Arizona Mining ~ Another Great Day To Be Outside & Busting A**

[AzViper]

So my buddy "Will" and I headed southeast at 5AM this morning and worked until 5PM. We moved a lot of earth by pick and shovel. In all it was a great day and only saw a handful of people out and about. Until the trommel is completed we came up with this idea to break up the clay balls that did not pass through our 1/4" screen. We took a 5 gallon bucket and drilled a bunch of holes bottom and sides. Then cut the top off of a 15 gallon barrel and filled it with water and submerged the 5 gallon bucket. Using a drill and a paint mixer we pulverized the clay balls. We had to dump the 15 gallon barrel a number of times but it worked.

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[EccentricInTexas]

Looks like Fun!!! I like the drill/paint mixer idea. I recently watched a video on youtube where a guy was using a battery powered vacuum to clean out crevices. Now I want to buy a battery powered vacuum!!!

 

[AzViper]

Looks like Fun!!! I like the drill/paint mixer idea. I recently watched a video on youtube where a guy was using a battery powered vacuum to clean out crevices. Now I want to buy a battery powered vacuum!!!

My buddy has a battery powered vac. I am not impressed with it as it does not have much power. Check out my signature below on building a gas powered vac.

 

[63bkpkr]

AZV, well that looks like prospecting. It looks like a lot of work. I don't think I'd call it recreational!!

Best of success with the cleanup........................63bkpkr

 

[AzViper]

AZV, well that looks like prospecting. It looks like a lot of work. I don't think I'd call it recreational!!

Best of success with the cleanup........................63bkpkr

Let me tell you, my 56 year old body is feeling the pain as I type but I am having fun. Each bucket is about 65 pounds to haul from the dig site that we both are hauling. The trommel will be a huge advancement in processing once completed. I want to call it exercise but dang its a lot of work.

 

[Goldwasher]

I think some pictures are missing...?

 

[goldhog]

Awesome looking dirt....

 

[jair]

I like you pix and information . I'm from lasVegas but have been out in Arizona a lot by Dolan springs / rich hill and mead view .

Get a little most of the time . Using a 8 inch trommel I use dry as a classifier and a dry washer . I can move more material that wa .

 

[AzViper]

Awesome looking dirt....

It's awesome looking dirt and the first bucket my buddy Will ran this little beauty showed up along with other colors. Sorry of the quality of the photo but I did not take it. Was shot from an iPhone.

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[AzViper]

I like you pix and information . I'm from lasVegas but have been out in Arizona a lot by Dolan springs / rich hill and mead view .

Get a little most of the time . Using a 8 inch trommel I use dry as a classifier and a dry washer. I can move more material that way.

I will be using a trommel soon when I get it completed. I have a Drywasher but it will not work with all the clay we have to deal with.

Soon to be in action I hope,

 

[DesertNuggets]

I will be using a trommel soon when I get it completed. I have a Drywasher but it will not work with all the clay we have to deal with.

Soon to be in action I hope,

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=864834"/>

Looks great. You're one hell of a builder.

 

[AzViper]

Looks great. You're one hell of a builder.

Thank you for the comment.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Looks great. You're one hell of a builder.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Yo Keith! Got your text as soon as I came up for air out of the gulch. We just got home after spending three days out there. I'm about whooped! New sluice system worked pretty well but still needs a few more adjustments before I'll be happy with it for field work.

We tried something a little different this trip. Instead of washing out mats, I brought a dozen sets and we just changed them out when one got full. Only went through 1/2 of them but once I get the system adjusted right we'll be qble to go through all of them in a weekend.

We did some testing upstream from our usual digging place. Robi chose one and I chose the other. Two buckets worth each. sluiced and panned down on site. Robis' place was a near bust with only a little color. MY place yielded up plenty of color to include a 1/2 gram (aprox) nugget.

I've still got a 1/2 doz mats to clean out and pan as well as 10 buckets of materials to go through the sluice. No rest for the wicked I reckon..... I'll let ya know a total once I get everything cleaned up.

Oh.... Don't think I'm ignoring you when you text. You KNOW what reception is like out there!

