AZ members check in

[kazcoro]

Hello all you AZ members of Treasure Net.

Here is a thread designed for one thing... Checking in and getting out with fellow AZ members. I see that there are a few AZ members who have gotten together and had some fun prospecting. I am kinda jealous. I, and hopefully other members from AZ also, would like to get to know our peers in person. See who like to shovel, and who like to watch shoveling happen... J/K.

I see some members are passing through the area I live in and I would love to get involved.

I will start it off. I live in Glendale, and don't have a truck. ( I have a company truck, but that is a big no-no) I have a drywasher, and a MD. I have my daughter every other weekend, and have the FEVER. I have a membership with Roadrunners. We have claims at Rich Hill, near Vulture Mine, and near Old Woman Gulch outside of Morristown. Anybody wants to set up a day of digging, let me know. I will be waiting at the end of the drive with too much equipment....

 

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[elgatodelnoche]

Welcome to Tnet Will!! I can help you build a dry washer if you decide you want one.

 

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[wtetro]

Thanks Dan. I might have to take you up on that offer after I finish getting settled.

 

[roadrunner]

Welcome to Tnet and to Az.
My wife's and my youngest son was born in SLC in the Mormon hospital.
No,we are not Mormon. That was or is the only one there.

 

[AzViper]

I will be going on my first prospecting trip on Saturday to the backside of the Catalina's Mountains north of Tucson with my surgically replaced shoulder and repaired left knee of 7 weeks ago. Wish me luck as I will need it. It will be a short trip then it's back to NM on Monday.

 

[roadrunner]

Good luck.
I used to live on Roger road in North Tucson but never got to go into the cats.
Was out on the East side a few times by Tanque Verde.

 

[AzViper]

The temperatures are up and today I saw 109F. Its early and the worst days are ahead in July and August for the heat. We meaning the entire state may see record setting highs this summer. Got me an Ez-Up canopy to shade myself. Taking a host of tools and I am going to give the big Royal Drywasher a run. Its been so dry the soil should be dry enough for the drywasher, other wise will be classify and hauling the paydirt back home.

 

[StreamlineGold]

I will be going on my first prospecting trip on Saturday to the backside of the Catalina's Mountains north of Tucson with my surgically replaced shoulder and repaired left knee of 7 weeks ago. Wish me luck as I will need it. It will be a short trip then it's back to NM on Monday.

Good luck and good gold!

 

[wtetro]

Good luck. I can relate a little with my L3, L4 and L5 being fused (thanks Uncle Sam) Don't overexert yourself, have fun, and may nuggets be in your future.

 

[AzViper]

I had to build me a new Vip-Vac using my old Echo PB-255. Got to use what I am currently building for other prospectors so I took a few minutes this morning and got a new bucket ready for an early start tomorrow morning of drywashing.

​

 

[wtetro]

My first AZ gold

 

[wtetro]

I like how the Vip-Vac can be used in combination with the drywasher...I might have to consider looking into this set up.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

I like how the Vip-Vac can be used in combination with the drywasher...I might have to consider looking into this set up.

That is the perfect setup. I love the vac/blower drywasher combination! I have built both my drywasher and my blowervac.

 

[kazcoro]

View attachment 1005510

GOLD!!!

 

[SLNugget]

Well AZ guys I bailed out of Morristown due to the heat and am spending the summer in WA. I did get to stop at the Yuba River for a short days sluicing thanks to my friend Scott. Beautiful country up there. I drove mostly back roads on the way to WA and saw some amazing scenery. Good to get off the Interstates.

 

[kazcoro]

That last pic is my new screen saver. Awesome shot. Makes you thirsty and dry. Just want to jump in!

 

[SLNugget]

That last pic is my new screen saver. Awesome shot. Makes you thirsty and dry. Just want to jump in!

Cool beans.....glad you like it,

 

[wtetro]

I have never seen a dry washer in action, though I do know that the riffles are backward from the water sluice. Are they difficult to build? Ive built highbankers and dredges before, and most of my other equipment, but they were all designed for use in water, something I understand. How are they with catching fines?

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Wooden dry washers are easy to build. Blower types are the easiest. Pull cord bellows are the next easiest and hand cranked and battery operated bellows are somewhat harder because the mechanisms are more complicated and parts are more numerous. All can be built in a day if you have everything in front of you and are familiar with your design. Sadly dry washers are notorious for losing the fines. You can mitigate this somewhat by classification and running each size of classification separately. Dry washers work best when they are processing material that is all pretty much the same size. You can also run the tailings several times to pick up fines that were dumped out the front previously. When you are shoveling directly into your hopper's expanded metal grizzly and not bucket classifying, then you should check the coarse tailings that come off the back with a metal detector to make sure you do not lose nuggets that are too big to pass through the expanded metal.

I have a complete wood shop and will help anyone build the wooden dry washer of their choice.

 

[wtetro]

So what is better, wood or metal? I can weld and braze. Perhaps a combination of a wooden frame with metal tray? I like using wood for the fact that it has a finished look you can not get with metal, but what about weight? I've noticed that fray washers seem to generally be smaller in size when compared to a highbanker or dredge. I guess with the wood, you have no worries about water rotting out the wood or swelling it.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

What is better is your personal preference. My wooden drywasher has lasted fifteen years so far and is not too heavy to backpack. Plus it also depends on what material you are comfortable working with and what your budget will accommodate. I have a wood workshop and therefor I make wooden drywashers.