Got out a little today....................

[johnedoe]

Well got it weighed... Only 1 grain today..
A little disappointing but still better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick......lol

 

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[G-bone]

Well I made out and it was a pretty nice day....
Spent a little over an hour on the beach and let the freshet run through the sluices....
I also moved 1 cart load of sand through the sluices.....
I'll have the cleanup finished later this evening....
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Very cool to get that.
Too bad you can't leave a line of slices over a few days during storms and come back to clean up.
Or have you done that already?

And for sure better than a sharp stick.

 

[johnedoe]

Unfortunately leaving a sluice isn't feasible on the beach... tourists and high tides.... one of them will get your sluice...LOL
Todays take wasn't nearly as good as last fridays take... but it was a nice day, It gets me out in the fresh air and it goes in the vile... It all adds up. But oh so V E R Y S L O W L Y ......

If we could use power on the beach it would be sooooo much more productive...
And efficient But NOOOOO not in good ol Orygone....

 

[delnorter]

That seems like a pretty pretty good take for an hour on the beach. Very interesting learning how you do this type of mining.

Mike

 

[johnedoe]

That seems like a pretty pretty good take for an hour on the beach. Very interesting learning how you do this type of mining.

Mike

Last Friday the take was 5 grain for about the same amount of time.
I would have been better off carting the good looking black sand to the sluice set up in china creek.... about 100 yard haul but firm level sand and not too difficult.

 

[KevinInColorado]

This whole thread makes me want to come visit! Nice work and nice gold!

 

[johnedoe]

This whole thread makes me want to come visit! Nice work and nice gold!

Well Kevin if you do get out this way let me know and I will be happy to put you to work....

 

[johnedoe]

That seems like a pretty pretty good take for an hour on the beach. Very interesting learning how you do this type of mining.

Mike

Hi Mike....
Placing the sluices in the freshet was more of an experiment than anything and while it worked pretty well last Friday yesterday was not nearly as successful. One of the reasons is that the sand is continually shifting and wants to erode under the sluice... You can immediately understand why that is not such a great deal....lol
A high banker would have been ideal yesterday. There was good sand and to have been able to setup and shovel the sand directing into the sluice would have been great.
The next best would simply have been set up the sluice in the main creek about 100 yards away and cart the sand to it... the main creek has much better flow and a cobble bottom to rest the sluice on plus you are shoveling directly into the sluice and not trying to keep up with the eroding and moving sand base.
I got lazy yesterday and so did ma nature apparently and these were the results.... less gold but a lesson learned.....

Oh, and 1 grain at todays spot comes to about $2.36 .... nearly made gas money.. and certainly not beer money so I guess it a good thing I quit drinking....

 

[delnorter]

Hey John, yes, the shifting sands would present challenges to keeping a sluice working properly.

I went back and re-read this entire thread this morning (just getting over a cold and sitting by the fire). It's quite a lesson from you and others on capturing fine gold. I greatly appreciate you folks posting your results.

I have recently found an inland spot down here in Nor-Cal with a considerable amount of very fine gold among larger rock and moss. Onsite screening of the larger cobble and thoroughly working the moss clean is a must. Doing a cleanup with a sluice like your new short mat style setup looks like the ticket.

I think I'll get a hold of Jeff95531 down here and see if he'll run a small amount of cons I got from 10 quick pans I at this site, a few days ago, over his miller table. See if this spot is worth Jeff and me going back to with more than just a pan and screen.

Mike

 

[johnedoe]

You re-read this thread?... man you must have been delirious from fever to wade through this....

Scrubbing moss is a pain.... As far as the other material you will definitely have to classify that to get a shot at the fine gold....At least on the beach I don't need to classify..LOL

What are you referring to when you say my short mat style sluice? If your referring to the sawtooth mat it does work pretty well.
But like everything else you have to get the flow and angle right to achieve optimum performance.
I was using 15 degree and bout 600 GPH on the cleanup sluice... Depending on the coarseness of your material you will have to experiment a little.
If you want some of that matting PM me and I will put you in touch with the guy that makes it.

