Back yard Prospecting

[Shark]

In my small world, anytime someone is getting gold (or other value) from the ground, that is mining. Whether it comes from dirt or rocks, metal detectors or pick and shovel, I am interested in learning about it. Pictures just add to the intrigue of the whole thing.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Kurtak and members of this forum some of this ore that I have posted is coming right off the vein. We are using metal detectors to find pockets / mineralized zones that contain gold. Under ground and weathered /oxidized / zones on the surface that were placer mined in the early days. If you look closely at second photo from the left next to the orange plastic scoop there's a metal detector prospecting at its finest, I'm positive using a pick and shovel is also mining.

I just wish they were in my back yard
Oh well I just have to stare at the pics

 

[goldshark]

I am NOT in any way belittling what Southfork is doing. I'm sorry if my reference to the other aspects of mining offends you. I only asked the admin if they would consider talking about the other aspects of mining. This may include talking about blast patterns for removing rock efficiently. I know talking about explosives on this forum is a touchy subject, but would not include any recipes, just a way to drill out a pattern for a round, or how to break a boulder without throwing it all over the place. As stated, there are many more aspects to the mining process, and am just wondering where the admin wants to draw the line.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

goldshark, I think the things you're talking about would be fine. I don't know that it would need a new section within the forum, but we never know. Feel free to start new threads and we'll see if there is enough interest.

Dave

 

[goldshark]

golgshark - I would like you to explain to me how & why what Southfork is doing is not considered mining (& therefore questioning if there is a need for admin to create a new subforum to give Southfork a "proper" place to post)

As far as I can tell he IS MINING --- he is PROSPECTING ORE piles he is finding around old mines (that happen to be in his back yard) - in the process of his prospecting he is DIGGING for the HIGH GRADE he finds in those ORE piles - he is then MILLING that high grade ORE & as well cleaning up specimens that are specimen worthy - what he is milling he is then doing GRAVITY SEPARATION on &/or SMELTING

Prospecting - digging - high grading - milling - gravity separation - smelting - specimen clean up - are ALL parts of MINING

According to your logic goldshark (gold needs to be dug "direct" from vain to be considered "actual" mining & therefore the condition for discussion) would make placer mining NOT actual mining & therefore NOT considered for discussion

So please explain to me how what Southfork is doing is not actually mining & why we should need a NEW subforum to discuss what Southfork is doing

I do expect an answer

Kurt

Hey Kurt, I know placer mining is still considered mining. But, if you talk to a hard rock miner, most will laugh at the reference to placer miners as being "real" miners. Most big placer mines that run heavy equipment, a hard rock miner would most likely refer to them as "equipment operators", and not miners. Hard rock mining is a completely different ball game then placer mining. Hard rock mining and placer mining, are worlds apart. Just asking the admin if they would consider a thread on under ground hard rock mining is all. If you don't mind including the other hard rock subjects in the prospecting thread, cool. If you can understand that all my past comments to Southfork have been positive and encouraging, I don't understand our miss communication. Much confusion abounds on this forum by referring to say a picture of a cupel, when it is a melt dish. I am only using this as an example of how miss communication leads to misunderstandings, and corrections.
FYI, the DNR actually considers 2 different permit types; 1 is a mining permit, 2 is a prospecting permit, and they are worlds apart in what is involved in the permitting process. This is not my definition, it is their's. Sorry, I am only the messenger, please don't shoot me. I hope my response comes across as respectful, as it is. Just trying to define what is what, as far as definitions are concerned. Some are just semantics.

 

[stoneware]

Kurtak and members of this forum some of this ore that I have posted is coming right off the vein. We are using metal detectors to find pockets / mineralized zones that contain gold. Under ground and weathered /oxidized / zones on the surface that were placer mined in the early days. If you look closely at second photo from the left next to the orange plastic scoop there's a metal detector prospecting at its finest, I'm positive using a pick and shovel is also mining.

About six months ago I purchased the Equinox 800 metal detector, specifically for use in British Colombia.

But after seeing your success thought maybe California is the place I should visit this summer.

I would love to find the gold your finding, but I think my planned vacation is off the books.

It appears that the BLM has listed old mining sites off limits.

Funny how over time the laws are changed.

Agency: Bureau of Land Management
Website: https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/collecting_on_publiclands.pdf
Law: Cultural materials on public lands may not be removed, damaged, disturbed, excavated or transferred without BLM permit. Cultural resources include prehistoric and historic artifacts and sites, broken objects and debris more than 100 years old that were used or produced by humans.

Protected materials include arrowheads and other stone tools, grinding stones, beads, baskets, pottery, old bottles, horse shoes, metal tools, graves and trash scatters. Historic sites such as cabins, sawmills, graves, trail traces, mining areas, townsites, ranches and railroads are not open to collecting.

Metal detector use is allowed on public lands. Modern money may be collected, but coins and artifacts more than 100 years old may not be collected.

 

[stoneware]

Some California county's require a detecting permit while others prohibit metal detecting..

Source - Link

 

[stoneware]

Perhaps I over reacted cautioning southfork that burning off the mercury from his amalgam in the furnace was in my opinion the wrong thing to do.

Hopefully he has ceased the practice.

 

[Southfork]

stoneware funny how you keep posting misinformation Gold is not artifact or cultural material. I also collect native American artifacts off private and personal property Sorry you don't have access to BLM claims like we do and have placer and hard rock mines like we do we do but Dumpster diving is legal in 50 states so have at it. It must kill you not being able to produce a single gram of gold out of recycles there's plenty of natural gold maybe take up beach mining.

