Placer Claim Mined Out?

[desertgolddigger]

I belong to a local club that owns a claim. This club has had this claim for many years, and acquired it after the old timers had mined it previously, and others after they commercial outfits closed up.
I walked quite a bit of the 160 acre claim, and noted that just about every wash had been worked. Most of the surface nuggets has also been detected by those with gold detectors. In other words, this place has been picked over and over and over.
But I m a stubborn type of person, and I figured, just watching how people ram their puffer and blower drywashers, that some gold was just being blown through them. maybe not much, but some small stuff that never got a chance to settle behind the riffles.
I know many of you would never go to the effort of digging for three to four hours through the tailings in these washes. Again, I'm a bit stubborn, and anyway, I just wanted to have some fun locally, instead of driving 300 miles roundtrip to something that gives a little more for less effort.
I've spent the last three weeks, digging a few times a week along about 30 yards of wash, and have recovered just about a gram of gold. That might not seem like much, but I have only dug up 5 grams, not counting this one gram in almost 20 years out here drywashing in the desert of southern California.
As you would know, things always seem to go wrong. My gas powered blower motor decided it was time for the repair shop, and haven't heard from the shop in two weeks. So I purchased a WORX WG521 corded electric leaf blower to use with my Royal Large drywasher. I'm using a portable generator to provide the power. And it actually is working better than with my old gas powered blower. I have to run the blower on the lowest speed, or I just blow everything through the riffles. Results are very good, as I am getting gold specks so small that I will have to use the Blue bowl in order to recover them.
I'm not only getting a little gold, I'm having some fun, and I am getting a good workout. I've lost 10 pounds since I started. So things are going well.
I'm still digging test holes around the old time hard rock mines in the hope I will find where the gold has drifted downhill below these mines. So far just a couple specks here and there. I figure I just have to move laterally one way or the other before I get something better Of course, I' don't really know if the old timers stripped the hillsides. Even if they have, they apparently aren't as thorough as I am. I hope that I may be lucky and find a larger piece of gold that the old timers, previous placer miners, and detectorists have missed.
Hope everyone is having as much fun as I have been having.

 

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[Reed Lukens]

 

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[Assembler]

yes, with no results

Where is your gold coming from and can you see any specks?

 

[desertgolddigger]

Where is your gold coming from and can you see any specks?

What little rock I've crushed (from our club's claim) has only produced a few specks per rock (3 inch sized quartz rock).

I think I might be panning out ultra fine gold though, even with the (Finish) I put in the water.

I'll be glad to get the electric crusher, so the crushing gets done better. M hand crushing was only about 25 percent effective. I just couldn't slam the metal thing that slides in the metal tube hard and often enough. Maybe there's actually more gold in the coarse stuff I couldn't crush. I've save that to run it when I get the electric crusher to see if there is gold in it. Will find out in a week or so. Have to assemble the crusher, and learn about it. Also have to build a small trolley so I can move it around, as I can't lift it when it's fully assembled.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Hi All, Reed made a quick visit to my place. He's on his way home now. He, explained a few things about the Minelab GM1000. Also Helped me set it up properly so I'm detecting properly. And told me that electrical tape apparently has metal in its makeup. UGH!!! Didn't know that. So I may be a bit more knowledgeable. One thing I hadn't understood was that gold sets off the detector with a sharper tone. There wasn't a lot of difference between gold and iron, but it was there. Just need to get used to the difference. Anyway, I feel a bit better about the detector. Sure hope it helps the next time I try to find something..

 

[Reed Lukens]

Yup, fun times and I was happy to see all of that fine gold along with the chunkies that you have. It was really nice meeting you. We'll have to plan some trips.

 

[desertgolddigger]

This morning I finished breaking rocks on a steel plate so that they're smaller than 2 inches. A video said that even though you can put in a rock that's 2/5 inches, the crusher dies better with smaller pieces.

I panned out the 75 mesh and smaller, and though I'm not positive, this mornings rock breaking yielded a dozen micro specks from just a teaspoon of material. 50-74 mesh had nothing, but larger than 50 mesh produced what I thought was several pieces of Pyrite. I crushed all but one. That one also crushed, but only partially. So I took two hammers, and struck it, and it didn't shatter. It just flattened out into a thin sheet about 3/32 across. I'm still wondering if it is gold, or just a different type of fools gold. My GM1000 sounded off very faintly on it though.

