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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[boogeyman]

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.

Go to the club meetings and talk to the other members. Learn. If they shy away from pointing to a few claims those are probably hot spots. A buddy of mine did extremely well focusing his efforts under a couple flumes & sluices where material piled up under leaks. Everyone focused on the surrounding workings. They all said it was played out years before. You need to figure out if you feel you're content with the returns = work / fun ratio.

 

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[desertgolddigger]

boogeyman, This claim is the closest to me not only by miles, but also transit time. I've been working this claim, off and on, for nearly 20 years. Most of that time, I couldn't access the claim with my Honda CRV due to deep sand. Got stuck twice. Now I have a Nissan Frontier SE 4X4. What a difference four wheel drive makes.

I'm actually happy getting on average, about 1/10th gram each outing. My low was about 4/100, and high about 1/3 of a gram. Most people turn their noses up at those low returns for effort, but not me.

enjoy the experience, and on top of it all, I've lost 12 pounds, gained physical strength, and am slowly gaining endurance. I'm nearly 3 years out of open heart surgery to replace a congenital heart valve defect. My doctor says I have a very healthy heart, and a very strong one. So this three days a week out to the claim benefits me physically, and also mentally and emotionally. If not for this pastime, I would just sit at home all day either reading or quilting, and probably gaining weight.

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain all day, so the claim might not be workable for a few weeks. Flash floods out there a few weeks ago, chewed up some of the roads, so I won't know how accessible things are for a day or two. Another Recce mission soon.

 

[southfork]

boogeyman, This claim is the closest to me not only by miles, but also transit time. I've been working this claim, off and on, for nearly 20 years. Most of that time, I couldn't access the claim with my Honda CRV due to deep sand. Got stuck twice. Now I have a Nissan Frontier SE 4X4. What a difference four wheel drive makes.

I'm actually happy getting on average, about 1/10th gram each outing. My low was about 4/100, and high about 1/3 of a gram. Most people turn their noses up at those low returns for effort, but not me.

enjoy the experience, and on top of it all, I've lost 12 pounds, gained physical strength, and am slowly gaining endurance. I'm nearly 3 years out of open heart surgery to replace a congenital heart valve defect. My doctor says I have a very healthy heart, and a very strong one. So this three days a week out to the claim benefits me physically, and also mentally and emotionally. If not for this pastime, I would just sit at home all day either reading or quilting, and probably gaining weight.

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain all day, so the claim might not be workable for a few weeks. Flash floods out there a few weeks ago, chewed up some of the roads, so I won't know how accessible things are for a day or two. Another Recce mission soon.

It's sure a good feeling to have a place close by that you can prospect at any time. You can send that rain my way I can adjust to it I love the rain. It helps my other outdoor adventures gets the grass green puts the fires to rest.

 

[boogeyman]

boogeyman, This claim is the closest to me not only by miles, but also transit time. I've been working this claim, off and on, for nearly 20 years. Most of that time, I couldn't access the claim with my Honda CRV due to deep sand. Got stuck twice. Now I have a Nissan Frontier SE 4X4. What a difference four wheel drive makes.

I'm actually happy getting on average, about 1/10th gram each outing. My low was about 4/100, and high about 1/3 of a gram. Most people turn their noses up at those low returns for effort, but not me.

enjoy the experience, and on top of it all, I've lost 12 pounds, gained physical strength, and am slowly gaining endurance. I'm nearly 3 years out of open heart surgery to replace a congenital heart valve defect. My doctor says I have a very healthy heart, and a very strong one. So this three days a week out to the claim benefits me physically, and also mentally and emotionally. If not for this pastime, I would just sit at home all day either reading or quilting, and probably gaining weight.

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain all day, so the claim might not be workable for a few weeks. Flash floods out there a few weeks ago, chewed up some of the roads, so I won't know how accessible things are for a day or two. Another Recce mission soon.

Even if you came up with next to nothing you're gaining health & some clarity. That's worth a lot! And having fun doing it, can't beat that! Luck to ya!!!

 

[Red_desert]

Something you might want to consider is old tailing piles no longer visible on the surface. Back in the mid 1990s after getting the Fisher Gold Bug-2 went to Quartzsite on a trip. Ordered my new detector with large 14" elliptical coil, a standard size, and a small oval elliptical. The smallest coil came without the bottom cover plate attached (or missing). I must have ordered protective bottom covers for all coils. So, decided to just wrap padding foam around small coil with bottom cover then duct tape. Left it that way ever since.

