water and are fed in a similar manner. A grizzly that lifts is a common mining tool that has also existed for hundreds of years. I have a pretty high opinion of the Gold Hog stuff so I will pretty sad if I learn they are becoming patent trolls.

If you take a design and change it significantly (or even a small bit) then you have, by definition, invented something new. Say I took that exact hog design and drew a frilly hat on it. I have now invented a frilly hat variation of that sluice and now own the image due to fair use agreements focusing on transformative content. I can even profit off my creation if I found a market for such pictures. Did I invent the previous versions or the thousands of variations that led to its predecessor's design? No, and neither did they. I think the question is could my dad patent "The Answer" if he wanted. I think so because the variations make it unique enough to stand on its own. It would be a very expensive and asinine patent though and not enforceable. Patents are useful but I am against patent trolling for simple designs because it stifles innovation and encourages monopolistic practices and price gouging. What's next, has someone patented the sluice aka "a tray like object with raised sides designed to recover gold?"

There are plenty of great highbankers out there and you can also make your own inexpensively. I say make what you can using the best available info and buy quality for key components that you can't.

 

[OwenT]

So you really found that vial full of gold you showed on that trip? If so, I think it's cool how you showed that if you go out with some time and a spot where there's some gold, if you move a lot of dirt it all adds up and you can find a decent quantity of gold.

I haven't found that much gold before but just at first glance that looks like a lot more than 3 ounces and the gold flakes look a lot bigger than anything you showed in any of the pans.

 

[ncclaymaker]

I don't know, it's just hard seeing stuff that was patented in the USA, stolen and copied in BC. Your dad's invention...
https://www.goldhog.com/raptor_highbanker.htm
Bernie's Gold Well mat that you call VDR? I remember when that patent was stolen and I know that story. It first aired on "Yukon Gold" after it was stolen quite a few years ago now.
Looks like a good video other then that. I'll finish it tomorrow
Keep the videos on topic and shorten them up to 15 minutes or less seemed to work best for me.

I also remember speaking to Bernie , RIP, about the theft of his intellectual property. The Canadian gov't. protects patent theft by its' citizens.