Gold mining question

[Nitric]

This may sound really dumb! And I know everyone has been down the road of answering these kind of questions often! lol

Just because I'm curious....Ok, for the guys that are at prospecting and mining pretty hard, what would be a realistic gram per hour or gram per day average? I'm meaning this question for the guys that hit it hard. Small scale 1 to 3 person group. How rare would it be to find a place that produces a gram or a gram in a half an hour? Is this almost non existent, common,etc...? What do you look for in claims? I hear all kinds of different things...

Do you or know anyone averaging this or better, consistently?

 

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[goldog]

It really depends on the ground. Then the equipment. Both of those bits of info are missing from the equation you posed Three guys on a 6" dredge will have different expectations than an individual with a sluice.

I know some hard hitter individuals who get 1 to 2 grams a day in public areas of no cal using a sluice or Bazooka. My first goal is to cover costs. If I don't drive too far and pack a lunch there's a chance...

 

[Nitric]

I kind of left it open to hear different ideas...I'm not clear on explaining things...Lol Mostly just for something to talk about. lol I wasn't sure how many real small time miners that are doing it for a living, or that are making anything after costs. Does it still happen with persistence or is everyone chasing a pipe dream? I know too many aren't going to post details in a forum. I don't expect that either. I've read some of the old mining logs, when they closed they were finding x amount of ounce's per day. That is interesting to me! If they produced that at the time they closed? There is still a lot in the ground at today's prices.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Placer gold production is measured in grams per yard of mined material. How many grams per yard is only part of the equation.

How many grams per yard times the number of yards processed per day times the market price of the gold as mined minus costs is the actual formula used to calculate a days work value.

Grams per yard
times
Yards mined
times
Gold value
minus
Cost of production
equals
Profit/Loss

If you know the values of all the items in red but one your question could be answered. With any two values unknown we can't answer your question.

We look for easy to work placers of medium size producing 3 grams per yard minimum. Other miners may need 6 grams or 1 gram to make the mining worthwhile.

Heavy Pans

 

[Nitric]

Ok, That's what I'm looking for..How rare is 1 gram a yard. for an example.

Is that rare, common,etc...I guess that's what I'm looking for in my question. What gold per yard is common....In a sense. Is it hard to find 1 gram per yard ground?

This is just for conversation, This is how I learn the stuff I'm unclear of. I read too much stuff and now it's just a mixed up mess!

 

[Reed Lukens]

One of the areas that we mine averages 1½oz per ton, another 1¼, another ¾ and then down from there. It really depends on the equipment. When I got down to ¼oz for 4 hours dredging, I moved to richer ground. It was always work to find any spot but for a gram a day I would leave immediately because you are trying to make wages here as we are miners. A gram a day is ridiculously too low and comes out to $39.00 a day. If I can make $15.00 an hour at McDonalds then why would I settle for $4.85 an hour gold mining? That's just stupid... Not trying to be insulting but this is a ridiculous question

 

[Nitric]

One of the areas that we mine averages 1½oz per ton, another 1¼, another ¾ and then down from there. It really depends on the equipment. When I got down to ¼oz for 4 hours dredging, I moved to richer ground. It was always work to find any spot but for a gram a day I would leave immediately because you are trying to make wages here as we are miners. A gram a day is ridiculously too low and comes out to $39.00 a day. If I can make $15.00 an hour at McDonalds then why would I settle for $4.85 an hour gold mining? That's just stupid... Not trying to be insulting but this is a ridiculous question

lol Your right! I'm just trying to get a feel for what's realistic out there. So, 1 guy can't move a yard an hour without heavy equipment? There is a lot I don't know. If I could make $38 an hour yes it would be worth it. No, $38 a day is not worth it.

This is something I want to do and have for years, I wouldn't want to jump in and go for it without completely understanding. all parts of it.

Now, I'm thinking about this....A dredge will only move a ton a day? Two guys can unload and wheel 10 yards of concrete off a mixer, I've done it many times. That is where maybe I'm confused! I'm relating a yard of dirt to a yard of concrete. Thinking a yard an hour could be worked basically with little equipment. So, your saying that's not possible. Now, I know! lol

 

[bigcatrich]

Nitric- I, like you, am new to this and yes I have questions too. "Not trying to be insulting but this is a ridiculous question" is actually rude! If we knew all the answers to the questions why would we ask? The "old timers" must remember THEY were NEW once too. I guess, I look at this from a stand point of - is this going to be your job or recreational? If you plan on making a living off doing this there are a ton more questions you need answered, other than oz per hour. I plan on doing this during my vacation time and off time... where ever and when ever i can. Hit or miss and move on. Good Luck and I hope you get your answers without the sarcasm.

 

[Shunkaha]

He said right out that he wasn't trying to be sarcastic. Just use some simple math equations, that you probably learned in grade school. And you'll see what he was getting at. Gold mining is all about location.

