FAQ #1 and #2 combined.
Phil(NM)
Here tis..... Thanks goes to Charlie, whom I got them from years ago.
They are dated 1996.
--
Phil(NM)
================
"Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking." JC Watts
"The Earth is 5.4 Billion years old. It is entirely sustainable without
interference by environmental organizations, laws or treaties."
-----------Begin FAQ's------------
REFERENCE January, 1996
This file contains the Questions & Answers found in the
ALT.MINING.RECREATIONAL FAQ.
This file also contains information about getting started,
contains some common definitions, and also lists additional
areas on the Internet and World Wide Web where you can get
more information.
Thanks to all of you who have emailed me with information and URLs to
include.
Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Garret
ALT.REC.MINING
Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
1. General Questions
1.1 Is there still much gold out there?
1.2 What equipment do I need?
1.3 How do I keep from "claim jumping?"
1.4 Are there organizations I can join?
2. What are all these definitions
2.1 Equipment
2.2 Land claims
2.3 Geology
2.4 Mining
3. How do I get started?
3.1 Equipment
3.2 Places to go
3.3 Buddy up
3.4 Terms and Definitions
3.5 Label your specimens
3.6 How Hard is it to pan for gold?
3.7
4. What states are best for recreational gold mining?
4.1 California
4.1.1 Mother Lode
4.2.2 Northern Sierras
4.2 Alaska
4.3 Montana
4.4 Arizona
4.5 Oregon
4.6 Idaho
4.7 Canada
4.7.1 Yukon
4.7.2 British Columbia
5. What are the different placer mining methods?
5.1 Panning
5.2 Rocker box
5.3 Sluice box
5.4 High banker
5.5 Suction Dredge
5.6 Trommel
5.7 Other/notes
6. Are there any magazines I can read about this hobby?
6.1 GPAA
6.2 Treasure News
6.3 others?
7. What is Dowsing?
8. Are metal detectors useful?
9. What are black sands? What do I do with them?
9.1 Definition
9.2 Henry Henry
9.3 Can't I Just Pan Them?
9.4 Shaker Table
9.5 Using Acids
9.6 Spiral Pans
9.7 Centrifuge
9.8 Using Mercury
9.9 Other methods
9.9.1 Funnel
9.9.2 Micro Sluice
9.9.3 Micro Concentrator
9.9.4 Laundry Tub
10. Is it easy to stake a claim?
10.1 Costs/rules/responsibilities
10.2 Patenting
10.3 Current status
11. Is joining a 'club' a good idea?
11.1 GPAA
11.2 New 49ers
11.3 Gold Prospectors of Colorado
11.4 Desert Diggers of Arizona
12. Internet Sites
12.1
12.2 Web Sites
12.2.1 Canadian
12.3 Other Getting Started Stuff
12.3.1 Books
12.3.2 CompuServe
12.3.3 Gold Pictures
12.3.4 Catalogs
13. What Else Does This FAQ Need?
1. General Questions
1.1 Is there still much gold out there?
The answer is 'yes!' Although early miners did an amazing job of
getting most of the easiest gold, they were using inefficient methods
that ensured their take was mostly nugget gold. Even at that, large
nuggets continue to be found around the world, even where miners worked
long and hard. The most plentiful gold, fine and flour gold, is
plentiful in many areas where miners were numerous. Some experts
estimate that the old timers only got 5% of the world's gold -- and the
easy 5% at that.
1.2 What equipment do I need?
The amount of equipment you need is directly proportional to how hard
you're willing to work. You may only need a gold pan, a snuffer bottle,
and a shovel if you're just going to peck away at the top of the dirt.
The more dirt you plan to move, the more tools you're going to need, up
to using a front-end loader and a dump truck.
A good miner can do quite well with a pan and shovel if he is quick,
thorough, and able to get down to the bedrock where the best pay streaks
usually sit. But other tools -- sluice boxes, suction dredges, etc. --
enable you to move more dirt. Before you begin investing in equipment,
you should learn to use the simplest tools, and then move up the
"ladder" to the equipment you're comfortable with.
1.3 How do I keep from "claim jumping?"
Research! The truth is that anyone with a claim has a responsibility to
make sure it is well-marked. That's not just a nicety -- it's a legal
responsibility. However, you have a duty to know something about the
area you plan to work in. The local offices of the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) and equivalent state agencies will help you research.
You can sometimes purchase a microfiche with land ownership records from
the BLM, or contact a county land office as well. Another method is to
buy some drinks at the closest "watering hole" to the area and ask
around.
1.4 Are there organizations I can join?
Yes. Many prospecting organizations exist that help solve the claim
jumping problem by purchasing claimed land or managing it for owners. By
paying your membership dues, you get the right to limited prospecting on
that land. The largest such organization, the Gold Prospecter's
Association of America (GPAA) has hundreds of claims available to their
members. The down side is that claims tend to "wear out" when
experienced miners work them, and being accessible means that many
people will visit. But the advantage is that you can usually camp on the
claim, and you have access to a piece of land that was good enough,
once, to justify a claim. And chances are that if you meet a fellow
member, you'll have a lot to talk about.
