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.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[desertgolddigger]

I still haven't done the retort. Things just keep happening. Anyway, I've decided to just go ahead and do the full 20 grams of amalgam that I have. Will need to flatten it out so it heats over a flatter surface. Hopefully the mercury will be able to escape more easily with the larger surface area.

On another front, I'm finally not roasting when outside, so I'm working on version two of my gold shaker table. I've come to the conclusion that using linear rails just won't work. It doesn't allow me to make easy adjustments, as I have to completely dismantle things due to not a lot of working space. I'm going to try a flexible material like Jim in Idaho and Orophilia do.

Will also use the three adjustment legs Jim in Idaho sent me. I can now do that as I removed the huge/super heavy table, and replaced it with a platform half that height. I think the new setup will allow me to sit, and spoon material onto the table, versus my having to add that material at shoulder height. I'm repurposing the huge table into a workbench for my patio..

On another note, I am going back to searching our claim for possible gold ore deposits, now that it is getting cooler. I had discovered some gold on a slope in three locations, but couldn't pursue them because of the summer heat. If there are some deposits, they'll be on fairly steep slopes. As far as I can tell, there's not ever been any digging up that high. There's a few interesting rock outcrops I need to dig around.

Will also be going back to another location I found gold at. The grainy rock I found the gold in that had huge amounts of iron in them don't interest me. The egg shape rocks, I'm calling bolides look like something spewed from a super hot vent. I'd like to see if there is a old vent, and if it is filled with good material, or just more iron rich grainy material.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[southfork]

I still haven't done the retort. Things just keep happening. Anyway, I've decided to just go ahead and do the full 20 grams of amalgam that I have. Will need to flatten it out so it heats over a flatter surface. Hopefully the mercury will be able to escape more easily with the larger surface area.

On another front, I'm finally not roasting when outside, so I'm working on version two of my gold shaker table. I've come to the conclusion that using linear rails just won't work. It doesn't allow me to make easy adjustments, as I have to completely dismantle things due to not a lot of working space. I'm going to try a flexible material like Jim in Idaho and Orophilia do.

Will also use the three adjustment legs Jim in Idaho sent me. I can now do that as I removed the huge/super heavy table, and replaced it with a platform half that height. I think the new setup will allow me to sit, and spoon material onto the table, versus my having to add that material at shoulder height. I'm repurposing the huge table into a workbench for my patio..

On another note, I am going back to searching our claim for possible gold ore deposits, now that it is getting cooler. I had discovered some gold on a slope in three locations, but couldn't pursue them because of the summer heat. If there are some deposits, they'll be on fairly steep slopes. As far as I can tell, there's not ever been any digging up that high. There's a few interesting rock outcrops I need to dig around.

Will also be going back to another location I found gold at. The grainy rock I found the gold in that had huge amounts of iron in them don't interest me. The egg shape rocks, I'm calling bolides look like something spewed from a super hot vent. I'd like to see if there is a old vent, and if it is filled with good material, or just more iron rich grainy material.

The amalgam will flatten with heat the retort will take care of that. Happy Mining

 

[desertgolddigger]

Just finished a week of processing material that I was at least getting some gold.

But it seems this material just quit producing. I didn't get skunked, but each pan I worked produced barely enough to see with a magnifying glass.

I have a pile of this material, and will probably put it in buckets and haul it back to the claim.

I just about run out of the so-so rock that Gold Tramp put me on to, so I definitely need to find something better than ten 500 minus particles of gold per pan.

It's definitely been a frustrating week. Sure wish one of you lived nearby, and could go out with me to search for something. I walk around looking for mineralized formations and bits of lone quartz. There's too much black sand out here to use that as a guide.

Anyway, if Monday is a nice day, I'll follow up in the area of a very steep slope that produced a few specks of gold in the small down washes.

 

[russau]

Yeo DGD ,I also wish I was out there on some land also ! You'd be more than welcome there !

 

[desertgolddigger]

Yeo DGD ,I also wish I was out there on some land also ! You'd be more than welcome there !

Would have been so wonderful to have a mentor to teach me basics. I've learned a lot on my own, and with help here, on the forum. But I've always been better at show and tell learning.

maybe some day I can visit someone to learn how to properly prospect, though at age 74, I'm probably getting close to retirement when it comes to hard rock stuff.

 

[Assembler]

Would have been so wonderful to have a mentor to teach me basics. I've learned a lot on my own, and with help here, on the forum. But I've always been better at show and tell learning.

maybe some day I can visit someone to learn how to properly prospect, though at age 74, I'm probably getting close to retirement when it comes to hard rock stuff.

If you can get to the point where you can start spotting the values with your eyes in the rocks you will have some thing to work. Just my two cents here.

 

[desertgolddigger]

If you can get to the point where you can start spotting the values with your eyes in the rocks you will have some thing to work. Just my two cents here.

I've never been able to find much of anything that way, as most of the gold I get is so small. individual particles just don't show up.