 

[Nitric]

Nitric- I, like you, am new to this and yes I have questions too. "Not trying to be insulting but this is a ridiculous question" is actually rude! If we knew all the answers to the questions why would we ask? The "old timers" must remember THEY were NEW once too. I guess, I look at this from a stand point of - is this going to be your job or recreational? If you plan on making a living off doing this there are a ton more questions you need answered, other than oz per hour. I plan on doing this during my vacation time and off time... where ever and when ever i can. Hit or miss and move on. Good Luck and I hope you get your answers without the sarcasm.

Lol It's no big deal! It's just for conversation. I worked and I'm friends with people that speak their mind. I don't take any offense to it.

There is more to what I'm looking for. I was just curious about ground. What is a common or average amount in the ground that is easily obtainable. If I got an answer of there is thousands and thousands of acres of cheap ground with a half a gram per yard. Then my next step would be, how could I process that and still make money. Could I come up with a way to do it. I don't know all the terms and how to ask what I'm looking for I guess. lol

 

[Nitric]

He said right out that he wasn't trying to be sarcastic. Just use some simple math equations, that you probably learned in grade school. And you'll see what he was getting at. Gold mining is all about location.

It's really not a big deal! The whole thing was just for something to talk about. I've had hundreds(maybe even thousands) of ozt of gold go through my hands, I understand math.I don't understand mining.

 

[joncutt87]

A cubic yard is (40) 5 gallon buckets and (1) 2 gallon buckets, to put it into perspective. That's a bit of shoveling. A paperclip weighs approximately 1 gram, although gold is much denser, you'd be looking for a paperclip in 202 gallons of material at 1g/cubic yard.

 

[goldenmojo]

There are miners out that are doing very well. They won't be sharing their secrets or amount of gold here unfortunately because they are too busy getting it. For the rest of us it varies....

 

[joncutt87]

That's also ~$40/cubic yard, so more than enough to try digging in south America lol. The real question is how effectively and efficiently can you dig, transport, and run your material.

 

[Nitric]

You probably wouldn't know , because my communication is horrible. lol A lot of questions I had, are being answered in this thread.

I have a lot of questions I want to ask, I won't ask in a forum or expect anyone to give up hours and hours of research, just to place their work in front of someone elses fingertips that didn't have to do the work. So, I'm trying to pick a little and get an idea of my next direction. If that makes any sense at all!lol

 

[goldenIrishman]

I have to agree with many on here that there are just to many variables to be able to give you an honest answer. There's just too many things that have to be taken into account here.

If you watch the Todd Hoffman Comedy Hour (aka Gold Rush) you'll here them talking all the time about an average of so much per yard. That's what they NEED to be able to make a profit. However, it makes no difference how high the values are if you can't get enough of them out of the ground to make a profit.

If you're trying to make a living mining, you learn real fast that it's a lot harder than it looks on T.V. as there is so much involved in the actual process that never makes it on the show. Researching different areas, gaining access to those areas, doing testing, filing claims, filing NOIs and POOs, keeping records are all part of the process that has to be done before you can even start digging and processing dirt to get the gold out. It's all boring stuff but it has to be done. We've all seen how Todd doesn't do any real research into areas as he leases claims instead of filing his own.

It doesn't matter if the area is worth $10 a yard or $50 dollars a yard. If you don't have your processing methods well worked out for any given area you're in trouble. How you process your dirt has to be tailored to the area. Too many people go out and get all this equipment before they even know where they're going to dig. When this happens, they either end up spending more money for the right type of equipment for an area or they limit themselves to where they can dig. All types of processing have both their good and bad points and it's a matter of making sure that you've got more good ones working for you than bad in any given area.

As to what I consider to be good ground.... That would be anything that I can get enough gold out of to cover the expenses of getting it and enough extra to pay the bills back at the homestead. Anything more than that is pure gravy!

 

[57chevy]

You will want to find enough to pay your expenses and make it worth your time. Beyond that, "Gold is where you find it" and "If you want more gold then you have to move more dirt".

 

[Goldwasher]

Think about the guys in the Yukon running $9.00 a yard.........and how much volume they have to run. We cherry pick for hi grade material. Bank run river gravel runs about a gram a yard average around here....Snipe for hi-grade placer deposits and you can get up to hundreds of dollars a yard....but you will be hard pressed to find a yard of material that rich in one crack so you may have to bust 20 cracks open to get a half yard. Mad Marshall has gotten 90+ grams in a month and I betcha he didn't move more than three yards of gravel. He will chime in and basically tell you not to bother with moving yards of material........He also basically lives on the river for days at a time. There are a zillion in-betweens!!!!! I've been diadpointed on some days moving a yard of gravel....and very happy on days where I poked around with a pan and a screwdriver. ( and the opposite in many cases as well) The problem a lot of small operators have is security and access. It prevents you from running a deposit the most efficient way. Ideally Sample locate a good deposit....strip and remove overburden, stockpile valuable material, then process and recover. Finish up by detailing the exposed bedrock. While looking at the clues given from that particular area of your dig, so you can apply the knowledge gained to other areas near by. For most guys they try to do all of that in one day. Bringing in and taking out gear daily. Moving volume requires larger gear. Leaving it at a spot over night is difficult for most. As, we are are all worried about theft and vandalism. All that time spent on other things cuts down production time and will affect your take. You have to be realistic about the situation. Are you gonna get more daily by cherry picking and sniping. Or, are you gonna benefit by doing a couple days of prep work and a good solid day of running material. You will find that once you move up to a hi-banker vs. a stream sluice it will be difficult for even two to three guys to have enough material to run unless you stockpile. Hope this is a little bit of insight you were looking for.