2. What are all these definitions?
2.1 Equipment
GOLD PAN
Oldest known mining device; used to wash small gravels and reduce to
concentrates. Some pans are quite simple, with no ridges, riffles, rope
holes, etc. Other pans are quite fancy, even square, with sharp riffles.
Large pans are used when sampling; small pans are used to finish
concentrates. Safety pans are used when finishing; place a second pan
in the water and pan into it.
Berden pan: still looking for information on this one!
SLUICE BOX
Used to take advantage of water flow to wash light material out of
gravels. Can be small or large; old miners used wooden boxes. You
can get plans from most any miner's handbook if you're interesting
in building one. Newer sluice boxes are metal, with a wide apron to
shovel or dump screened sample onto. Newer sluices also contain "miner's
moss", a woven plastic fabric about a half inch thick, trapped under the
removable riffles. A sluice can be very efficient if used patiently.
ROCKER BOX
Variation on a sluice, but uses less water. Rocker boxes were common in
the early days, but are not as efficient as newer products.
DREDGE
Suction dredges are a great innovation for modern-day miners. Powered by
a small gas engine, the motor drives a pump that lets a prospector
"vaccum" the bedrock of a stream or river. Gravels are dumped onto a
sluice that traps the heavy minerals and black sands. Dredge "spoils"
can be ponded or dumped into the course of the water, depending on the
load. Efficient dredges are equiped with carpeting or miner's moss to
trap more black sands. Sizes range from 2 inch back pack dredges that
let you get into the high country, up to 8 inch monsters that process
gravels at commercial rates.
Most states require a permit before dredging. Many creeks and rivers are
restricted due to concerns over spawning, especially salmon spawning in
Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and northern California. Contact the relevant
state authorities to make sure you are legal.
Also, be sure to fill in your holes!
VAC-PAC
Think of the vac-pac as a desert dredge. Or, think of a gas-powered
shop-vac. How many times have you been in dry, dusty country, with no
water to speak of, looking over a nice chunk of exposed bedrock in an
old streambed, in a mining district. For some prospectors, it happens a
lot. The answer is to clean the bedrock with a backpack mounted
vaccuum cleaner, then pan the concentrates later.
2.2 Land claims
BLM
The Bureau of Land Management is the main place to start when
determining land status of an area. The BLM puts out colored maps that
show land ownership -- especially private land that is intermingled with
public land.
MINING CLAIM
Any public land that has mineral potential can be claimed. Claims are 20
acres in size. Costs are $100 per year, paying a year in advance as
well. The rules are in a bit of a state of flux right now, so you should
contact the BLM for details.
PATENTED CLAIM
Land that has been claimed and shown to be suitable for development into
a major mineral extraction effort has the potential to be patented. A
patent on the land makes it your personal property, whereas a common
mining claim only gives you the mineral rights.
Patenting is not as easy as it used to be. Several Canadian mining
companies were able to lock up millions of tons of reserves of valuable
land here in the U.S. while patenting their land at about $2.50 per
acre, and the entire practice came under review.
2.3 Geology
CONCENTRATES
Concentrates are the residue after you have washed out as much light
material as possible. Common minerals are magnetite, ilmenite, zircon,
garnet...uncommon minerals may include oxides of platinum, You may also
find lead weights, sinkers, pieces of gold-enriched mercury, nails,
bullets, shot, screws and other pieces of metal. And, of course, gold.
STRATIGRAPHY
If you've ever looked at a road cut, you've noticed that rocks are
usually layered. The common wisdom is that in almost all cases, the
older rocks are the ones at the bottom. In some areas, you may have a
stratigraphic colum that contains everything from old, metamorphic rocks
at the bottom to layers of volcanic basalt in the middle and layers of
sedimentary rocks at the top. Other stratigraphic columns may consist of
a single rock.
STRATA
The individual layers in a stratigraphic column are called strata.
Rhymes with "great-ah."
BASALT
The most common volcanic lava, basalt covers vast areas of some states.
The Columbia River Basalt of central Washington and Oregon is also found
in Idaho and Nevada, and is second in coverage to only the Deccan
plateau in India.
Basalt is rarely associated with gold. Other forms of basalt, such as
andesite, can sometimes be altered and weathered and result in oxidized
gold zones.
GRANITE
Granite is a common rock in many older mountain ranges. It is usually
black and white, with very large individual crystals, often containing
mica (a kind of flaky fool's gold).
PYRITE
Pyrite is iron sulfide, and is a second form of fool's gold. It is often
associated with gold, in the form of metallic zones in quartz veins.
GREENSTONE
Old miners used to narrow their searches in the mountains to look for
greenish, heavy metamorphic rocks. Greenstone is usually a metamorphosed
sedimentary rock, but can also be volcanic in origin before the
metamorphism baked it.
QUARTZ VEINS
Quartz is a white to clear crystal of silicate SiO4. When large masses
of molten rock far below the earth's surface begin to cool and form
rocks, they react out all the magnesiums, the aluminum atoms, etc. to
form granites or basalts. What is left is often liquid quartz, at
a high temperature. The liquid quartz gathers up other materials, if
present, such as gold, silver, and sulfides (pyrite, chalcopyrite, etc.)