I'm hoping there might be some more gold bigger than specks in all that rock I broke up.

Speaking of the Crusher, it is out for delivery. I look forward to reading the instructions, and assembling it. The darn thing weighs over 100 pounds so I have to make some kind of raised platform on wheels, in order to move it around

 

[southfork]

If it flattened out, I don't think it's pyrite

 

[desertgolddigger]

If it flattened out, I don't think it's pyrite

Maybe it is gold with impurities. It looks a little dull, but not brassy since I removed the Pyrite.

 

[desertgolddigger]

ROOKIE MISTAKE!!!! Yeah, even after reading the instructions, and doing what I thought was a careful inspection of the Crusher, I managed to goof. The mistake was my qick glance inside the housing, not noticing the screen wasn't properly secured. I guess that's the way they come. I'm thinking that since I didn't have to mount the motor, everything was just fine. DUH!!!!

Anyway, I had to order the screen securing plate with bolts. Meanwhile, I've substituted three bolts I had, and carefully repaired the damage to the securing plate.

I ran some small pieces of rock, but didn't notice any gold. I think I need another way pf processing this fine material, other than panning, though I still have to rid the material of the milky water. But not sure there's super fine gold min that milky water.

The machine is working fine, other than it id only about 75 percent efficient in producing 100 mesh and finer.

Right now I'm getting lots of pieces of the galvanized metal in the pan. I'm thinking these chains are exactly the same as the security chains I found online. I'm going to order some of the same sized links, and pay the $5 per cut cutting fee. If these are the same chains, I'll save 50% of the price on the hardware. Not sure if this company will make up the difference in shipping. Will let you know.

Except for my stupidity, my experience with the Crusher is good. Definitely less stress on my hands.

Now I need to build a solid platform for this monster. Wheels are not going to work unless they're super duty. Will have to look online, though it's looking like I will just put in a concrete pad, then build a box I can lock up when I'm finished. If I can lift this monster, a guy with five finger discount in mind will be able to.

 

[southfork]

Check all the nuts and bolts and the Allen screws on the coupling between the motor and crusher and inside were the collar that holds the chains attaches to the shaft. Mine came loose and started vibrating so bad the wing nuts were spinning off the cover. Have fun and find some gold.

 

[desertgolddigger]

All nuts and bolts tightened.

Southfork, what grease do you use for the bearings. What type of seal do you use between the impact drum and front plate. The plastic hose isn't for that I'm guessing, but just to keep the front plate from rattling during shipment.

I found more than half the material I crushed still inside the drum. Had to sweep it out and pan that also. Looks like a few dozen micro specks, but won't know until I run my Miller Table. Still trying to figure out how to pan out all the milky, and dirty ultra fine particles that cloud the water.

I think you mentioned on you thread that you use a basin that runs water into a tube with hoes in it, that makes the lighter material boil over the edge. I can't remember what you call it, but I'd like to make one if it'll help clear the water. I know something like that will require classifying everything do similar sizes, and the water flow adjusted accordingly.

But once I can get clean material, I can run it on my Miller Table.

 

[southfork]

All nuts and bolts tightened.

Southfork, what grease do you use for the bearings. What type of seal do you use between the impact drum and front plate. The plastic hose isn't for that I'm guessing, but just to keep the front plate from rattling during shipment.

I found more than half the material I crushed still inside the drum. Had to sweep it out and pan that also. Looks like a few dozen micro specks, but won't know until I run my Miller Table. Still trying to figure out how to pan out all the milky, and dirty ultra fine particles that cloud the water.

I think you mentioned on you thread that you use a basin that runs water into a tube with hoes in it, that makes the lighter material boil over the edge. I can't remember what you call it, but I'd like to make one if it'll help clear the water. I know something like that will require classifying everything do similar sizes, and the water flow adjusted accordingly.

But once I can get clean material, I can run it on my Miller Table.

