Looking for good sound advice of any kind!

[swizzle]

I'm fairly new to hard rock mining but have been digging holes all my life. I have decided to tackle it head on and at the age of 38 quit my job to become a full time miner of herkimer quartz crystals. I really want to do this for the long haul. I love playing in the dirt and don't have a decent pair of shoes because they've all seen the mine. Its just me and who I am. What I would love to hear is advice of any kind on how to take my mining experience and career a little farther. I would eventually like to be able to have my wife quit her job so I can spend more time at the mine or work with me part time. I've just found a market for these crystals and I'm starting to do all right but I'm gonna need to move more material to make it work. So soon I want to upgrade from my bosch bulldog extreme to a bigger drill, better quality drill bits to gain me some time on drilling holes and a big 14" rock saw with a water feed for safety reasons. Any advice from you guys on the right equipment, drill bits, health and safety or anything that would in anyway revolve around mining that would make this the best experience possible would be very greatly appreciated. I really feel like I've found my calling and I'm gonna make it work one way or another but if I can cut a few corners now to make it a better experience then I'm all for it. Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate all your thoughts and you've all been very helpful so far. This is really a great forum. Jason

 

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[tamrock]

You sound like a man with a plan. I have worked as a sales rep for Brunner & Lay and Rockmore Intl' both makers of carbide rock bits and you do have many options in the pneaumatic rock drills like a small Chicago Pneumatic CP9 or CP14 on up to an Air Track drill, don't think you'll go bigger then that, but you could. I've worked also for Sandvik Mining and Atlas Copco mining Div...Around a couple of years back at an MSHA annual refresher class I sat in with a rep with Hilti Eq. They have been working on a Elect. Jackleg drills for mining. I just checked the Hilti site and do like the looks of this TE MD20 Rotary hammer. The world's first electropneumatic drilling system for mining. Tomorrow's technology for top productivity today. "I like how they put that"...With pneumatic you'll need a 125 to 185 cfm compressor. They eat up fuel and do need more then the average maintenance done to keep them running good all the time. Check out this Hilti, I think their on to somthing and it may be the best thing for you to get going with. Hilti Online - TE MD20 Rotary hammer I wish you the best in your new venture and always work safe so you can keep all of use informed on how your doing

 

[swizzle]

I was actually looking at the CP22. It looks promising to me. That Hiliti looks like a beast. Not something I can use now but if I do buy my own property where I can mine then I might just upgrade to something like that. It'd be sweet to eventually run my own mine and have a bobcat and a few other small scale toys. What I can't seem to find is the drill rate per minute. It says 4" per minute with the CP9 but I couldn't find anything on any of the other models. The CP 9 could be a real possibility too. I was just looking at some jackleg drills today. Something to think about for long term mining options. Thank You for your help. I'll look into the CP's some more.

 

[tamrock]

I'd look on eBay at some rock drills in the class of that CP22. I see many good deals. I sell a Toku Y26 for 1400 and I see the same class drill on eBay for 900. I've seen many good deals on used drills also as I'm looking to find good ones to rebuild and sell. For drilling bits and rods I'd get a drill that uses a 7/8" x 4-1/4" hex shank and run with the taper end on the rod that uses the knockoff cross carbide bits. Min. size on that type is 1-1/8" hole I think?

Can't tell you rate of penetration. Rock has so many abrasive and compressive strength characteristics. By this I say, you could have rock you could dig a hole in with an ice pick, but the abrasive elements in that rock will eat the hell out of the tungsten carbide bit. Or the rock is so hard the footage rate is very poor and that will make the rockdrill work much harder and wear it out faster. Mine Eng's and contract estimators call it the rock drillability factor. They only find that out by testing and logging the consumption of drilling bits and rods to a footage rate drilled. If they don't do that before estimating a job they may find they under estimated the job.