Pressure tends to force the liquid quartz into cracks and crevices at
the margins of granite intrusions, along faults, near the walls of
dikes, etc. The quartz can get pulsed in, pushing further along, or find
new releases into fresh cracks. The result is a quartz vein when it
cools, and if the liquid quartz was carrying sulfides or metals, those
deposits might be recognized eons later by rusty staining in the
quartz vein as it erodes.
2.4 Mining
BEDROCK
Bedrock is cliffs, outcrops, and mountains. There is no dirt or plant
life below bedrock. Bedrock is, by definition, the bottom. While the
surface material may be leaves, water, mud, dirt, gravel, or boulders,
they all sit on bedrock.
It is the bedrock that is mapped by geologists -- not the 'alluvium'
(mud) that covers it.
CREVICING
If bedrock is defined as the rock at the bottom, then the cracks in the
bedrock deserve special attention, because that is where the gold will
settle. Crevicing is the art of looking for rich crevices in the bedrock
where gold has accumulated. Another term is "sniping."
You may spend a lot of time with a whisk broom, or a hand trowel, or
even a vac-pac, but be sure to carry a pry bar that you can hammer on.
And use safety goggles if possible. You can lose an eye out there very
quickly.
3. How do I get started?
3.1 Equipment
If you're lucky, there is a mining supply store near you, or near the
area that you plan to visit. Contact them by phone to determine what
they have in stock, what their hours are, etc. Or try to get an
experienced gold panner to go with you. Keep in mind that you probably
have enough camping equipment and tools to make your first trip
enjoyable. A gold pan and a shovel, plus a small jar to put your
concentrates in, is all you need at first. You don't have to spend
$1,000 on a new dredge before you even learn how to pan.
3.2 Places to go
There is an old adage: gold is where you find it. But because the first
big strikes were almost 150 years ago, you can amend that adage
somewhat: gold is where someone else has already found it. Simply put,
there are very vew unworked gold-bearing areas in the world today.
Siberia, perhaps, or parts of South America, but consider how gold was
found in the old days for a minute:
The old time prospectors worked the rivers backwards, sampling as they
moved upstream. They might only get flour gold from gravel bars in the
valley, but as they worked, the gravels became coarser, and so did the
gold. Since the rocks had been eroding for millions of years, it isn't
hard to figure out where the gold came from in the rivers if you're
patient, and the old miners knew what they were doing. If a river is
consistently barren of gold at the bottom, and continually barren as you
work up to the source, then the entire area drained by the river must
not be worth working. Especially at the $16-$20 per ounce prices of the
19th century.
So when choosing an area to visit, check out your local library or book
store and get a copy of one of the handbooks that list gold mining areas
near you. Chances are good that you are closer than you thought to an
area worth investigating.
Think of your first few expeditions as learning experiences or training
sessions. See if you like what you're doing, and figure out how to use
your pans. Learn how to scout a river or creek, learning how water moves
faster and slower depending on the topography. When you are consistently
getting small pieces or colors, you can justify a bigger trip, farther
away and requiring more planning, to more famous areas such as
California's Mother Lode or Alaska.
3.3 Buddy up for safety
Always make sure that you have a friend or relative along, if at all
possible. There are many stories about solitary prospectors criss-
crossing the mountains or the desert, maybe in the company of a single,
devoted mule, but don't fall for the fable. You have to let people know
where you are, when you'll be back, and so forth. You have to bring a
first aid kit, adequate food and water, and some maps. It is a lot
easier than you think to break a leg out in the wilderness, and since
gold tends to be found in the mountains, you have to be somewhat
prepared for when things go wrong. Weather can change quickly in early
spring and late summer, so don't get tagged as a tenderfoot -- plan
ahead.
3.4 Terms and Definitions
Charlie Hattendorf's new list:
alluvial - relating to sedimentary material, deposited by flowing water
as in a riverbed or delta.
amalgamate - action of combining mercury and gold together, then using
acid or heat to burn the mercury off. Used to recover gold dust from
black sands. Warning! handling mercury/breathing vapor is dangerous.
assay - statement of mineral composition in a sample of ore. Fire or
chemical assays are common.
bankrun - term applied to material that is straight from your workings,
not pre-classified.
bar - an accumulation of gravel in streams and rivers where currents are
less swift, thus depositing material that has been picked up by the
current.
bed - stratification or layering of rocks in parallel layers.
bedrock - any material that is solid enough to stop the downward
movement of gold. Some clays will act as a barrier to keep gold from
falling further, thus the term "false bedrock".
blacklight - long or short wave ultraviolet lamps are used depending on
mineral being prospected for. Sheelite (tungtsen) flouresces.
black sands - magnetite, or other heavy dark materials like ilemenite,
which are found in your concentrates.
breccia - a jumbled mass of broken rock cemented together.
centrifuge - device which spins and separates fine gold from
concentrates.
cinnabar - bright red material containing mercury, found near geothermal
areas.
claim - method to register a mineral deposit. Land or mineral location
is defined by location and discovery markers. Location is registered
with the county recorder and the local BLM office. Dues, paperwork, etc.
are necessary to keep the claim valid on a yearly basis.
color - ANY indication of gold (better than none!).
concentrates - the heavvy material that is left in your machine or pan
after processing. Consisting of gold (hopefully), magnetite, possible
lead, and other heavy materials.
contact - the joinor line where two rocks of different types come
together. This may be a fault.
conveyor - used to transport material at a processing mill.
dike - wall like intrusion of igneous rock into surrounding rock.
dredge - device for sucking material through a hose from underwater.
