Search found 29 matches

by PickaxeCA
Sun Mar 10, 2024 3:08 am
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting
Replies: 19
Views: 4295

Re: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting

"Is there an economy of scale for a small miner and nugget GOLD?" I will be sticking around to find out : ) ---- On my current hard rock gold claim, the previous owners had sampling difficulties due to a 'nugget effect'. Note that the nugget effect in my hometown is in relative terms, refering to +8...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:24 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting
Replies: 19
Views: 4295

Re: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting

Loaming - The Australian Art of Panning Soils to find hard rock gold I'd like to draw your attention to loaming. This is an effective technique for panning soil samples to find gold. The basic idea is to pan soil samples along a line, or on a grid, noting values along the way. Once you stop finding ...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:12 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting
Replies: 19
Views: 4295

Re: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting

I have found some pieces of hard rock gold hammered flat during crushing that tend to flutter more than other pieces. This is one reason to avoid overcrushing beyond 20 or 30 mesh, as the old timers running stamp mills found out the hard way when they had to deal with excessive slimes that stole gol...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:58 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting
Replies: 19
Views: 4295

Re: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting

If you're like me, you might be a placer miner or hobbyist who was intrigued about the idea of finding gold straight from the actual source. I set a goal last year of finding 1 speck of hard rock gold, and it didn't take long. Here's what to do. --- Hard Rock Prospecting: Your First Speck (For Begin...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:59 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting
Replies: 19
Views: 4295

Small scale hard rock mining and prospecting

I am starting a thread for anyone interested in hard rock gold. With a placer skillset, you can easily learn everything you need to find hard rock gold.

All it takes is 1 spec, and you'll be hooked.
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:54 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4928

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

Completely agree, Geowizard and ChickenMiner. I'll start a new thread on small scale hard rock mining.

It's the next level of progression once people have mastered placer (if that's even possible).
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:40 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4928

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

Edit: I moved my comment here to a separate thread about small scale hard rock prospecting.
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:32 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4928

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

I'll add another perspective to this thread. I just completed a hard rock sluicing setup that is designed to be backpacked into remote locations far from roads or parking locations. It's designed for ultra low production, and ultra low water requirements (it works with 1 gallon of water in the tub b...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:02 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Properties of punch plate (or Jarvine Riffle) for improving gold capture
Replies: 16
Views: 3172

Re: Properties of punch plate (or Jarvine Riffle) for improving gold capture

Yes, I would be interested in seeing more testing, where all tailings are caught and panned. As you say, it would need to be a single camera take. There aren't enough economic incentives for objective third party testing of any matting, overlay or gold capture system. It's also pretty tough to make ...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:47 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4928

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

@geowizard - processing buckets of black sand for -100 mesh gold is a different process indeed, with its own set of rules! If it was me, I would buy some 100 mesh screen on a roll, cut a 3 foot long piece of it, and use it in a tub, grabbing both ends, lifting up and down, and turning the material o...