Gold is at 1808 plus per troy ounce

[et1955]

That equates to just 58$ per gram, maybe time to rethink working my job or go mining. I get 35$ per hour where I work but when I mine I average a gram an hour here in Washington state but on my claims in N. California I average 4 grams an hour and that is just sluicing or panning. What would you do ?

 

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[russau]

Ya'll use shovels?

I use a D- handle spade.

I guess a shovel would work, but it might be some hard work depending on the terrain.

NO , not when I have son's that want to learn about prospecting !

 

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[Tesorodeoro]

Ya'll use shovels?

I use a D- handle spade.

I guess a shovel would work, but it might be some hard work depending on the terrain.

I suppose it makes a difference if you are filling a pan, bucket, wheelbarrow, or into a high banker or trommel. Digging dirt or shoveling loose gravel.

How tall you are makes a difference too. If I have to bend over too much, my back goes out.
D-handled shovels are hard on my back.

That’s kind of what I was getting at with all the purpose built shovels.

Check out this article at Red Pig Tools.
https://www.redpigtools.com/The-Right-Shovel_b_2.html

This is an interesting tool. Looks useful for shoveling rocks. They say it’s a clay spade. Never seen one of those before.

 

[et1955]

Ya'll use shovels?

I use a D- handle spade.

I guess a shovel would work, but it might be some hard work depending on the terrain.

On the sultan it is a combination of the right tools, 6ft. prybar ,shovel and a hand powered winch plus ropes to move these rocks. Also this is a very steep canyon, terrain extream.

 

[Goldwasher]

Tell you what...in 1850 breaking a shovel sure ate into your gold mining profits.
$25 each when gold was $19/oz.

Those shovels were built pretty light. Just made to move loose material. Useless without a pick (another $25 and very prone to breaking). That not only reduced profit but it halted all work till you could find a place to buy a replacement.



Neat to ponder when that large signal turns out to be a worn shovel or broken pick head.

all the old shovels i dig up are much much heavier and better built than the modern ones

 

[Tesorodeoro]

all the old shovels i dig up are much much heavier and better built than the modern ones

Interesting. It must vary with region then.

If I could find a much heavier and better built antique shovel, I’d put a new handle on it and use it!

 

[Goldwasher]

Interesting. It must vary with region then.

If I could find a much heavier and better built antique shovel, I’d put a new handle on it and use it!

well the ones i find are wore down ..but still thicker.

They didn't have the alloys and machining to make the as light as they are now.

It doesnt vary by region.

There is early...local...and mass produced.

weight and thickness tended to reduce along those lines.

spades out lasted handles ten fold.

when you find an unworn spade its because of a sudden move, death, flood or fire.

worn spades were cast off when a replacement was obtained.

usable ones followed the work.

 

[Goldwasher]

Interesting. It must vary with region then.

If I could find a much heavier and better built antique shovel, I’d put a new handle on it and use it!

doesnt vary by region ..Varies by date and production type

spades out lasted handles ten fold.

they were also shorter by about 1/3 .

fellas were a lot shorter. So were ther tools.

 

[wildminer]

My latest #2 purchase was at a local industrial supply that had received their order for reginal forest fire fighters. Industrial strength so to speak. Nice, on the heavy side handle and not a tinny spade. I have others for backup and store them inside mostly to avoid damage from the sun, This latest one feels real good in the hands and none of them feel good on the back.

 

[russau]

My shovels / spades / picks are all hung on the wall for future deeds ! They bring good memories of sore backs and shoulders BUT there is a cure for that for the evening's ! BUT I still have good memories of those times !!

 

[mikep691]

My latest #2 purchase was at a local industrial supply that had received their order for reginal forest fire fighters. Industrial strength so to speak. Nice, on the heavy side handle and not a tinny spade. I have others for backup and store them inside mostly to avoid damage from the sun, This latest one feels real good in the hands and none of them feel good on the back.

All I can say is I made it easier to find that #2 now. Thanks John.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Here are a couple shovels...past finds I found laying in a pile today....ranging from 1860’s to 1930’s I think. Left to right.

Sure a few were worn down indicating they lasted awhile, but they all cracked and broke somewhere. Many amateur blacksmiths in the early days. Nothing I’d put a handle on or even consider a real sturdy shovel by today’s standards. I’ve got scores of them laying around all over the place. If I’d have found a single stout shovel that had been discarded in good condition, I’d certainly put a new handle on it. Still waiting.

The left two are what I was referring to in my past mention of shovels.

 

[et1955]

A simple tool but very necessary for a miner, of the #2 shovels I have had it was the wood handle that failed not metal spade head. I will add that my first shovel after several thousand hours of digging got so rounded at the point it was very hard to dig with. It was so interesting that 20 years ago I went to a LDMA, GPAA outing at there I bar claim and the old timers there commented on how rounded my shovel was, they knew and respected what it took to for it to get that way.

 

[russau]

Atleast 25 years ago I found a old shelve with a wood "D" handle on it I thought it was going to break if I picked it up ,but it didn't . I still have it out in my shop trying to come up any idea on how to display it with other things that I found.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I've had good luck with Better Basics Mining. He makes great shovels for digging gold.