Material is deposited onto a sluice above water.
drywasher - riffle tray with a pourous bottom allowing air to circulate
up through material being run. Air is supplied from a bellows or air
pump. Does not use water in the recovery process. Comes with a screen
above the riffle tray for classifying the larger stones out.
flatlander - anyone who doesn't know this stuff.
float - a general term applied to pieces of rock some distance from
their outcrop source.
fool's gold - pyrite or mica, distinguishable by not being as heavy as
gold, and brittle, not maleable.
goldpan - low sided pan used to separate gold from material or
concentrates. Comes usually with riffles built in, made of hard plastic.
Some are copper or steel.
gram - unit of weight 31.5 grams to a troy ounce.
grizzly - screen for separating large rocks from processing material.
hardrock - references material in its native, natural state.
highbanker - using a sluice away from the water source. A pump is used
to convert the water to your worksite.
igneous - rock type solidified from a molten state; subdivided into
plutonic, extrusive, and intrusive.
leach - using a weak cyanide solution for extracting gold.
leaverite - references surrounding rock of no value ("leave 'er right
there!").
lode - the gold bearing vein or ore containing gold.
lodestone - form of magnetite that is magnetic.
mill - (ball,side,hammer,jaw) device for crushing hardrock to a fine
grade, say 400-500 mesh. Uses swinging internal hammers or heavy steel
balls.
nugget - any piece of gold over a certain size, usually a gram or more
in weight.
outcrop - a deposit of similar rock which is readily visible on the
surface.
overburden - worthless surface material covering a mineral deposit.
patent - a patented mining claim has proven mineral deposits and is
deeded land granting the holder possesion of the land as well.
placer - gold having been worn by eroision takes the form of nuggets,
flakes and dust. Water can concentrate gold in its' course.
riffle - a ladder-like obstruction to the flow of material being run
over it, whose purpose is to keep heavier material from continuing
through the machine. Used in both wet and dry recovery systems (sluices,
dredges, drywashers,etc). Various styles using differences in height,
slant, and width are used, but the purpose is all the same.
shaker - screen set rocker device to classify rocks from smaller
material.
sluice - box-shaped apparatus with a riffle tray for extracting gold.
Usually made of sheet metal and used with water.
smelting - using a furnace or kiln to melt material for mineral
extraction.
spiral pan - rotating gold pan with spiral riffle leading inward to
collect fine gold.
trommel - tube which slowly spins, allowing material to be broken up and
lossened. Tube is at a slight downward pitch, material flows out across
a screen and onto a riffleboard or sluice. Can be used either wet or
dry.
winnow - old method of recovery, throwing dry earth into air over screen
or cloth, and catching what isn't blown away.
yard - cubic yard of material, used to gauge the speed of processing
material when judging a gold recovery machine. About 40 5-gallon buckets
equal a cubic yard.
Thanks to: Charlie (coy...@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us)
3.5 Label your specimens
One good way to put numbers on specimens is to print a sequence of
numbers (maybe repeated in several columns) using a laser printer
(different font sizes can also be useful). Cut them out, glue them on
with Duco cement, and coat with clear nail polish. Use archival paper
if you think you really have stuff of long term value. This seems to
work well for me - I've had no trouble with labels fading, coming off,
etc.
Pete Richards
pric...@nike.heidelberg.edu
3.6 How hard is it to pan gold?
>My daughter, age 13 thinks that panning for gold would be "neat." I
>have read that there were gold mines here in Montgomery County (north
>of DC). In fact, about 10 miles from our home is Gold Mine Road.
>Can anyone suggest a good book for beginners? Thanks.
<snip>
There are gold prospector magazines available in most magazine stores.
These are put out by clubs, but still have basic info in them. You can
buy (hopefully!) a gold pan for inexpensive cost; plastic is popular,
with riffles (they keep the heavy material from flowing out). After
gathering a few handfulls of dirt/stones (no greater than 1/2" in
diameter, use a "classifier" or screen) gently immerse the pan while
keeping it flat.
While under water, make sure the material is completely wet, and slowly
make side movements with the pan allowing just the very top of the
material to flow out. Shake gently to keep heavy matter on the bottom of
the pan. Keep washing things out until there is just a small amount left
in the bottom. Keeping a small amount of water in the pan, roll the
water around in the pan and expose the heaviest material in the very
bottom of the pan (GOLD!) Use a small piece of lead to make sure you're
not washing too forcefully, an easy mistake.
You should have "black sand" apparent in the pan, if you have dug from a
mineralized area. Black sand is iron, and clings to a magnet. Clay can
make panning difficult as well, causing the material to stay above
rather than below it in the pan. Have fun, get dirty, get wet, find the
yellow stuff!
3.7 Is there anything such as advanced panning?
Try the World Panning Championship! Last year it was held at the
following site. Anyone with information on the 1996 schedule should send
a note.
