prospectors

gold tramp

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Dec 30, 2012
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I am just wondering what the deal is with folks in the small scale hardrock mining world nobody shows any work, or really talks of this form of prospecting.

Why is this ? seems like all there is anymore is building equipment that never gets used.

anyways is there another site out there that has the rock mining, ive looked but seems to be nothing but placering.

GT..............
 

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Oakview2

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Feb 4, 2012
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Prather CA
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Herb, some might be, but most don't want the anti mining nazis attacking their sites.
 

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Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,424
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White Plains, New York
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If you are a professional hardrock miner, you are probably not on a forum. You already know your trade, and you certainly don't have time to answer questions or chat with eager newbies and wanna-bee's that have no idea of the cost and work involved. :skullflag:
 

Canuck

Jr. Member
Aug 2, 2012
73
53
Alberta
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I have recently have been doing a little research on hard rock mining and like you have found very few forums discussing the subject. The gpex forum has a small hard rock section with some good info.

http://gpex.ca/smf/index.php?board=39.0
 

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gold tramp

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Dec 30, 2012
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we all seen plenty of gold Oakview, lets see the work !
its more intresting than the yellow,

heck the yellow, its just a paycheck.


GT...........
 

PurpleGold

Full Member
Apr 17, 2015
210
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Superior, Colorado
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What's up GT! I'm thinking about getting into hard rock mining myself. I'd like to see more info on hard rock mining too. Mostly what to look for, how to easily crush and sample onsite, and how to do this in very remote hard to reach areas. I'm on the verge of actually buying my own claim to really get started. Life has been hectic lately so it's a bit slow going but it is what I enjoy doing most on my spare time.
 

dave wiseman

Hero Member
Jul 23, 2004
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Angels Camp,Ca.
Here's a paper I wrote for a fellow many years ago in about a half an hour.There's much more to the sampling than what's on this page.This is a very basic primerI did this type of hard rock sampling and mining for over thirty years until my health gave out....Lode Gold Prospecting
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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Sailor Flat, Ca.
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we all seen plenty of gold Oakview, lets see the work !
its more intresting than the yellow,

heck the yellow, its just a paycheck.


GT...........
Oak has a big op...he has one of those ops that has paperwork...one of those ops that you constantly hear on forums as NON EXISTANT...or not possible to even have . Yet he has it. and is running it like a pro!!! and boy does he have some great gold to show for his efforts. I'd like to go see it in person...maybe this summer ...Hows that sound Oak...Hint Hint.....pleaaasssseeee:thumbsup:.... maybe if you ask him nice you can go see in person.

Forums arent always the best place to show what and how you do what you do. Especially in California
 

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gold tramp

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what are you bunch of little kids, so if i use the magic word i gets to see a real operation with paper on it.
GT...........
 

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kcm

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Feb 29, 2016
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NW Minnesota
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...a real operation with paper on it.
What??

Regardless of whether you have a hard rock or placer operation, you have to be careful what and how much information you allow out online - or anywhere else for that matter. In old movies, there were always lots of claim jumpers. Same holds true today. There are people who will work hard to gain your trust, only to later stab you in the back. On another mining forum recently, there was a notice about miner who had their trommel stolen. The trommel was in a secured area with a tall fence, AND had an excavator situated so that the trommel could not be taken away. Someone broke into the area, hot-wired the excavator and stole the trommel.

About 3 months ago there was another member who had all of his equipment stolen from off his claim. We're talking about this guy's livelihood!! It's not a game - it's real life. There are (and always will be) bad people out there. Having the eco-terrorists out there and the gov't suffocation doesn't help matters, either.

