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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[AzViper]

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

I am having a great time, but you forgot to calculate the amount of buckets in your math. Now I'll let you in on a little secret, moving the buckets is a little easier when you have a wagon at your disposal. I want to build a new wagon with 20" bicycle wheel and tires with a lowered bottom frame so that the wagon will roll easier over the terrain while having a lower center of gravity and ground clearance. Sounds simple and easy to build.

 

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[AzViper]

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

Barry it's very rich looking clay. The trommel will be a perfect match in busting up the clay. Will be sending you a PM soon.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I know you are having a great time, but why are you moving your buckets so far, instead of bring your concentration machines to the buckets? Just curious.

 

[AzViper]

I know you are having a great time, but why are you moving your buckets so far, instead of bring your concentration machines to the buckets? Just curious.

Hi Terry, its not far at all where we are digging to where the trucks are. Maybe 50ft. at most. Just easier to haul the buckets than 45 gallons of water and all the equipment. As you can see we were using a generator, drill, and paint mixer to break up the clay balls. When the trommel is done then its a entirely different game. No more of the BS of classifying, just dump or shovel into the hopper...

 

[goldenIrishman]

Also if the LEOS catch us off the marked roads our collective goose would be cooked. That's why Robi and I pack all the camping gear into our spot and leave the truck parked. It's more work that way but it keeps the LEOS happy and out of our hair.

 

[AzViper]

Also if the LEOS catch us off the marked roads our collective goose would be cooked. That's why Robi and I pack all the camping gear into our spot and leave the truck parked. It's more work that way but it keeps the LEOS happy and out of our hair.

What are you referring to as a marked road? Are you referring to a US Forest Service road with a number or a two track road already established that's well defined and traveled? There are many roads in that entire area that are not marked that we see lots of travel by trucks and quads. I took the road that led me to option 2 from Barry's map and that's a well traveled road but after a mile the two track road had center grass two feet high stating nobody had traveled that road much pass the point I had turned around. Now the area has had lots of rain and the area has seen lots of growth. I know its a touchy situation and one that I would like some input from the US Forest Service. We have stayed on the main roads and have only pulled into spots that have had others parked and camped due to the fire rings.

 

[goldenIrishman]

That's a good point Keith. I was referring to driving off road of any type. If it's established (no matter how low the level of use) it should be fair game. Just don't let the LEOS catch ya off in the grass is all.

 

[AzViper]

I have yet to see a LEO but I see Border Patrol everywhere on the main asphalt roads but yet to see any BP's on the back-country roads. Now down south near Arivaca BP is on every hilltop with glass searching the mountain ranges.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Not much in the way of LEOs or Border Patrol around Greaterville. Just stay on the obvious roads. That one leading to location #2 has been used since the 1880's. Had a friend work and camp up there in plain sight of the main road for four days. Several LEO's passed by but no problems.

They really hate three things there:

1. FIRE - Obvious problem with all the grass and brush.
2. ATVs going off road. Don't make your own road. Stick to whats there. "Bad" trails have been blocked off and signed.
3. Don't dig up dead Indians or their stuff.

Beyond that they really don't care much. Basic stuff like "don't cut down live trees", "don't camp next to a water source", "don't leave trash behind" and "don't leave camp until your fire is out" all still applies.

There will probably be more FS patrols with Fish and Game down there now that hunting season is starting so I'll add "don't shoot the fake deer from inside your truck" for the uneducated.

 

[Terry Soloman]

.. "don't shoot the fake deer from inside your truck" for the uneducated.

Ahh heck Clay, now you're taking all the fun out of it!

 

[AzViper]

There will probably be more FS patrols with Fish and Game down there now that hunting season is starting so I'll add "don't shoot the fake deer from inside your truck" for the uneducated.

This happens more and more with the idiot hunters we have in this state. I remember a while back AZFG had a huge fully mounted Elk they used to catch these criminals. AZFG had to replace the hide after 1 season because of the idiots kept shooting at the Elk from across the road. You would think that these clowns after pumping three 200 grain bullets from a 300mag. and the Elk is still standing they would learn. Then these so called hunters lose their guns, hunting privileges, and ticketed with a nice big fine.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Man! Sounds to me like they barely knew which end of the rifle to point at the Elk!

Other than the FS guys that showed up at the Kentucky Camp work party I haven't seen a single one in that area. I've only seen one BP in the area and he looked like he was out cruising around for grins and giggles.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Wagons are cool, but wouldn't you really like to have a burro you can talk to and keep you company? If I had a burro with me, I would tell everyone I was the Lost Dutchman and ask them for directions.