October 7 & 8, 1995 at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park,
Coloma, CA - 1848 site that started the California Gold Rush - For more
information, call (916) 622-3470 or (916) 622-6198
4. What states are best for recreational gold mining?
4.1 California
The top by far. The Mother Lode country is in a class by itself. Gold is
found in the southern California desert and in northern California
(Siskyous and Klamaths) as well.
4.1.2 Northern Sierras
> Hi, This newsgroup seams like it needs some more traffic. So I have
> a few questions about rec mining in the Northern Sierras. What are
> the thoughts about the "4000' elevation" idea. Some tell me they
> don't bother with ground above that elevation because of the
> enrichment factor in ground below 4000'. Another question. Is good
> gold prospecting like good fishing these days? Do you have to hike in
> to get good amounts of gold? The last question for now, how heavy is
> the nugget shooter type metal detectors pressure on gold country?
>
> Thank you
>
> Jesse Wellman
> "The best investment on Earth... is Earth"
Jesse --
The Mother Lode gold belt in the Sierras starts in the south near
Mariposa and is a mile wide mineralized area roughly following Highway
49. The north end of this belt is a little north of Placerville. North
of this, the gold area gets wider and eventually extends almost to the
summit. There are many hydraulic mines over 5000'.
Most of the nugget shooter type metal detectors pressure on gold country
is in the hydraulic mines and many of them have been hit hard.
-- Bill Westcott
4.1.2 Red-Legged Frog
>And now the Jan/Feb. issue of Gold Prospector has a question on page 9
>from Mr. Massie that indicates there may be a problem with something
>called a Red-legged Frog. Seems it,s up for the Endangered Species Act
>and if accepted will stop all dredging activity below 4,000ft. in 7
>California counties.
>Anyone know anything about this, or where I can find information
>regarding the current status and when the vote is ?
>
>thanks in advance,
Bob,
I suggest you contact Ron Stockman at the Mother Lode Research Center.
He might be able to answer your questions. His email address is:
stoc...@psyber.com
He also maintains a web page at: http://www2.psyber.com/~stockman/
If you wish to be kept appraised of the latest news affecting the small
scale mining community and other related issues, make sure you sign up
for his mailing list.
Good luck,
--Ethan
4.2 Alaska
Close second, but hard to get to.
In response to several requests, I'll start working on a
Prospecting in Alaska FAQ. If anyone has any specific
questions they want addressed, email me and I'll find answers
for you and include them in the FAQ. If anyone has any
pertinent Web sites, let me know, so I can include them.
I just got back from the 40mile Mining District (home), where
there are some major political battles raging, over access to
State mining claims. The BLM is denying miners access across
federally held land. Access was guarenteed in ANILCA (the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, signed into
law on December 2, 1980 by Jimmy Carter, and commonly called
the D-2 Lands Bill). When I left there, the miners were
cleaning their camps and thawing out steaks in anticipation of
a visit from Bill Sherrill (sp?), an aide to Don Young; Steve
Borell, Executive Director of the Alaska Miners Association,
and Mike McDougherty, head of the State of Alaska Dept.of
Natural Resources, Division of Mines. Miners up here are being
forced to become political activists...<sigh>.
Jan
member: 40mile Miners Assoc.
member: Alaska Miners Assoc.
occasional placer miner
4.3 Montana
Still wide open.
4.4 Arizona
Reported to have the highest quality gold -- runs over .900 fine.
4.5 Oregon
Good in two areas: southwest and northeast.
4.6 Idaho
Boise Basin is popular; maybe too popular.
4.6 Idaho
Boise Basin is popular; maybe too popular.
4.7 Canada
4.7.1 Yukon Territory
>If you have any mining claims or leases in British Columbia or the
>Yukon, I would be interested in looking at them to buy.
>
>
>Peter
>Vancouver, Canada
In the Yukon, you might want to get in touch with Ted Fuller at-
tfu...@YKnet.YK.CA - He is the Govt. Geologist for the Yukon
District Placer Deposits. He might be able to direct you to some
information on claims available there.
'Ain't Computers Great!'
>>>>---Indian---->
(RDPC)
4.7.2 British Columbia
At the present time, panning only seems to be the status for any U.S.
citizen visiting B.C. Anyone with information to the contrary should
contact the FAQ author.
4.8 How Can I Get More Information?
PRECIOUS METAL LOCALITY LISTS
Detailed printed iists of specific precious metal localities are
available which give the site name, mining district, latitude,
longitude, country, state, province, metals present, deposit model
type, size of deposit, status of work, age of mineralization,
and host rock type.
Current lists available:
Arizona 966 sites, Mexico 610 sites, California, Ecuador, Nevada,
Idaho, Colombia, Panama, Oregon, Alaska.
Lists can be made tailored to specific areas on request.
For further information contact:
...............................................
. G.H. Hamilton .
. Geologist .
. EMAIL,INTERNET: 332...@MCIMail.com .
. FAX: 804 490 0516 .
. TELEPHONE: 804 363 8093 .
. MAIL: P.O. BOX 5381, VIRGINIA BEACH .
. VIRGINIA 23455. U.S.A. .
. TELEX: 6503326954 MCI UW .
. X.400: G=hamilton; S=exploration; .
. DDA:ID=3326954; A=MCI; C=US .
...............................................