It's not that people don't want to help others. But often times, they do so at their own peril.
 

kcm

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Feb 29, 2016
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In another post on Tnet today (I think today...maybe yesterday), someone had mentioned they were wanting to buy a claim to work. Sounded like they were wanting an old hard rock claim, but for the leftovers that are still piled near the mine. In any case, there are also TONS of scammers out there selling worthless claims, as well. In order to stake a claim, you don't have to prove that there are valuable minerals - the gov't will gladly take your money. So, lots of people claim up worthless areas, then turn around and sell those claims to unsuspecting people. For anybody in this situation, the best thing you can do is, if there is a claim you wish to purchase, check the county deed office and make sure the filing is in order there, then sample, sample, sample!
 

goldenIrishman

Silver Member
Feb 28, 2013
3,465
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Golden Valley Arid-Zona
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When I was working in the White Hills area out here I was on my way back from a "beans and bullets" run and had a guy start following me down the access road to the area. What struck me as strange was that he had been going the opposite way on the highway when I first saw him. When I came up to the side road I needed to turn on to get back to my camp I stopped after making the turn and he also stopped only on the main road. I got out to see what was going on and ended up meeting the owner of one of the lode mines up at the end of the road. Of course we got to talking mining and in the end I wrangled an invite to come check out his operation. Turned out that they were getting most of their gold out of the Gallina instead of working a vein. In a nutshell, they were smelting the lead out of the Gallina and then removing the gold from the lead. It sounded like the long way around to me but he assured me that they were getting several ounces of gold from X amount of lead they refined from the ore. It was very interesting but since I can't afford to set up an operation like that I hadn't really thought much about it till I came across this thread.
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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what are you bunch of little kids, so if i use the magic word i gets to see a real operation with paper on it.
GT..............

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No reason to talk down and insult people Herb. You asked the question. You were given logical answers. People share their operations all the time...with other operators they trust....not something you can verify on a forum. look at how many views posts get vs. the amount of comments. There are a lot of watchers. It's pretty smart to keep your presence low key when your on a prospect that is putting money in your pocket. It's no fun to have people take advantage of all your hard work. I have all kinds of pictures on my phone that will never ever go onto the internet. Too many clues and loose lips sink ships! And i enjoy smooth sailing.
 

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gold tramp

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Here's a paper I wrote for a fellow many years ago in about a half an hour.There's much more to the sampling than what's on this page.This is a very basic primerI did this type of hard rock sampling and mining for over thirty years until my health gave out....Lode Gold Prospecting

im writing a proffessional paper on the workins of the arrastra, in hopes that folks studying these unique contrivances will have a better understanding of how they work.
just hoping my health stay with me till i finish it, still have another couple years to run the mill before we can say we are pro at it and know enough to write a paper propper.

GT....
 

kcm

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Feb 29, 2016
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It's not so much that - just have to be careful of what information you share. I have friends that have trail cameras, sensors, locked gates, and even some with other neighboring mine looking out for each other. But I also have another friend who has a mine just off of a bike trail. He gets LOTS of unwanted guests. One year they took his equipment and, what they couldn't carry, they destroyed.

Another friend posts general pics of the area surrounding his claim, but the pics are so general that, as he says, nobody could ever find his mine from those pics. ...For all I know they're taken from a whole different area! :laughing7:

Once an operation gets successful and is in full production, they're usually too busy working the operation to come online and visit with others. Hell, I've been on Tnet for a little over 3 months now, and I'm already a bronze member....if that's telling you anything! :laughing9: Once I get my operation up and running, I, too, plan (hope!) to be too busy to visit much anymore.

Is usually quite safe to post close-ups - pics that cannot be traced due to unique rock formations or unusual stands of vegetation - anything distinctive.

Oh, and have another friend who has a patented mine, as well as some claims. Someone came onto his land a couple years back and shot up one of his machines - blasted the engine full of holes! Has been a while now, but I "think" that happened on his own land!

All sorts of idiots out there to be wary of. ...Ah, took your pics away, I see. Can't remember what the 1st pic was, but something like the 2nd pic (showing some man on rocky terrain) would be perfectly find, as it gives no clues as to where your operation is. ...Think of it as akin to walking down a dimly lit street in a not-so-great part of town -- you try to prepare yourself for any unexpected surprises. Same thing holds for this and many other things in life.
 

Hard Prospector

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Aug 29, 2012
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SO CAL
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In case anyone is wondering, Gold Tramp is the real deal hard scrabble miner as I've seen his operation and mill site and its impressive. The arrastra he made is really something else combining the old with the new, built "depression era" style and pieced together with blood and sweat.

Herb, didn't make it out your way at all this winter (spent the cool months prospecting 200 mi north of you) otherwise I would have stopped by.
 

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