Around Quartzsite the little padded coil started finding old timer piles below surface, up to nickel/dime size chunks of black hot iron mineral. Switching to hot rock mode (after digging) got a good solid beep off a dark brown quartz rock size of a half dollar. Rubbed one edge and saw the bright flash of metal. Dark rusty brown color on much of quartz rock. Being my first trip with a gold detector, came prepared with cowboy hat, polarizing prescription glasses, then plenty of beer. I'll have to blame it on the beer for losing my rock at La Cholla Mt old placer area. I learned you don't sit down to examine a gold specimen, then get up quickly realizing what you found and forget to pick it up. Tried to find it turned around again, it still could be out there (unless somebody found it now).

 

[desertgolddigger]

Something you might want to consider is old tailing piles no longer visible on the surface. Back in the mid 1990s after getting the Fisher Gold Bug-2 went to Quartzsite on a trip. Ordered my new detector with large 14" elliptical coil, a standard size, and a small oval elliptical. The smallest coil came without the bottom cover plate attached (or missing). I must have ordered protective bottom covers for all coils. So, decided to just wrap padding foam around small coil with bottom cover then duct tape. Left it that way ever since.

Around Quartzsite the little padded coil started finding old timer piles below surface, up to nickel/dime size chunks of black hot iron mineral. Switching to hot rock mode (after digging) got a good solid beep off a dark brown quartz rock size of a half dollar. Rubbed one edge and saw the bright flash of metal. Dark rusty brown color on much of quartz rock. Being my first trip with a gold detector, came prepared with cowboy hat, polarizing prescription glasses, then plenty of beer. I'll have to blame it on the beer for losing my rock at La Cholla Mt old placer area. I learned you don't sit down to examine a gold specimen, then get up quickly realizing what you found and forget to pick it up. Tried to find it turned around again, it still could be out there (unless somebody found it now).

Yes, this is exactly what I'm working. I had to get through the recent tailing piles before I got to the old timer (over 100 years old I believe). They worked down to bedrock from one side of the wash to the other.

This is just speculation, but I believe that while the hard rock miners were working higher up in the quartz, there were those strip mining the Placers below that. Like most of those strip miners at placer locations, they got most of the large stuff, but most everything from mesh 8 down was left behind. This is exactly what I am finding, and on rare occasions, something a bit larger than mesh 8.

This is one reason why I use three classifiers, a 2, 4 and 8 mesh. I sift the first time, filling buckets from 2 mesh with my access road paving gravel. I then sift with the 4 mesh for my dry washer. And after that, I use the 8 mesh before I pan, and pan the 4 and 8 mesh material separately.

I have several tons of pea gravel in my backyard, but still haven't figured a way to see if there's any gold in it. My current metal detector can't even detect a 2/5 gram nugget. I think it's just operator error

 

[desertgolddigger]

Here's a question: I purchased a rain gutter micro sluice, but haven't figured out how to use it. The one time I tried, the seed gold I put in the black/white sands just passed right through it.

It has a ribbed doormat type riffle mat, which supposedly should capture even fine gold in the top few inches.

Can anyone tell me how to set it up. I read a sluice requires a one inch drop for every foot of length, but I'm guessing that's with something other than a door mat for a riffle system.

I was going to make a Gold Lab setup, but decided not to. I do have an adjustable vibrator like the Gold Lab required, that I could use, if that vibrator actually works at settling the gold.

But I would love to get this micro sluice working so I can run my dry washer material once and be able to clean out the gold with a minimum of black/white sand overburden to pick through with the tweezers

 

[Red_desert]

I tried cutting a circular piece of rabbit cage mesh to fit bottom inside green classifier pan. If you rotate mesh before attaching it, at an angle to classifier holes.

The smallest Gold Bug-2 coil can beep on tiny birdshot even in hot rock mode. In manual ground balance around Quartzsite, ground permitted running sensitivity all the way up to 10. It caused balance problems and adjusting sometimes every several steps. But when that happens there could be old tailing piles below your feet. Try lifting the coil a few places, why a padded coil works good for this. Old tailing piles will sound off as lifting.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I tried cutting a circular piece of rabbit cage mesh to fit bottom inside green classifier pan. If you rotate mesh before attaching it, at an angle to classifier holes.