4.8 Do you Have the U.S. Geological Survey Contacts?
STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
______________________________________________________________
ALABAMA (205)349-2852 TUSCALOOSA, AL 35486-9780
ALASKA (907)474-7147 FAIRBANKS, AK 99709-3645
ARIZONA (602)882-4795 TUCSON, AZ 85719-4816
ARKANSAS (501)324-9165 LITTLE ROCK, AR 72204
CALIFORNIA (916)445-1923 SACRAMENTO, CA 95814-3531
COLORADO (303)866-2611 DENVER, CO 80203
CONNECTICUT (203)566-3540 HARTFORD, CT 06106
DELAWARE (302)831-2833 NEWARK, DE 19716-7501
FLORIDA (904)488-4191 TALLAHASEE, FL 32304-7700
GEORGIA (404)656-3214 ATLANTA, GA 30334
HAWAII (808)587-0230 HONOLULU, HI 96809
IDAHO (208)885-7991 MOSCOW, ID 83843
ILLINOIS (217)335-5111 CHAMPAIGN, IL 61820-6964
INDIANA (812)855-9350 BLOOMINGTON, IN 47405
IOWA (319)335-1575 IOWA CITY, IA 52242-1319
KANSAS (913)864-3965 LAWRENCE, KS 66047
KENTUCKY (606)257-5500 LEXINGTON, KY 40506-0107
LOUISIANA (504)388-5320 BATON ROUGE, LA 70893-2827
MAINE (207)287-2801 AUGUSTA, ME 04333
MARYLAND (410)554-5500 BALTIMORE, MD 21218
MASSACHUSETTS (617)727-9800 BOSTON, MA 02202
MICHIGAN (517)334-6923 LANSING, MI 48909
MINNESOTA (612)627-4780 ST. PAUL, MN 55114-1057
MISSISSIPPI (601)961-5500 JACKSON, MS 39289-1307
MISSOURI (314)368-2100 ROLLA, MO 65401
MONTANA (406)496-4180 BUTTE, MT 59701
NEBRASKA (402)472-3471 LINCOLN, NE 68588-0517
NEVADA (702)784-6691 RENO, NV 89557-0088
NEW HAMPSHIRE (603)271-3406 CONCORD, NH 03302-2008
NEW JERSEY (609)292-1185 TRENTON, NJ 08625
NEW MEXICO (505)835-5420 SOCORRO, NM 87801
NEW YORK (518)474-5816 ALBANY, NY 12230
NORTH CAROLINA (919)733-3833 RALEIGH, NC 27611-7687
NORTH DAKOTA (701)224-4109 BISMARCK, ND 58505-0840
OHIO (614)265-6576 COLUMBUS, OH 43224-1362
OKLAHOMA (405)325-3081 NORMAN, OK 73019-0628
OREGON (503)731-4600 PORTLAND, OR 97232-2162
PENNSYLVANIA (717)787-2169 HARRISBURG, PA 17105-2357
RHODE ISLAND (401)792-2265 KINGSTON, RI 02881
SOUTH CAROLINA (803)737-9440 COLUMBIA, SC 29210-9998
SOUTH DAKOTA (605)677-5227 VERMILLION, SD 57069-2390
TENNESSEE (615)532-1500 NASHVILLE, TN 37243-0445
TEXAS (512)471-7721 AUSTIN, TX 78713-7508
UTAH (801)467-7970 SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84109-1491
VERMONT (802)244-5164 WATERBURY, VT 05671
VIRGINIA (804)293-5121 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22903
WASHINGTON (206)902-1450 OLYNPIA, WA 98504-7007
WEST VIRGINIA (304)594-2331 MORGANTOWN, WV 26507-0879
WISCONSIN (608)262-1705 MADISON, WI 53705-5100
WYOMING (307)766-2286 LARAMIE, WY 82071-3008
&
PUERTO RICO (809)722-2526 PUERTA DE TIERRA, PR 00906
(updated Feb20, 1993)
5. What are some placer mining methods?
5.1 High banker
Uses the same pump/hose combo as a dredge, but has a hopper on top with
bars so big rocks roll off, then a sluice at the bottom for the
concentrates to separate. Uses miner's moss or carpeting. Some high
bankers have a tray on the top to let you sample quickly, with little
slow down. High bankers work in two ways: you can either shovel in pay
dirt into the top of the high banker, or you can use the suction dredge
to squirt the gravels into the top hopper.
5.2 Trommel
Trommels are large cylinders with holes inside that spin and wash with
water. Raw pay dirt goes in one end, and cleaned gravels and rocks come
out the other. Concentrates are trapped and stored in large quantities.
Some trommels have many layers of screening in the cylinder. Trommels
work great with backhoes and large volumes of water.
Anyone ever heard of/built a mini-trommel?
5.3 Hydraulicking
This is the practice of squirting high-pressure water jets at entire
hillsides, washing all the dirt away, down to bedrock. The water flow is
directed toward sluice boxes to wash the gold from the gravel.
Hydraulicking is blamed for filling the Sacramento River with sediment
and creating a massive ecological disaster out of much of the area. It
is not legal.