Jeff

 

[63bkpkr]

AzV & GI, you two sure are having yourselves a good time 'out there', glad to hear it! Thank goodness for your posts, as well as others, otherwise us city folks would just be totally bored. Keep up the good "work" and enjoy the dickens out of it! Best of success............63bkpkr

Lets see, 65 lb buckets, and 56 years on the planet that comes out to 1.161 lbs per year. So as the age increases the weight is less so it should be easier as you get along in years of enjoyment, just think of it that way and it will get easier with time. On second thought, be really careful with those FULL buckets as they will negatively affect the shoulders. I performed some heav duty work 'out there' and I'm paying for it now which is why I'm in the city and not 'out there'. Treat yourself kindly please!.............63

 

[goldenIrishman]

AzV & GI, you two sure are having yourselves a good time 'out there', glad to hear it! Thank goodness for your posts, as well as others, otherwise us city folks would just be totally bored. Keep up the good "work" and enjoy the dickens out of it! Best of success............63bkpkr

Lets see, 65 lb buckets, and 56 years on the planet that comes out to 1.161 lbs per year. So as the age increases the weight is less so it should be easier as you get along in years of enjoyment, just think of it that way and it will get easier with time. On second thought, be really careful with those FULL buckets as they will negatively affect the shoulders. I performed some heav duty work 'out there' and I'm paying for it now which is why I'm in the city and not 'out there'. Treat yourself kindly please!.............63

LOL Well if we ever decide to "Tag Team" that area 63, I think we could really lower the amount of gold in the ground. Then again, every place Robi and I have tested so far has turned up gold. So either we're VERY lucky or there's a lot of gold in that area that the old timers missed.

As to the buckets I kind of cheat a bit. I made up a "Coolie Bar" (6 ft section of padded 2x4 w/ eye-bolts and rope) that allows me to carry 2 full buckets at a time across my shoulders. Much easier to haul that way and less strain on the body in general. Keeps my arms in their sockets and my fingers attached to my hands! When I was a young buck I did enough abuse to the body as it is. However I FINALLY learned to work smarter, not harder.

 

[63bkpkr]

Oh Good so carrying 130 lbs over rough ground with even a heavily padded bar across your shoulders is easier on you, I'm glad to know that!

You may be shorter but your arms will be about the same length. Geez man, try two half buckets and at the end of the day your hemorrhoids will not be touching your ankles. {that is an ugly picture lol} just teasing however, take care of yourself as shoulder surgery or spinal surgery is/are no fun. My shoulder is acting like it may never heal..................63bkpkr

 

[goldenIrishman]

Actually it is a LOT easier on me 63. The buckets are not beating on the outsides of my knees and are actually only high enough off the ground to clear the rocks in the bottom of the gulch. I use proper lifting methods as well to lessen the chances of hurting myself. Picking and shoveling the dirt is harder on me than moving it with my bar. I'm a loooong way from being ready for "The Old Miners Home".

 

[63bkpkr]

GI, I understand about single buckets, been there, and I can appreciate two buckets balanced with padding, please just be careful with yourself!

This shoulder surgery of mine is not being kind to me so the thought of lifting full buckets runs a chill up my back. I believe I'm going through this as I just moved a "few boulders" with a pry bar for a few days. I want to be able to do that again but more carefully. I'd love to go work that area with you but it will be awhile before I'm capable...................63bkpkr

 

[Clay Diggins]

That's a sweet looking spot AzViper. That Red clay can be like rock in some places but it's where the big gold is lurking over on that side of the Mountain. I hope it's paying off for you!

The Trommel is coming along nicely. Quality parts, good design and good construction will really pay off for you in the long run. Nice job.
I'd stay away from the reverse helix and just put a set of straight bars in there. A lot easier to manufacture and in my experience they will do a better job and move the material more quickly.

I tore both my rotator cuffs out in 2009 working with horses in your area of Arizona. I began carrying just two half buckets to keep from stressing the tears. I'm actually moving more material now than I was before. We've gone to two half buckets only at the mine and we are moving more material than before. The guys working the mine are a lot younger than you or I and they were surprised that they can actually move more material per day by carrying less per load.


Try two half buckets - you might just be surprised that your productivity goes up. Less chance of a turned ankle or a cracked kneecap and you will feel a lot better at the end of the day.

Heavy Pans