That plastic hose with the slit is the seal good luck with it I have a pile of fines in the back of the crusher that I use a 2-inch paint brush to clean out. I'm using some automotive Chassi lube that I had. I classify into buckets with soap and water what doesn't pass 30 mesh I pan then run the fines on a ribbed mat recirculating sluice with a spray bar then run those concentrates through the blue bowl then the snuffer bottle. Our gold is dirty, so I smelt what I clean up. I add dish soap to the sluice tub and the blue bowl both are on top of totes with recirculating pumps the blue bowl sits on a bucket inside of a tote when they get nasty, I flush and refill I'm catching micro gold with no problem. I place the crushed material into the classifier on top of a bucket squirt a little dish soap in then wash with a garden hose I let overflow carefully and slowly to get rid of some red water that slurry goes into sluice. A lot of steps but you're dealing with micro gold.

 

[southfork]

My wash plant lol

 

[desertgolddigger]

Thanks Southfork, I'll have to figure out how to sluice with what I have. Both my large and mini sluice are recirculating, and not designed to handle a garden hose. Besides, I don't have a place on my property to sluice like you do. No place for the water to go.

I was out at the claim this morning trying hard to beep something in the OTer hard rock tailing pile, No success. A quick test of some 100 mesh material got me zilch. So today wasn't good.

I'm beginning to think there's nothing to detect on the claim, other than trash.

 

[southfork]

Thanks Southfork, I'll have to figure out how to sluice with what I have. Both my large and mini sluice are recirculating, and not designed to handle a garden hose. Besides, I don't have a place on my property to sluice like you do. No place for the water to go.

I was out at the claim this morning trying hard to beep something in the OTer hard rock tailing pile, No success. A quick test of some 100 mesh material got me zilch. So today wasn't good.

I'm beginning to think there's nothing to detect on the claim, other than trash.

My water is recirculating 12 volt bilge pumps I only use the garden hose to wash the grindings though the screen and clean up.

 

[desertgolddigger]

My water is recirculating 12 volt bilge pumps I only use the garden hose to wash the grindings though the screen and clean up.

Now I understand. I ran mesh 25 and larger, and nothing. Ran mesh 26 to 50, and possibly one very thin flake, though I think its Pyrite, though my tweezers didn't crush it.

I'll try washing my 51-75 mesh like you mentioned, and run it in the mini sluice. Will have to use my Miller's table for 76-100 mesh. I'm guessing that if there's any gold, it's in 76-100,

 

[desertgolddigger]

Since I've not had much luck metal detecting, or finding gold in rock, I participated with the club outing. Not many actually were there, but a few actually did some dry washing. My take for the two days was 0.550 grams, which is really good for our claim. And based on what Can tell, I actually wasn't working new material from the recent runoffs, but working dry wash tailings that had compacted, and leveled out. Will go tomorrow, since its apparently a holiday tomorrow. My goal for November gold is a modest 1 gram. Too many other activities are taking my time.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Not a day off Federal Holiday. It's only National Pickle Day. Make sure you have a pickle.
So work at my Hacienda starts with laying 10 baggies of concrete for my last sidewalk to the back backyard. Reed now knows where that is. It's huge, NOT!!!

Been a while since I did concrete work, but it came back when I started setting up for tomorrows pour. Then I can go dig me some more yellow stuff at the claim.

Again happy National Pickles Day.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I received the chain links today. The company I purchased them from, cut them into 5 link sets. They're exactly the same hardness and size as you would purchase from a vendor selling these links as Crusher links for $55+shipping for two 5 link segments. I paid for eight 5 link segments a total of $57. I got a 10% discount for my first order. I won't post the company on the thread, as I don't want to step on the Crusher vendors toes. Please PM me, and I'll reply with the internet link. But you probably can Google security chains 62 hardness, and find the vendor.

Not sure how long the chains last, but I think I have enough for a while.

 

[southfork]

I received the chain links today. The company I purchased them from, cut them into 5 link sets. They're exactly the same hardness and size as you would purchase from a vendor selling these links as Crusher links for $55+shipping for two 5 link segments. I paid for eight 5 link segments a total of $57. I got a 10% discount for my first order. I won't post the company on the thread, as I don't want to step on the Crusher vendors toes. Please PM me, and I'll reply with the internet link. But you probably can Google security chains 62 hardness, and find the vendor.

Not sure how long the chains last, but I think I have enough for a while.

I think I found some on Amazon 10 feet about the price but free shipping, but I would need to cut I have a torch.