 

[tamrock]

I've got one more thing to say, CP is a very poor company to deal with. The parts availbility s*cks on their product and their cutomer service is very unconcerned with your needs. Sullair people are not much better then CP. I'd look at APT Amer. Pneu. Tools or I.R. Ingersoll Rand, but a 30 year old GD Gardner Denver S58 sinker drill will run circles around anything new today and you can still find parts, as that drill will never die. Mid-west rock drills is bringing the S58 back soon I'm told as I just had lunch with the owner of Mid-West Rock drills 2 weeks ago in Ouray Colorado. I'll see what we have in a good deal or find one on the road from a contact. I'll send you a PM if I find a nice used drill from a customer.

http://www.mwdrill.com/

 

[swizzle]

I'm quite the newbie when it comes to these pneumatic drills. I'm thinking its gonna take several good pockets to buy one and then I'll need to know what compressor size I'll need and buy one of those as well. I'm not sure if I'd get an electric compressor or a gas. Right now I'm only running a 1400 watt generator. So its all stuff that I'll need to consider before buying a drill. My guess is I'll need around $2000 for the whole set up. I'm gonna start setting the alarm in the morning to maximize every minute I can at the mine and hopefully start hitting some of these better pockets that are still hiding on me. I saw 2 crystals today that are from a private collection, my best guess would be around a $1,000 each. I'd love to hit a few of those every year!!

 

[tamrock]

You could always rent a rock drill and compresser for a day or two, drill all your holes and use your pin & feathers to break rock after you get all your holes in. As rock drills go I thought of a couple other types. Atlas Copco makes a hand held gas power drill and Stanley Tool makes a Hydraulic drill with a small gas power Hyd. pump to run the drill. Those two types are small and compact and you've no need for a big air compresser. I'll also add this link to a quarry supply I delt with in the past. Spartan Tool in Georgia. Spartan Tools, Manufacturers of Stone Tools For Granite Industry They make more options for rock drill bits and offer other rock busting tools.

 

[golden ray]

Even if it hurts you a bit financially at first; I'm a firm believer in
that you should enjoy what you are doing. Because as the years
slip by, and you can't do the things you want to because of old
age, etc. (like me) you will find that memories are better then dreams.

 

[tamrock]

10-4 on that

 

[Dustedyou]

Swizzle where are you at? If I was close enough i could come and help with some small tobex charges..nothing to shatter the rock .. just to push it out and away.. . I'm betting your a little to far away for me but being ex EOD i have friends all over the country ,, (and with a love of all things that go boom) I'm shure i could find one close to help you out. Might be a long shot,, then again it might be a 5 minute drive.

 

[swizzle]

Swizzle where are you at? If I was close enough i could come and help with some small tobex charges..nothing to shatter the rock .. just to push it out and away.. . I'm betting your a little to far away for me but being ex EOD i have friends all over the country ,, (and with a love of all things that go boom) I'm shure i could find one close to help you out. Might be a long shot,, then again it might be a 5 minute drive.

Upstate NY and no boom boom. This is a mine thats open to the public and I lease a claim. I've thought about a few different methods of cracking the rock but I think anything with a pressurized charge would also damage the crystals that I'm trying to sell. I appreciate the offer. If you do have anyone close by that would be willing to crack some rock I might have a friend that just bought his own mine that might be interested.

 

[Dustedyou]

hehe ya that would be a hella drive anyhoo..lol <<New Mexico here.

 

[Dustedyou]

Hey Swizzle,
Saw this and thought it might inspire you ... I want one its going to auction this week. its a hydrolic 4 head drill (and yes you can put 8' Bits on it)


Equipment Details: 2000 EZ DRILL 210-4 SRA CONCRETE GANG DRILL

I used to work for these guys (AS H#&%^*) they were trying to figure out how to quit loosing money, I tracked it down and they said thanks! and paid me for a year long contract... (in 6 weeks) didnt take the advice and now there in chapter 7..Bankruptcy

 

[swizzle]

Nice it wont work for me though. The terrain is very uneven. Be sweet for strip mining though.

 

[Goodyguy]

Bustar or Dexpan google it.

GG~

 

[swizzle]

Goody the price on the dexpan, ecobust or any other expanding mortar is to much. I'd only be able to fill 8' worth of holes for $35. At 18" to 24" per hole its just not cost effective for me.

 

[Goodyguy]

Goody the price on the dexpan, ecobust or any other expanding mortar is to much. I'd only be able to fill 8' worth of holes for $35. At 18" to 24" per hole its just not cost effective for me.

OK ....I was just offering an alternative to blasting.

GG~

 

[swizzle]

I appreciate any advise. Sorry if my post seemed rude. It wasnt meant to come out that way.