5.4 Mossing
In some areas where flooding is common, the large river boulders take on
a green "skin" of moss. This moss traps black sands and gold particles
much like "miner's moss" in high-efficiency sluices. By crushing the
moss and releasing the dirt and sand, you can find a lot of flour gold
quickly. Others have suggested using cement mixers to crush up high
volumes of moss, or drying the moss and burning it in a metal pan.
5.5 Dry washing
The desert is a harsh environment for gold prospectors. Without lots of
water, miners have to bring their own in, and hoard it for cleanup. One
way to make concentrates out in the desert is with a dry washer, which
vibrates and uses the fluid characteristics of air to trap heavy
particles from pay dirt.
To work, the pay dirt has to be screened to a fine, consistent particle
size. Some dry washers also use bellows to blow lighter materials away.
The most common complaint about dry washing is low efficiency.
>Hello. I am geting a Dry Washer and was wondering if anyone knows
>the do's and don'ts for using this type of gold recovery system.I am
>very faimillary with high banker and sluice set ups but,have never
>used the dry washer before any tips would be helpful.
> thanks
>cla...@primenet.com
>
Hi Robert,
Is your dry washer a bellows version or a blower??? The bellows
type has an air box with flap that moves mounted under the riffle tray,
the blower has an engine with fan, usually on the ground, with an air
pipe to the riffle tray bottom. In either event the easiest way to lose
gold is to run the air through the tray too fast, thus blowing your
findings out. Use some lead in with your diggings to bee sure you're
running at the right speed. All lead should be at the first riffle, no
further. If you're located in southern Calif I have claims in the El
Paso's where you can meet people and try it out! see ya
Charlie
5.6 Sluicing
Prospectors, Miners, we carry the Le Trap All-Plastic Sluice. It weighs
just 4 lbs (approx) and is in 1 pce. NO CARPETING required to
contaminate sampling, or having to change. Its engineered riffles were
designed to accommodate the 200 mesh gold found in Alberta, and works
very well in fast water. It easily converts to a highbank system
(accessories available)
Measures approx. 48" x 16", is green in color, and is manufactured from
ABS plastic (as found in sewer pipe) which makes it extremely durable.
The price is only $79.95 + $5.95 s&h
(Canadian Orders add GST, BC order add additional PST.)
This Sluice was the subject of its own chapter in the Canadian
Bestseller "Modern Gold Seekers Manual", also available for $12.95.
(This IS my personal sluice of choice. I have sold many of them, and
have not as yet had one complaint.)
(Also available, Le Trap Square Gold Pans at $12.95)
6. Are there any magazines I can read about this hobby?
Anyone want to volunteer information about these mags? Or add more?
6.1 GPAA
6.2 Treasure News
6.3 others?
7. What is Dowsing?
Dowsing is a somewhat controversial method for finding coins, gold, or
lost mines. It is based on the same theory used by "water witches" --
super-sensitive individuals claim to be able to sense differences in the
vibrations around them. Since dowsers are often successful, but not
consistently enough in a controlled scientific settings, the controversy
endures.
8. Are Metal Detectors Useful?
They can be. Some metal detectors are better at finding coins than
finding gold nuggets, so you need to do your research. Other
detectorists have found that they can use their detector to find the
lead weights, sinkers, bullets and buckshot that accumulate in the
cracks in bedrock where streams flood over.
In desert mining areas such as Arizona, metal detectors are often used
to prospect in dry washes for nuggets. One of the biggest problems is in
using a detector that discriminates out 'junk' metal. You can spend alot
of time digging up bullets if you aren't sure of your target. Ground
balancing is also a problem in some areas. Continued advances in metal
detecting technology have helped to create brands that are powerful and
easy to use.
> -> I am very interested in gold/silver mining. Even though I have
> -> many books on the subject of where mines are located (Nev. Calif. &
> -> Arz.) and equipment to use. I am still having a problem of what
> -> type of metal detector to use and where to purchase one. Also, are
> -> they a smart investment for a person starting out. Would like
> -> some info - thanks!
> ->
Unless you want to get into some real physical type work a metal
detector is your best bet to find gold but I suggest you stick to
dry washes or dredge tailings as I have not found them that useful
in stream placers. One of the best gold detectors is a Fisher Gold Bug
They are simple to operate and really find even match-head size gold.
The more remote an area you can find the less false signals you will
have to dig.
good luck,
Ernie
9. What are black sands? What do I do with them?
Black sands are the good news/bad news of placer mining. You will
probably never pan gold that does not have some black sands swirling
around in the bottom of the pan. You will often pan black sands with no
gold in them.
9.1 Definition
black sands - magnetite, or other heavy dark materials like ilemenite,
which are found in your concentrates.
9.2 Henry Henry
George "Buzzard" Massie, founder of the Gold Prospectors Association of
America (GPAA) discussed on one of his shows a cheap, easy to build
contraption invented by a man named Henry Henry. Another name is a "poop
chute". The Henry Henry is a two or three foot length of ribbed, three-
inch irrigation pipe. Cut the pipe in half and nail it to a two-by-four.
Tilt it up at a good angle; you'll have to test it out. You should have
a mini sluice now. Use a hose, or set up some buckets, to get a trickle
of gold going through the Henry Henry. Use a teaspoon and feed in your
black sands. The gold in the sands should sit in the first couple of
riffles.
