Post Hole Prospecting

[ZombieKnot]

Was conversing with ASSEMBLER and reminded of a prospecting tool I have taken for granted but hope it can help recover more minerals for you all.
Had a stream I wanted to trace the source of gold up this valley and got tired of digging holes every 50 feet and sometimes 7-8 deep to reach the pay layer. So we went to Harbor Fright and bought a POST HOLE DIGGER; threw it in the jon boat and hauled it up the valley and found the pay source after drilling about 20 holes. The gold stopped at a big turn and hiking around found there was a quartz rift on side of hill that we claimed and sold. We sold the claim to a geologist as hard rock is not my thing.
If you have a motorized allowed area and are planning on diggin holes, can't recommend one enough for saving your back.
Able to dig in water ahead of boulders and such more quickly than an idiot stick ever could to reveal drop deposits.
Yes its a another piece of machinery but you can fill 5 gallon buckets fast by drilling till blades are full ; then just lifting into bucket and give it a quick spin to clear blades. Do this 5-6 times in 2 minutes and filled bucket.
Hope it helps. Happy Trails.

 

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[Assembler]

Was conversing with ASSEMBLER and reminded of a prospecting tool I have taken for granted but hope it can help recover more minerals for you all.
Had a stream I wanted to trace the source of gold up this valley and got tired of digging holes every 50 feet and sometimes 7-8 deep to reach the pay layer. So we went to Harbor Fright and bought a POST HOLE DIGGER; threw it in the jon boat and hauled it up the valley and found the pay source after drilling about 20 holes. The gold stopped at a big turn and hiking around found there was a quartz rift on side of hill that we claimed and sold. We sold the claim to a geologist as hard rock is not my thing.
If you have a motorized allowed area and are planning on diggin holes, can't recommend one enough for saving your back.
Able to dig in water ahead of boulders and such more quickly than an idiot stick ever could to reveal drop deposits.
Yes its a another piece of machinery but you can fill 5 gallon buckets fast by drilling till blades are full ; then just lifting into bucket and give it a quick spin to clear blades. Do this 5-6 times in 2 minutes and filled bucket.
Hope it helps. Happy Trails.

Good way to test the ground.

HF used to sell a hydraulic post hole digger as well for around the $1,200 - 1,300 cost level with 8 - 12 inch augers.

Stanley hydraulics used to sell a more powerful auger square drive head as well for a lot more cost.

 

[southfork]

I've used a lot of post hole diggers handheld and mounted they don't like rocks. I can't imagine digging in river cobble.

 

[ZombieKnot]

I've used a lot of post hole diggers handheld and mounted they don't like rocks. I can't imagine digging in river cobble.

Cut off the cutter bars that stick out from bottom of blade. this lets it auger into rocky stuff. wouldn't recommend it if had not used it. Works as an auger on rocks and yes you have to stop for big rocks but so does shoveling. just lift up and hit the hole again. we have dug with shovels in river cobble and this is faster by far. river stuff ain't hard packed like a farm field now is it? And the water acts as simple lubricater. Dont knock it till you try...

 

[southfork]

Cut off the cutter bars that stick out from bottom of blade. this lets it auger into rocky stuff. wouldn't recommend it if had not used it. Works as an auger on rocks and yes you have to stop for big rocks but so does shoveling. just lift up and hit the hole again. we have dug with shovels in river cobble and this is faster by far. river stuff ain't hard packed like a farm field now is it? And the water acts as simple lubricater. Dont knock it till you try...

I use manual and gasoline post hole diggers here on the ranch in packed earth. They work great but in river cobble? gravel ok but show me some photo's or video's of one working in cobble sounds like BS .

 

[N-Lionberger]

Yeah post hole diggers aren't great in hard pack cobbles, some guys from my prospecting club destroyed one trying to sample in a hydraulic pit.

 

[Assembler]

There are post hole diggers that are much thicker steel that also incorporate water jets that will work some what better within limits on some cobble stones. The cost is high.

 

[Assembler]

Yeah post hole diggers aren't great in hard pack cobbles, some guys from my prospecting club destroyed one trying to sample in a hydraulic pit.

One can loosen first and then remove the cobble stones. Some will use powered drills ranging in sizes of 5/8" to around 1 inch for the loosening step. Sounds slow however can be way faster then trying to loosen then dig with a shovel or auger types of tools.

When I was younger I dug out most of an area under a house this way down 3 - 4 ft. deeper. No larger equipment could get under a crawl space under the house at a reasonable cost. The powered drill worked well for that setting.

 

[Assembler]

Today there are water pumped drills that are 1 - 3 inches with high pressure water pumped to the tip to speed up the drilling process. The cost is not out of line if you do a lot of drilling.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I use manual and gasoline post hole diggers here on the ranch in packed earth. They work great but in river cobble? gravel ok but show me some photo's or video's of one working in cobble sounds like BS .

I suppose not every stream has large river worn boulders. Some of the creeks seem to have 6” minus gravel or some streams have very uniform gradation. Not in my area, but I’m sure there is an application in some setting.

 

[Assembler]

I suppose not every stream has large river worn boulders. Some of the creeks seem to have 6” minus gravel or some streams have very uniform gradation. Not in my area, but I’m sure there is an application in some setting.

Correct that is why one needs to test the ground to see what can be done. Small drills can be worked in some spots and not in other spots.

 

[Assembler]

In my experience it is not that hard to probe with smaller power drills down to 16 inches or so at a single probe depending on the ground. The loosening is harder if the pack is very bad. Take shorter probes if the loosening is hard.

 

[Assembler]

With some packs of smaller stones one can start with a small drill then switch to a much larger drill for a given probe first then loosen the pack for removal with a post hole digger or shovel etc.

You test first to see what can be done. No two areas are always the same. It helps to have a number of power drills handy for probing first. Expect the power heads to be changed every so often to not over heat and change the drills also if needed.

 

[Hamfist]

I tried post hole diggers my earlier days and I’m not a fan of them, especially in water or with cobble larger than a potato. Use what works best for you though! Whatever gets you the most gold in the least amount of time with the least effort 👍🏼

 

[Assembler]

I tried post hole diggers my earlier days and I’m not a fan of them, especially in water or with cobble larger than a potato. Use what works best for you though! Whatever gets you the most gold in the least amount of time with the least effort 👍🏼

Most hand post hole diggers are best used just for lifting up the material just after a twist for filling up. Water in the hole is counter productive to the process of the materials staying within the digger blades.

Water is good for flushing the finer material up out of a hole and cooling the drill bit big time.

Most hand post hole diggers are not fun to use however it can make a big difference in chasing what you are after in the shortest time.

 

[Assembler]

I have seen post holes as deep as 30 feet in just soil dirt with no rocks until the rock zone is hit to be tested for values. A small tower is needed with pipe sections added as you go down.

A hydraulic power head would make it less work.