 

[Southfork]

Perhaps I over reacted cautioning southfork that burning off the mercury from his amalgam in the furnace was in my opinion the wrong thing to do.

Hopefully he has ceased the practice.

View attachment 53826

Another made up out of context lie no mercury was in the charge amalgam is retorted all mercury we have was recovered from placer mining loses. Why do you keep attacking me like a little baby I'm not the one that got you banned from the other forum. And yes, I have burned micro amounts of mercury in a furnace at high temperatures to destroy the mercury.

 

[stoneware]

Another made up out of context lie no mercury was in the charge amalgam is retorted all mercury we have was recovered from placer mining loses. Why do you keep attacking me like a little baby I'm not the one that got you banned from the other forum. And yes, I have burned micro amounts of mercury in a furnace at high temperatures to destroy the mercury.

I'm not attacking you, I'm sure members of this forum would have given you the same advice not to burn off mercury in the furnace.

High temperatures will not destroy mercury, just turn it into harmful vapors.

Hey, I'm thousands of miles away from your harmful mercury emissions, your family, neighbors and pets may pay the price of your negligence.

Carry on Dude, you may one day learn the meaning of Mad as a hatter. by then it will be to late to reverse the effects.

 

[goldshark]

Almost every mineral specimen assayed, will have a measurable background Mercury presence. This is why you not only need a vapor scrubber for acids, but a condenser for the Mercury, and other condensates as well.

 

[kurtak]

I am NOT in any way belittling what Southfork is doing. I'm sorry if my reference to the other aspects of mining offends you.

OK - clearly a misunderstanding (on my part)

An actual mine, not high grading already dug dumps, is something I have never seen on this forum, hence the question about if such topics should be accepted here, or stick to refining, as the site is named.

Per the bold print - when I read that - it sounded very much like you felt that what Southfork has been posting has no relevance to the things discussed on this forum & therefore asking the admin to question if Southfork should even be allowed to post here on the forum --- it sounded like you were asking the admin to ban him

That did not make any sense to me (that you would question if Southfork should even be allowed to post here) because though the forum is called "The Gold Refining Forum" we discuss all aspects of recovery & refining

Southfork is certainly doing recovery & to some degree refining - so it is certainly in line with things we discuss here every day

For what it's worth goldshark - I have always had a great deal of respect for you & your contributions to this forum

I OFTEN hit the "like button" for things you post - hence my response when I read that (above quote bold print)

So I am sorry for this misunderstanding on my part

Kurt

 

[Southfork]

Apparently, my posting has started some kind of rift I won't waste anyone's time I've was warned by moderators.

Edited to remove negative comment FrugalRefiner

 

[Yggdrasil]

Apparently, my posting has started some kind of rift I won't waste anyone's time I've was warned by moderators.

Edited to remove negative comment FrugalRefiner

Well, what was warned, was both you and Stoneware , to not bring your "baggage" from other forums here.
Besides that we have enjoyed your posting about your endeavors in your "backyard", it is certainly bigger and richer than mine

 

[Southfork]

A lot of the gold we recover is micro fine and is a real problem to remove from concentrates. I spend hours back panning and using a snuffer bottle to pick up, so a little ball of mercury is added to a jar with the leftover cons when the amalgam ball is big enough a friend has a retort to recover the mercury. Is some lost back into the environment I'm sure it is no process is perfect. Is there mercury in the sponge most likely again no process is perfect. But this a few ounces of mercury I recovered while dredging over twenty years ago. If anything, the amount of mercury I have has increased from cleaning of placer gold that is added to the amalgam that is contaminated with mercury. Mercury contamination is all over California they have limits to what is allowed in drinking water. I doubt the little bit I melted in my furnace ever left the barn. Here's some more information on Mercury in California.https://www.usgs.gov/centers/california-water-science-center/science/mercury

 

[goldshark]

OK - clearly a misunderstanding (on my part)

Per the bold print - when I read that - it sounded very much like you felt that what Southfork has been posting has no relevance to the things discussed on this forum & therefore asking the admin to question if Southfork should even be allowed to post here on the forum --- it sounded like you were asking the admin to ban him

That did not make any sense to me (that you would question if Southfork should even be allowed to post here) because though the forum is called "The Gold Refining Forum" we discuss all aspects of recovery & refining

Southfork is certainly doing recovery & to some degree refining - so it is certainly in line with things we discuss here every day

For what it's worth goldshark - I have always had a great deal of respect for you & your contributions to this forum

I OFTEN hit the "like button" for things you post - hence my response when I read that (above quote bold print)

So I am sorry for this misunderstanding on my part

Kurt

No worries Kurt, If I say something out of line, I do not mind that somebody calls me on it. I will respond politely ( most of the Time). I appreciate this forum, and the people on it. I have learned much, including dealing with other personalities.

 

[Southfork]

My son and his friends went out to check a new spot today. Cold wet and foggy but nothing stops them my son brought me a sack of rocks. This one has gold for sure squeezing out of the edge looks like nice purity. I hope the rest of the samples contain gold I'll find out in a few days. there was three of them today they all scored. Found using metal detectors

 

[Southfork]

Some ore samples after cleaning this was a metal detector find from a couple of fist sized rocks. I have buckets of rocks waiting but too much moisture it will clog the screens. Thinking about adding water injectors to the chain mill to help wash the grind though the screens. It would eliminate the dust and maybe help with the grind.

 

[stoneware]

Your gold is likely smearing.