I tried that this past Monday, and couldn't see anything regardless of the Sun angle, using 30X loupe. But I took some rock home, as I got the feeling that something might be in those small rocks. And this morning I processed about 1/10th bucket, and found some small gold, as usual. The amount was enough to form a very thin line, I could actually see without magnification.

At least I got something for my guesswork.

I pretty much am digging where I get a feeling something might be there, and do a sample. I usually find a few specks of gold, but never have found a source but twice, and those sources ended up having already been mined, or just have too much black sand with very small amounts of gold, making processing too difficult.

Monday, I'll climb the steep slope to get to rock outcrops, and sample. Maybe the few bits of gold on that slope I found wasn't just a fluke this past Spring. Fall is here, and at least it's cooler for strenuous activity in the mornings.

 

[Assembler]

I've never been able to find much of anything that way, as most of the gold I get is so small. individual particles just don't show up.

I tried that this past Monday, and couldn't see anything regardless of the Sun angle, using 30X loupe. But I took some rock home, as I got the feeling that something might be in those small rocks. And this morning I processed about 1/10th bucket, and found some small gold, as usual. The amount was enough to form a very thin line, I could actually see without magnification.

It is a matter of looking for even just a few specks / crumbs. Don't be to concerned about the super fines as there is almost always some next to the crumbs you are trying to spot. The crumbs can lead to deposits. Just saying this does not always pan out. However the odds are in your favor that the deposit will be hundreds - thousands of specks in a small area.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I did get out to the club claim this morning to do some climbing and hiking in pursuit of the yellow stuff.

I first climbed nearly to the top of a very steep rocky hill. The incline must have been about a 45 degree slope. It was very slow going, both up and down. I found a trail of whitish quartz, so I figured that someone had found a source up above. Yep, all dug out. I didn't see any other indicators from my climb. But I dug about a 1/3rd five gallon bucket. I couldn't process it there, so when I got home, I sluiced it, and got a tiny smidgen of gold. Not anywhere enough to justify another dangerous climb.

On the way down, I passed another shallow surface mine, and once I dropped the hill stuff, drove to it, and sampled about a sixth of a five gallon bucket. I also picked up some of the rock to sample. At home, I was surprised big time with the placer stuff. I got as much of the super fine stuff that I usually get in half a five gallon bucket from the old timer vertical shaft waste pile. I'll be going back, and working that 30x30 foot area. Not only will I work the placer material, but will use my hammer drill if I see any rock that might have gold. The rock samples I processed didn't have anything I could see, though, with a 5X loupe, there might have been a few specks. I doubt the rock will have any significant values in it. When milled, it came out the consistency of talcum powder, with a fair amount of black sand. The material was whitish, almost looking like cement.

I just was happy to get away from the house for a few hours. Hopefully my next trip to that surface mine will give me good placer returns, and maybe I'll get lucky, and find a rock outcrop the previous miners missed.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Good afternoon All. I had my Monday outing to the club claim. Didn't get a whole lot of material, 30 minus mesh, as I had to manicure the area I needed to walk, and where my truck needed to drive and park. But I got four more pails, about 2 1/2 five gallon buckets. I'll sift it down using my 80 mesh screen and sluice it tomorrow. The larger material will be drywashed.

On the way out of my mining area, I stopped to do some road repair, so my truck doesn't go thump when driving through a wash. I sifted material with a 30 mesh screen, and dumped the larger material in the thump area of the wash.,

At home I sifted the thump wash material with an 80 mesh screen, and ran the 80 minus material through my sluices. I was positive I wouldn't get anything, as this dig area is in the last quarter of the wash, I was very wrong. There was quite a lot of the yellow stuff, and that was from half the 80 minus mesh material I sifted. Will run the rest tomorrow, and drywash the 79 to 30 mesh material in the morning.

Looks like I've got another area to dig in for fairly good gold. If my testing of an old surface mine doesn't produce well, I have a tested location for my placer mining.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Guys, It seems I've a knack for finding enticing pockets of placer gold on my first dig, only to go back and dig another day, and get skunked. The surface mine I gathered more material is a bust. I did get a smidgen of gold, but nothingn worth the effort. I'll process the remainder of the material, but I'm not going back.

The thump wash was again, a nice bit of gold the first time, but subsequent processing gave me zero return.

And the 30-79 mesh material from both those locations was a true skunk.

But I'm going to return to placer mining in the thump wash, as only a couple times have I ever been totally skunked in a day.

I'm stopping hard rock mining, unless I discover a good source, but I doubt that'll ever happen. I'll keep looking around for both hard rock and placer sources, but for now, I'll just work areas that my uncanny knack gives me for finding pockets of placer gold, even though they seem to be one day digs.

 

[russau]

Well that's just the nature of prospecting ! win some , lose some , BUT your out there enjoying the chase !

 

[desertgolddigger]

Finished up the last of the surface mine material. I think I got two micro specks. That area isn't going to see me again. I'll look elsewhere.

