Remote Prospecting?

[Jim_Alaska]

Yes Glen, you are right on the money with your observations. As a simple example and thinking about how the old timers did it, even in large operations a perfect example would be this:

You try to cut cost by not classifying as much as you probably should. I won't even go into much larger size material, but let's stick to material that runs from softball size down. Now you try to run all of that together at once.

A sluice box that is set up properly with the correct angle and water flow may seem efficient, but there is no way it can process the larger, softball size material and still save the smaller gold. Today we can screen the box to deal with oversize, but the old timers were not that fortunate.

So, under that scenario lots of gold was lost, immediately, right out with the tailings. But the good part is that it is still there for you and I. Steve Herschbach made a business out of both Moore creek and Ganes Creek by running a "pay to mine" operation in very rich tailing piles. They were not just finding very small gold, but guys were actually getting serious multi once nuggets with detectors and paying handsomely to do it.

Every so often Steve would bulldoze the tailing to expose new, untouched material and they started all over again. For my simple methods and degenerating physical conditions I like to old hand worked piles, they were high grading and lost a lot.

I may be a bit anal about it, but I am really into classifying and running each classification separately, being sure to reset the sluice for optimum efficiency with each classification.

Of course I am working alone with hand tools. Once you get into using equipment and employees and have the associated costs, the whole picture changes and that is where the economics Glen was talking about come in.

[Geowizard]

Story about the sluice;

I actually got to see it with my own eyes!

The old original sluice was a relic that remained up until 2011. It was removed when I left for a few days. I returned and noticed "something" having been dragged down the road to a neighboring mine. It wasn't hard to track down! I repo'ed the riffles much to everyone's chagrin.

I measured it up;

The width is about 28 inches. The sides come up about 18 inches. It is about 23 feet long. The box is made from one piece of 1/4 steel. It weighs over 1000 pounds. The riffles are welded steel 2" angle iron set up to form Hungarian riffles. Riffles are spaced about 6 inches. The riffles were fabricated in sections about 3 feet long so they could be lifted out by one or two people. The riffles were elevated about 3/4 of an inch to one inch off the bottom. My understanding is Cocoa mat was laid on the bottom. There was a section of steel plate added on the head-end of the box that served as a funnel to feed the box.

It is reported in the literature that mining had to be frequently stopped because the Slice Box was full of GOLD.

Nuggets were reported up to 16 ounces. I was shown larger nuggets by local Natives.

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Cocoa mat;

You can buy Cocoa mat from American Floor Mats.

I bought two pieces 36" x 8 feet long so I can see what they look like LOADED with GOLD.

- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

I exclusively use backed Miner's Moss. I know many miners use Miner's Moss, but for some strange reason they seem to always choose unbacked. When I first started using it I tried unbacked, but didn't like it because there always seemed to be some migration toward the discharge end. Never happen with the backed Miner's Moss and its easy to clean out.

Quite a while ago I found a source for it from a retail store mat company. So I ordered one, hah! they send me one alright, one box of ten. The funny part is that they only charged me for one mat.

[Geowizard]

Jim,

I know you are still haunted by doing the right thing and informing them of the discrepancy!

- Geowizard

[Micropedes1]

Very fine gold still creeps downstream thru backed miners moss. I have much better results using ribbed rubber behind unbacked miners moss. Once on the rubber mat it tends to hang in place better.

[Geowizard]

Rolling Stones;

Running 20 cubic yards an hour of Rolling Rock on ribbed;

The old timers knew they had a challenge when trying to recover FINE GOLD at high volume throughput.

Remember, you read it first HERE on The Alaska Gold Forum;

The SOLUTION to the problem of recovery is "Punched Plate". I found sections of punched plate! The punched plate had bolts for stand-offs to keep the punched plate elevated above sections of cocoa mat.

I went to the local Industrial Metal Supply and bought sections of Aluminum punched plate specified to have 1/4 inch holes and a given spacing between holes. I added standoffs and put it in the box.

Another advantage;

This process eliminates screening! You don't have to stack the oversize from the screen.

Everything that goes in, comes out except the GOLD! It works for me because I know I have 8 mesh and smaller GOLD.

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Punched plate;

Take a look at the crash box in a Proline 2" Combo Highbanker/Sluice.

Take a look at the triple deck Keene Mini-Six sluice box. Also look at the Keene SuperMAX.

To top them all watch the RMS Ross video on their Ross Box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7fMj172FiY

- Geowizard

[Joe S (AK)]

There is usually a reason that mining technology "Evolves" and replaces the now "Outmoded" Old Timers' ways of doing things.

From my way of seeing things:

Those who faithfully copy old techniques also faithfully copy every last one of their shortcomings.

As an example - I just bought a 1941 Ford 9N tractor with the originally styled ignition points in it. Now I am looking to convert it over to electronic ignition.

Same thinking as to why I don't use smooth sided steel gold pans any more.


Joe

[Jim_Alaska]

Very fine gold still creeps downstream thru backed miners moss. I have much better results using ribbed rubber behind unbacked miners moss. Once on the rubber mat it tends to hang in place better.

My backed miner's moss has a solid rubber backing, I am at a loss as to how you think gold can creep through the solid backing.