Im back...for better or for worse..some tidbits too!

[omnicron]

I'm back...for better or for worse..some tidbits too!

Hiya guys, I've been away for some personal reasons but I'm back and gearing up for the make or break season! I've missed sharing and helping people with what limited knowledge I have but non-the-less I have just over one month left before I leave back west to try again.

I have some planned upgrades to my dredge, some may pan out others may not happen...

If your looking for the cheapest price on a Gast 263 (PCA-10) go to: Gast PCA-10 you can grab it for $579 and free shipping!
They are fast too. I ordered this yesterday and they shipped same day.

I'm planning on rebuilding my sluice...I found a local source for 2-4# grating and they are cheep so I'm going to focus on fine gold recovery and anything larger will take care of itself.

I'm planning on buying some real pontoons this season but it may not happen at first...

I've picked up some misc. parts and pieces...

Going to buy a new full face mask... so many choices not sure which one will be right!

I applied for the Oregon dredge permit and I'm hoping to get it so I can dredge on the Rogue...
Back up plan is Washington and Idaho...SF Payette River.

Oh Occupy Idaho waters 2 aka Rumble on the River is happening July 3 through

Well I've gotta get to work so I'll post more later!

 

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[Hoser John]

Dollar for dollar I'd stay in Idaho and not try to judge from 1 season. The miners support each other and you'll have a tough time gettn' your big a dredge going anywhere else at this time. You have miners support there and THAT is a most important fact. Read Wash. regs and puke. Oregon tough to get into and yet again dredge size. Potato state is/was a good call. Keep that dredgebox simple as convalution is the anti solution-tons a au 2 u 2 and be safe.John

 

[russau]

Its good to see you back Roy! Goodluck on the 2015 season!

 

[spaghettigold]

I saw your 6 inch built thread and was impressed with your barrel pontoons and rack.Why don,t you like ,em anymore?
I have already bought 8 -15gallon barrels..where there some setbacks?-emilio

 

[omnicron]

They (barrels) take up a lot of valuable space. I'm going to get some 15 gallon barrels for space savings. 30s just take to much space.

 

[spaghettigold]

good to hear it,s only a space problem,i have the same issues ,thats why i can go only with the 15 gallons.
Thanks omni,wish you can make a wage dredging-emilio

 

[panningjack]

I'm back...for better or for worse..some tidbits too!

Awesome omni! I just got back on tnet as well. Been busy with work and the family. But I'm gearing up now for the coming season. I'll be up at my usual spot for the spring and then hopefully on sf when it gets hot. Hope we can meet up at some point. I'm hoping to make the occupy event in july

 

[omnicron]

Hoser, I know your right, Washington has size limits along with Oregon but I figure it would be easy enough to neck down my nozzle... The thing I like about the Rogue River is it's only a few feet to bedrock. I'm unsure how many feet it is to bedrock on the SF Payette... I'm really sure that's were I'm going to end up though.

My target on the Payette is going to be these almost impossible spots to get to...I'm thinking zip lines and such but by myself it's going to be difficult...

Has anyone used a air hammer under water to help bust out the bedrock? I was considering buying a pulley driven compressor head and mount to one of the engines. I know water isn't good on air equipment but it could speed up bustin' cracks...any thoughts?

 

[oldsurfer]

Welcome back omnicron! Good luck this season!

 

[omnicron]

Thanks everyone. Anyone use this? http://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/crackjack.html In theory it should work quite well...longtivity is another question...

 

[rodoconnor]

Omni .I've used air hammer/chisels for years. Get a cheapo Harbor Freight or Home Depot. The slide hammer works well also.Good luck

 

[Hoser John]

Air tools work just fine. Lube like crazy weekly when dried out. Get a innertube a little bigger than the air tool,good will/swaps etc. Cut to form a air bladder,leave about 6" longer than the tool,wire wrap both ends or zipties to keep water out as the bladder fills with air. Rotating chisel style rock a miners world and el chapo harbor freight works just fine. Excess air escapes from the ends and funny to watch as your tools farts all day when using it. John

 

[omnicron]

Thanks guys! I'm looking at a 15 gallon aluminum tank and am thinking the gast pump I got should put out enough air for me and a air hammer as long as I don't over use it. I have a snap on air hammer and a cheep CP on. The snap on hits harder then the CP one...I've used it to sheer off 1/2 bolts so it should rip through bedrock

Am I going to need a different drive pulley will the one I used for the t80 work. I don't want to over rev my new compressor.

 

[Hoser John]

Fine for GAST and man alive your going to tear'm up bigtime---John

 

[russau]

Roy I made one of those slidding rock hammers about 15 years ago and they work just fine. about the air chisels (like John said) use lots of lube (WD-40) to keep it from gaulding the cyclindar and keeping the water from doing any harm . also air chisels have MORE uhmph the longer /heavier the weight is on the front of the chisel! it sounds like your gonna rip it up this summer!

 

[omnicron]

Thanks John and Russ! God I hope it all pays off. I was all in last year but this year I'm all in x10... I've have been putting every penny I make at work into getting better equipped. I still have to buy a better hose ($340+) I'm still trying to decide between a scuba pro full face mask, ocean reef Neptune 2 or a mantis. I'm tending toward the Neptune2 as I think it will have a wider field of vision. My main concern is to be able to see what's going on around me...I don't like rock slide surprises.

God I've still got to buy 1000' of cable and all the rigging stuff....I have 1 month before I go back to Idaho and pick up my dredge and equipment...got to find a place to work on it for a few days...then off dredging...I feel the stress building.....lol.
I did find a 12 gallon stainless tank for my reserve tank...wondering if I should buy a smaller one also to increase my reserve...don't think I need it though.

 

[russau]

Roy I use a water filter /separator on my air supply. this will help stop anything from getting to me while im on the air supply! when you compress air you get humidity and eventually you have to displace the water that has accumulated.

 

[aa battery]

bad water in that there payette. caldwell is ok though

 

[omnicron]

Russ, I'm planning to get one or two and install them on each side of the tank...double protection and all. I know it's prolly a over kill but they are cheep enough. I had a brain fart when I said the tank I'm getting was aluminum, it is stainless steel. Getting a great price on it too. I'm going to buy my mask today also, I decided on the Ocean Reef Neptune 2 with Nira, I just hope that integrated regulator can be modded down to 35ish psi. I believe it can be adjusted to work at 50-60psi but I want it to work at a lower psi incase I need to hook it up to a t80 at some point.

AA Battery, what do you mean?

 

[russau]

[
AA Battery, what do you mean?[/QUOTE] ? Roy im getting old! if your referring to me help me recesitate my old memory!