 

[Nitric]

I have to agree with many on here that there are just to many variables to be able to give you an honest answer. There's just too many things that have to be taken into account here.

If you watch the Todd Hoffman Comedy Hour (aka Gold Rush) you'll here them talking all the time about an average of so much per yard. That's what they NEED to be able to make a profit. However, it makes no difference how high the values are if you can't get enough of them out of the ground to make a profit.

If you're trying to make a living mining, you learn real fast that it's a lot harder than it looks on T.V. as there is so much involved in the actual process that never makes it on the show. Researching different areas, gaining access to those areas, doing testing, filing claims, filing NOIs and POOs, keeping records are all part of the process that has to be done before you can even start digging and processing dirt to get the gold out. It's all boring stuff but it has to be done. We've all seen how Todd doesn't do any real research into areas as he leases claims instead of filing his own.

It doesn't matter if the area is worth $10 a yard or $50 dollars a yard. If you don't have your processing methods well worked out for any given area you're in trouble. How you process your dirt has to be tailored to the area. Too many people go out and get all this equipment before they even know where they're going to dig. When this happens, they either end up spending more money for the right type of equipment for an area or they limit themselves to where they can dig. All types of processing have both their good and bad points and it's a matter of making sure that you've got more good ones working for you than bad in any given area.

As to what I consider to be good ground.... That would be anything that I can get enough gold out of to cover the expenses of getting it and enough extra to pay the bills back at the homestead. Anything more than that is pure gravy!

Yes, I have seen the show, even though I would love to play the game at a scale they are, that is very unrealistic to me. People don't realize the money that had to even be put upfront. The cost on the equipment alone is insane. The one is looking to make around 2million? Sounds Great doesn't it? How much is he actually making after all costs? They have that or more in equipment sitting around. I can go on forever about the show. It is entertaining.

With all the variables considered, $25 to $38(average) an hour after all costs is something worth chasing to me. I also understand there is a constant juggling act to keep things profitable. If people are going through all this trouble and buying thousands off dollars worth of equipment to make a few grams, that is a hobby. Which is fine! I'm looking for one step further. I know, I know, so is everyone else. lol

Thanks to everyone who replied so far! It is all valuable..

 

[Nitric]

Think about the guys in the Yukon running $9.00 a yard.........and how much volume they have to run. We cherry pick for hi grade material. Bank run river gravel runs about a gram a yard average around here....Snipe for hi-grade placer deposits and you can get up to hundreds of dollars a yard....but you will be hard pressed to find a yard of material that rich in one crack so you may have to bust 20 cracks open to get a half yard. Mad Marshall has gotten 90+ grams in a month and I betcha he didn't move more than three yards of gravel. He will chime in and basically tell you not to bother with moving yards of material........He also basically lives on the river for days at a time. There are a zillion in-betweens!!!!! I've been diadpointed on some days moving a yard of gravel....and very happy on days where I poked around with a pan and a screwdriver. ( and the opposite in many cases as well) The problem a lot of small operators have is security and access. It prevents you from running a deposit the most efficient way. Ideally Sample locate a good deposit....strip and remove overburden, stockpile valuable material, then process and recover. Finish up by detailing the exposed bedrock. While looking at the clues given from that particular area of your dig, so you can apply the knowledge gained to other areas near by. For most guys they try to do all of that in one day. Bringing in and taking out gear daily. Moving volume requires larger gear. Leaving it at a spot over night is difficult for most. As, we are are all worried about theft and vandalism. All that time spent on other things cuts down production time and will affect your take. You have to be realistic about the situation. Are you gonna get more daily by cherry picking and sniping. Or, are you gonna benefit by doing a couple days of prep work and a good solid day of running material. You will find that once you move up to a hi-banker vs. a stream sluice it will be difficult for even two to three guys to have enough material to run unless you stockpile. Hope this is a little bit of insight you were looking for.

Yes, this is what I'm looking for.

Understanding the balance. What is practical or obtainable and what are pipe dreams. If I knew right now, an area that I could make any kind of profit, I would work until frozen or my fingers bled. I also don't want to be delusional about an area or location. So, I'm brain picking.

That's what I was curious about. If everyone was just at it for a hobby or are there real miners making a profit on a small scale. Is it like winning the lotto? or is it doable with determination and research. My idea of making a living is probably lower than most. Anyhow, it's just for conversation!

And thanks to all! For the replies!

Like mentioned in an earlier post, If my option was working at Mcdonalds or digging in the dirt for half the pay? I'd rather dig in the dirt. I've worked for too many clowns before! (that's a joke!)