Dry Washing For An Income

[Dry Digger]

I am interested in hearing from the experienced prospectors on the forum on the subject of drywashing. I have a claim & have done some testing via small batch samples. The claim was worked by old timers but I think there is still good gold left behind by them. My testing has shown just shy of a gram per yard with some hot spots showing double that. The problem & possibly the reason I think there is still gold on the claim is lack of water in close proximity. I read an article last year written in a mining journal stating that many dry areas on claims are not worked because of this reason. The writer went on to state that with the advent & improvement in drywashers these abandoned areas can now possibly be worked profitably without water. I have no experience with them but with rising gold prices now around $1600/ounce I am seriously thinking about taking a shot at trying this processing system on my claim. I am undecided as to using a puffer or a gas powered Keene like the 161 which is enclosed for low dust. Possibly one of each - I don't know. I do like the idea of working in solitude with a battery powered puffer but not sure if enough gravels could be processed to make any money. Do you guys have any thought as to the drywashing idea & if a gram per yard could prove worthwhile? I'm not talking about getting rich LOL. But possibly producing an ounce a week would be great. Also, i'd like to say hello to everyone & this is my first post. Thanks in advance.

 

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[mikep691]

32 yards a week is doable but hard one shovel at a time.

 

[Dry Digger]

Agree. It's a lot pf pick & shovel grunt work. If gold stays up or goes higher less shoveling needed LOL. What's your opinion on drywashers?

 

[mikep691]

I'm an "in the Water" kind of guy so can't give you an opinion. However quiet is good if you gotta bust a hump all day. Maybe look into battery and a solar panel to extend the life.

 

[Dry Digger]

Thank you.

 

[mikep691]

Deep cell/marine battery is good. I hear 6pack batteries work well too

 

[leadnugget]

i enjoy dry washing and nugget hunting and all gold mining, as a hobby.
i would probably not enjoy it as much if i had to rely on it for income.
if i were you i would do it on your days off to see if you can make it work
before you quit your day job.
what would you do when its too wet to dry wash and not wet enough to wet process.
puffers are nice but i would get a gas operated just so you can also use the blower
as a vac. most of the time all the good gold is on or in the bedrock.
the keene 161 is a nice unit, $1200 kind of pricy. i like that its comes with a 4 cycle blower.
you might check craigslist for small dry washers it would be cheaper, some of the gold buddys
are like 11 pounds vs the 161 at 44 pounds. as for dust, stand up wind.

 

[Dry Digger]

Thanks leadnugget. I only work part time at this point in my life. What i'd like to do is drywash during summers when the weather in my mining area is hot & dry. So probably June, July, August, maybe September. I have looked at videos of the Keene 191 but that is too big for one guy to keep up with. That's why I was thinking on that 161. There are creeks but they are over 1/4 mile from where I want to dig. I think I might lose a little gold drywashing but make up for it & then some not having to deal with water issues. If gold keeps moving up it's going to be hard for me not to take a shot at it. I don't mind hard work & solitude.

 

[Bodfish Mike]

What state and county are you in ?
I have a Keene puffer and like it -- no gas and noise.
Welcome to the forum
Mike

 

[arizau]

Alternative idea.....A quarter mile is not far to transport enough water to operate a recirculating unit if you have a 4wheeler and when the ground is wet you can still run dirt.

Whatever you do, good luck.

 

[Dry Digger]

The claim is in northern Cal. Not too far from Reno.

 

[Dry Digger]

I was reading Goldwasher's ordeals with the Thompson on the drywashing forum. I actually talked to Mr Thompson a couple yrs back about the drywashers. I remember looking at one in The Prospectors Shop in Oroville a few yrs ago. Almost bought it - it was sitting right in the window for $600.

 

[1637]

i love my drywasher,but its only dry enough to run it about 7or8 months a year in so calif, try it for for 6month as a hobby and you will know what to do next.
good luck brad

 

[Dry Digger]

I really couldn't do it for a hobby. I'd need to get close to an ounce a week or so. I think my ground would do it but could I LOL. I'm thinking i'd need to process 25 - 30 yds a week. Bill Thompson said just feed the drywasher directly without classifying. I know I could never classify that much material per week but I might be able to shovel it into a drywasher. The key would be doing it day after day. I'd love to try it. There's something that makes you feel good about a hard days work & having a couple beers at the end of the day.

 

[Dry Digger]

Goodyguy, can you run about 1/2 yd (20 buckets) through a drywasher in an hour. The big Keene 191 is rated at 3 yds an hour. I could never keep up with that. The 161 is supposed to be good for close to a yard an hour. If I could run 5 yds a day 5 days a wk that's 25 yds. Then process cons on Saturday & have my hospital room ready on Sunday LOL.

 

[Dry Digger]

I have hauled water to the spot before, filled a holding tank, & pumped water 100 yds with an electric pump to a recirculating sluice system. Way too slow & too much work to be able to process a yard a day. It was good for testing the ground though. I'd be happy to get 85% recovery from a drywasher but not sure if that is feasible. The gold there is mostly fine.

 

[Dry Digger]

Kind of off the subject of drywashing but the Forest Service said the state water authority required me to be at least 300 yards from the creek when drywashing. So that's why I hauled water to the dig area.

 

[mikep691]

Reno....You're in my Ballpark now, and not far from Rail Dog's. Still, I don't do dry. My claim has over 1/2 mile of year round creek, makes life easier fer sure.

 

[Dry Digger]

California.

 

[Dry Digger]

Yes, the digging part would eventually get to the joints. I'm thinking just a nice slow & steady pace. I'm not sure if that Keene puffer would handle 1/2 yard an hr of unclassified? If it would then that might be my choice. That way I could still here the bear & mountain lion sneaking up on me LOL.