I also decided that working the old timer vertical shaft mine waste pile is not worth the effort, unless that's all there is available.

Will try drywashing again, in the hope the recent super flood rains, washed down more gold from the slopes. Of course, I have to wait for the wash to dry out. Meantime, I'll start looking off the claim again, now that it is cooling off somewhat.

 

[southfork]

Finished up the last of the surface mine material. I think I got two micro specks. That area isn't going to see me again. I'll look elsewhere.

I also decided that working the old timer vertical shaft mine waste pile is not worth the effort, unless that's all there is available.

Will try drywashing again, in the hope the recent super flood rains, washed down more gold from the slopes. Of course, I have to wait for the wash to dry out. Meantime, I'll start looking off the claim again, now that it is cooling off somewhat.

desertgolddigger is your truck a 4x4? I don't leave the hard surfaced roads without it. But that's just me I hate getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Most of the time we take the quads when we go exploring the long walks hurt my old bones.

 

[desertgolddigger]

desertgolddigger is your truck a 4x4? I don't leave the hard surfaced roads without it. But that's just me I hate getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Most of the time we take the quads when we go exploring the long walks hurt my old bones.

Yes, I've got a 4x4 Nissan Frontier truck. I'd never have started back if I didn't have her.

 

[N-Lionberger]

What was the problem with your shaker table build? I haven’t had much time to work on mine between work and trying to get in time at the claims before winter sets in. I have been sluicing a spot thahas a lot of black sands magnetic and non magnetic. While Im not looking forward to winterizing I will have some more time to work on the shaker to process my sands. I have Jim’s plans for the mechanical end which is partially done and my table deck is almost done, the issue is deciding how to mount the table to the base.

 

[desertgolddigger]

What was the problem with your shaker table build? I haven’t had much time to work on mine between work and trying to get in time at the claims before winter sets in. I have been dredging according to PLP’s reclamation paperwork and haven’t been bothered but the spot has a lot of black sands magnetic and non magnetic. While Im not looking forward to winterizing I will have some more time to work on the shaker to process my sands. I have Jim’s plans for the mechanical end which is partially done and my table deck is almost done, the issue is deciding how to mount the table to the base.

The problem with the shaker table was that my base table was too tall, and over built. I just didn't have the experience at building things like this, and took many comments to heart, and then realized some of these comments, while informative, were not applicable to what I wanted to build.

I've rebuilt the base table to a 2 foot height, and have just finished it with stain and lots of spar varnish to keep the wood from deteriorating from water.

I'm starting small this time. I'll be building a finishing table like what you see on Orophilia's website. It's about 2x2 feet, with a chevron pattern. It's basically a cross between a Miller Table and Shaker Table. I've got all the electronics ready, but need to build it. No that it isn't so hot (Summer temperatures get into the mid Teens (100's).

It'll be a couple of weeks for me to figure out how to build this little cleanup table, as I have to work from the video Orophilia posted on YouTube.

But I am back to drywasher placer mining, and at the same time, trying to repair the access road system to our claim. Our club will be having a campout/mining activity in early November, so there are a few areas needing to be built up and smoothed in order for those having camping trailers. Otherwise the way the roads are now, would eat a trailer.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I saw the vibrating miller table you described on YouTube. It’s a neat design. I’m hoping I can get my shaker table to not just sort the gold out but also other heavies into to their own concentrations.

 

[desertgolddigger]

I saw the vibrating miller table you described on YouTube. It’s a neat design. I’m hoping I can get my shaker table to not just sort the gold out but also other heavies into to their own concentrations.

Good luck on your table.

Instead of trying to make a big, complex machine, I just decided, starting small, and simple is the way to go. Learn how to build properly, and then learning to use it properly is my goal before going to a larger machine, the shaker table.

 

[desertgolddigger]

Guys, not sure I'll ever get the shaker table done. The reason is that I watched a video from Hard Rock University, and saw something so simple, I wish I'd seen this video a few years ago, before investing in a retort, mercury, and a lot of other things.

What did I see that had me almost banging my head against a wall? It was a lab beaker with stopper, with two metal tubes inserted into holes in the stopper. Clear plastic tubing is attached to each tube. One tube I attached to a round wooden plug with tube connected to another metal tube in that wooden plug. The wooden plug is inserted in the wet/dry vac port instead of the normal vacuum hose. The other tube is cut at an angle like on a snuffer bottle.

Since I've learned to be fairly apt at panning 500 minus gold into the corner of a pan. I can now use the vac snuffer to suck up that gold, which gets deposited into the beaker. Of course, my panning isn't perfect, and I do get a little black sand along with the gold, but who cares? I've eliminated the need for the retort and mercury.

If anyone is interested, please PM me concerning the retort, and mercury. I'm retiring them as soon as I get the courage to run the retort one time to recover the gold I slurped up with that mercury. Oh, yes, I also have a mask rated for mercury vapors I won't need anymore.