The smallest Gold Bug-2 coil can beep on tiny birdshot even in hot rock mode. In manual ground balance around Quartzsite, ground permitted running sensitivity all the way up to 10. It caused balance problems and adjusting sometimes every several steps. But when that happens there could be old tailing piles below your feet. Try lifting the coil a few places, why a padded coil works good for this. Old tailing piles will sound off as lifting.

I use the Keene Engineering classifiers. Mine are wearing out after 20 years of on/off usage. They have metal mesh.

 

[Red_desert]

The 14" classifier pan is from a Garrett 1990s gold pan kit (green). It is tough as nails, the amount of use I give it ptobably never going to wear out.

 

[boogeyman]

Here's a question: I purchased a rain gutter micro sluice, but haven't figured out how to use it. The one time I tried, the seed gold I put in the black/white sands just passed right through it.

It has a ribbed doormat type riffle mat, which supposedly should capture even fine gold in the top few inches.

Can anyone tell me how to set it up. I read a sluice requires a one inch drop for every foot of length, but I'm guessing that's with something other than a door mat for a riffle system.

I was going to make a Gold Lab setup, but decided not to. I do have an adjustable vibrator like the Gold Lab required, that I could use, if that vibrator actually works at settling the gold.

But I would love to get this micro sluice working so I can run my dry washer material once and be able to clean out the gold with a minimum of black/white sand overburden to pick through with the tweezers

No expert here but inch per ft seems a lot steeper than I ran mine (6 ft). Slow the water till the material just barely starts moving. Never used it for anything but cleanup. Oh! Washed the whole thing with lacquer thinner. The PVC had I think release from the extruder and the black mat was oily from what I was told was mold release. Got a spiral wheel, built a feeder & didn't use it any more. Wiping the PVC with the laquer thinner made the contact cement hold way better too.

You can coat the bottom of a coil with a thin layer of silicone caulk in a pinch. Peel it off wash the loop with Dawn & apply a new layer when it wears out. Hope that gives you some ideas.

 

[desertgolddigger]

No expert here but inch per ft seems a lot steeper than I ran mine (6 ft). Slow the water till the material just barely starts moving. Never used it for anything but cleanup. Oh! Washed the whole thing with lacquer thinner. The PVC had I think release from the extruder and the black mat was oily from what I was told was mold release. Got a spiral wheel, built a feeder & didn't use it any more. Wiping the PVC with the laquer thinner made the contact cement hold way better too.

You can coat the bottom of a coil with a thin layer of silicone caulk in a pinch. Peel it off wash the loop with Dawn & apply a new layer when it wears out. Hope that gives you some ideas.

I'll try the lacquer thinner for the possibility there's an oily residue. I'll also try a shallower angle, and try to find what water speed works. I'm also going to experiment with the vibration system to see if that settles the gold early in the micro sluice. Will report what I find. Will be working with 74 mesh material and bigger.

 

[southfork]

I'll try the lacquer thinner for the possibility there's an oily residue. I'll also try a shallower angle, and try to find what water speed works. I'm also going to experiment with the vibration system to see if that settles the gold early in the micro sluice. Will report what I find. Will be working with 74 mesh material and bigger.

Are you using a wetting agent? like dish soap micro gold likes to float my setup looks like a bubble bath sometimes. I always feed material wet with a few drops of dish soap.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Are you using a wetting agent? like dish soap micro gold likes to float my setup looks like a bubble bath sometimes. I always feed material wet with a few drops of dish soap.

Yes, wet, and with "Finish". Never use dish soap with orang or lemon, or similar, as they have oils in them.

I've got time on my hands due to the rain, so I'm trying to design a very small setup with the two foot rain gutter cleanup sluice I will be able to use after my next outing to the claim. Hopefully I can at least get the mesh 49 and below to stick in the rubber mat riffles. That way I just have the smaller stuff I can run on my "Table". That would save me having to tweeze everything down to 49 mesh, a couple hours of work, usually. All I'd have to do is gently pan the dust out of the concentrates then. I always have lots of that dry microscopic dust that both clogs up my dry washer, and still remains in the dry wash concentrates. Have to wear a mask when digging and dry washing because of that dust.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Another in my long list of failures when trying to recover ultra fine gold. I tried my Royal Miller's Table, and not one speck stuck, even though I followed the instructions precisely. I was trying to recover 50-74 mesh gold. I could see it on the table, but it didn't stick, regardless of how slow the water moved.