If you have questions feel free ask.... I will answer what I can and make up the rest........ seriously though if I can help I am happy to.

 

[delnorter]

Yes John, what with a lot of work lately and then getting sick I just stayed in the house today.

Your thread is actually very interesting. Much of it applies to river prospecting as well as beach mining. There is a tremendous amount very fine gold in northwest streams.
The saw tooth mat is the one I was referring to. I think it might work for the fine stuff I'm finding now.

PM sent,
Thanks John,
Mike

 

[johnedoe]

I decided to go take a look at a couple places south of me today and hit Whiskey Run and Seven Devils.

Whiskey Run was less than remarkable...... Pretty homogenous light sands , no streaks of black sands were visible.




Seven Devils looked a bit more promising, not great but better.....
Also there was considerably better water available it's just that the better sand was about 150 yards from the creek.



I also tried to check out Sacchi Beach which is at the end of agate Lane but apparently access is closed due to some private property and the lane is gated about 100 yards off Seven Devils Rd...... Oh Well.
I couldn't make it to Pacific Surf Ln. which is the other access to Sacchi Beach due to road closure from the direction I was going. Perhaps I could have got there if I had come in from the north.... Next time....

 

[wildminer]

Good report jd. It is what I see, not much black sands and your pics and observations are right on. Where you are working up north sure looks a lot better for beach mining, huh. I would have liked to join you, but I'm in the middle of a messy job of two diesel tanks opened up for cleanout. (not good or fun) Thank you for your expert take on Seven Devils area. I'm pretty sure you will find the other access to Sacchi beach gated, very expensive homes in the area as well as trans continental phone lines. I might add in here that Bullards Beach state park, located 2 miles north of Bandon is a very clean park with rv camping as well as yurts for rent and I believe tent camping as well. Also a couple places for group picnics and I believe one is covered. I'd suggest reservations in the summer. Their number is: 541-347-2209 I believe this is where Reed said he was going to stay for awhile.

 

[johnedoe]

Yeah too bad about Sacchi beach... I guess if you felt like a good walk you could access it but tides are a real issue along that stretch as I noticed it comes clear up too the embankment at Seven Devils.
Oh well maybe find a way at some point.
Try not to have too much fun on those diesel tanks....

 

[Capt Nemo]

I'd like to hit those cracks in the bedrock at Seven Devils. Bet there's some gold in those!

 

[johnedoe]

I'd like to hit those cracks in the bedrock at Seven Devils. Bet there's some gold in those!

I bet your right....... But the only problem is I think they would take a pretty dim view of busting up the material.
It is all pretty soft actually and easily broken up.. Just tapping at it with the toe of your boot will scuff it.

There is also a blue clay layer in several exposed areas.

 

[Capt Nemo]

I'd still sample at least 2 or 3 of those cracks, afterall, you're prospecting...right?

On Superior beaches, the gold isn't always in the thickest black sand. It's paid to hit the higher spots where the black sand has washed down from.



In the pic, I was mining on the other side of the cut and taking the black up near the grassline. The grassline was 20' from the water at the time. (now 75') The black runs up to the treeline, but only a thin layer. I've found some of the chunkier gold high on the slope. Hope it stays put over the next couple of months, as I want to work from the cut to the camera. It peters out about 50' past the camera. That will be a good week's worth of work. Just hope the waterline is a little closer to make it easier to get water.

 

[johnedoe]

Definitely keep us posted on your progress......

 

[johnedoe]

They say it's supposed to be 51 and sunny here tomorrow.....
Here's what we got today.... 36 and.


If it is 51 and sunny I will be at the beach.... But from what I see now......... Not gonna happen.

 

[Oregon Viking]

I think with rain gear, a warm jacket..... You could prospect no problem!