I finally took my magnet, and rid myself of all the black sand. I know some gold got caught up with that black sand, but I needed to see if I could determine why the gold wasn't sticking.

I panned as much of the white sand away as possible, and ran the magnet one last time. I thought I would get a line of gold in the corner of the pan, by shaking, and rapidly tapping the pan rim.

What I discovered is the majority of the gold is super thin, and flat. I'm guessing that's why it just slid down the Table. It couldn't grip.

I'm wondering if the little cleanup sluice could separate things, or am I stuck with not being able to separate the gold from the remaining black sand.

BTW, there was a lot of the little gold in the black sand, probably enough to cover a small glass vial bottom. And I'm sure my panning tailings have more, as well as the magnetic sands I removed with the magnet.

Just another thought. Maybe I should resurrect the Blue bowl. Wonder if it could do the job.

Yup, the adventures of the frustrated prospector continues with the fine yellow stuff.

 

[southfork]

I use my blue bowl with micro dream mat and still have black sands and other concentrates to deal with. That being said my final cleanup after the snuffer bottle is the dreaded mercury that can be retorted to recover the mercury leaving the gold. It's not dangerous when handled properly but I also smelt the concentrates which I feel is a cleaner way to go without mercury. But takes longer and you need more equipment it never ends. Mercury can be your friend or enemy depending how you use it.

 

[arizau]

Another in my long list of failures when trying to recover ultra fine gold. I tried my Royal Miller's Table, and not one speck stuck, even though I followed the instructions precisely. I was trying to recover 50-74 mesh gold. I could see it on the table, but it didn't stick, regardless of how slow the water moved.

I finally took my magnet, and rid myself of all the black sand. I know some gold got caught up with that black sand, but I needed to see if I could determine why the gold wasn't sticking.

I panned as much of the white sand away as possible, and ran the magnet one last time. I thought I would get a line of gold in the corner of the pan, by shaking, and rapidly tapping the pan rim.

What I discovered is the majority of the gold is super thin, and flat. I'm guessing that's why it just slid down the Table. It couldn't grip.

I'm wondering if the little cleanup sluice could separate things, or am I stuck with not being able to separate the gold from the remaining black sand.

BTW, there was a lot of the little gold in the black sand, probably enough to cover a small glass vial bottom. And I'm sure my panning tailings have more, as well as the magnetic sands I removed with the magnet.

Just another thought. Maybe I should resurrect the Blue bowl. Wonder if it could do the job.

Yup, the adventures of the frustrated prospector continues with the fine yellow stuff.

If you haven't seen them already, there are youtube videos that may help you refine/be successful in the way you operate the table. I found them when I googled how to set up a royal miller table.
Good luck.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I use my blue bowl with micro dream mat and still have black sands and other concentrates to deal with. That being said my final cleanup after the snuffer bottle is the dreaded mercury that can be retorted to recover the mercury leaving the gold. It's not dangerous when handled properly but I also smelt the concentrates which I feel is a cleaner way to go without mercury. But takes longer and you need more equipment it never ends. Mercury can be your friend or enemy depending how you use it.

I thought about mercury and a retort, but can't, as I've no place to store them. My property (.16 acres), and house 800 sq. ft.) are just too small

 

[desertgolddigger]

If you haven't seen them already, there are youtube videos that may help you refine/be successful in the way you operate the table. I found them when I googled how to set up a royal miller table.
Good luck.

Yes, I've watched lots of videos, and had a 20 minute call with the developers of the Royal Miller's Table. I did exactly what I was given by the gentleman. It worked once for me, but today it was a failure. It's possible I had too much black and white sands, as I generally classify everything together in one mesh range (this run 50-74), but don't pan down things. I've done that now, and will try again, with the little bit of super concentrates I now have. Just got to get over today's frustration factor. :-)

 

[boogeyman]

I thought about mercury and a retort, but can't, as I've no place to store them. My property (.16 acres), and house 800 sq. ft.) are just too small hey made small ones

,?!?! There was a company that made one that would fit on a bookshelf. I couldn't see buying one so built my own. It fit into a 7.
62 ammo box with the vial of mercury. Used to leave it in a small cabinet in the RV. Felt safer running the thing out in the boonies away from everyone & everything.

If you're short on space, have you thought about a gang box? Chain it to the house & store some of your gear in there.