9.3 Can't You Just Pan Them?
It is possible. I noticed that I had less problems with black sand when
there was more gold in there to use as a spotter for what I was trying
to keep in the pan. If the gold is very fine, you should classify it
twice. Once with a #20 classifier and again with a #50 classifier. Then
use the tube concentrator to rid most of the black sand and lighter
material. What is left is very concentrated black sand and gold. You can
then remove most of the black sand with a miners magnet and pan the
remaining concentrates to separate your gold. Using a paint brush to
move gold and black sand apart can be very helpful.
9.4 Shaker Table
Shaker tables vibrate out the lighter minerals and catch the heavy gold
in tiny traps in the table. The black sands run off the end. These
tables are very efficient, and very expensive.
9.5 Using Acids
A strong acid will eat away
9.6 Spiral Pans
Some people swear by their spiral pans, usually the ones driven by an
motor - not the ones you spin by yourself. As with anything else, your
mileage may vary, but the concept is pretty straightforward: you dump
in concentrates and run the motor. The gold is picked up in the spiral
and moved to the center, where it collects into a cup.
9.7 Centrifuge
> Hi
>
> I am in an area where there is very fine (-100 mesh) gold.
> The stuff seems to be going right through the sluice. What I would
> like to do is build a small centrifuge for testing/and taking down to
> the river. This is a weekend activity, and I cann't afford a $5,000
> unit.
>
> Does anyone have plans, or know of a source for some plans? Thanks
>
>Mike Waithe Whitecourt, Alberta
>mi...@nt1.altanewsprint.ca
HI from the great white north
Popular mining had some plans for a desktop centrifuge, I don't have a
copy but would be interested if some does have a copy, The commerical
systems that are advertised, are for full production mining. I haven't
seen an affordable centrifuge for the weekender.
Of interest, the Uranium mine at Timmins Ont. uses converted diary cream
separators to separate the yellow cake, in its process.
Pop Mining has all back issues available plus a cross referenced index.
***
Centrifuge systems like the Knudson, Knelson, and High-G work very well
sometimes; other times not very well. Like all types of separatory
equipment, it is a function of the nature of the gold, size, shape, etc
as well as the other stuff. They would be THE answer but, as with
everything, there are limitations. There have been REAL, as opposed to
manufacturers, tests by guys in B.C. that have proven them at certain
sites. On the other hand dropping $4000-$15,000 to give it a whirl (so
to speak) is steep. If you have the specific mix of things that make it
favorable, then it is great; if not?? I have seen less and less
advertising on these in the past few years.
Steve Johnson
9.8 Using mercury
In article <45sga5$e...@news.xroads.com>,
Jim Santee <jsa...@xroads.com> wrote:
>>I'm interested in fine gold recovery also. Not far from where I live
>>found a lot of very fine color. I have some mercury and planned on
>>trying that, but wifetype nixed use of mercury around the house. I'm
>>not sure I could pan it down well enough to form the analgam or
>>whatever it is called.
>>
I use mercury to clean-up when the gold is very fine and hard to pick-
up. I collect over a long period of time. When the mercury is heavily
ladden with gold, it breaks apart in a gold pan when you swirl it. The
heavy part left behind is full of gold. What I do is ball the
mercury/gold amalgam) in the gold pan. I then extract as much mercury as
I can with a hypodermic neddle. This is a good way to save most of your
mercury. I then heat the remaining mercury/gold in a small metal gold
pan outdoors in a very ventilated area. It is a very good idea to vacate
the area until the mercury has completely vaporized. MERCURY IS VERY
DANGEROUS AND CAN'T BE INHALED OR ENTER THE BODY THROUGH A CUT OR SORE.
What's left in the pan is a glob of gold stuck together.
9.9 Other methods
9.9.1 Funnel
Steve Johnson
(http://www.halcyon.com/treasure/prospect/steves/welcome.html) writes:
I have become quite good at reducing black sand concentrates to get at
the gold. The areas I prospect are really loaded with magnetite and
Iron. At the end of the day, I usually can fill a Keene Super Pan with
nothing but black sands. I takes me about two hours to reduce this to
"gold" and I don't use high priced mechanical pans.
I have also found a way to remove gold from mercury which keeps most of
the mercury and intact and subjects me to very little fumes (none at
all since I vacate the area) when doing the final reduction.
I have made a very simple device for extracting gold from Black Sands.
It consists of a 5ft. X 1" clear tube, a funnel and a water control
device. I fill the tube with black sands and adjust the water flow so
that the lighter material goes out over the top of the funnel and the
gold concentrate stays in the tube. You can see a detailed explanation
at the web site listed above.
This does work. I would like to see other ideas some of you might use
other than the commercial pans available.
9.6.2 Micro sluice
LIGHT WEIGHT MICRO SLUICE
From: alhe...@aol.com (Al Hefner)
Newsgroups: alt.mining.recreational
Subject: Micro sluice instructions (FREE)
Due to the response from my offer to provide plans for this item, I
have decided to give step by step instructions for building it free of
charge!!!!
If you sent check or money order for these instructins, I will be
sending the money back to you as soon as I receive it.
The materials you will need are as follows:
5 feet of vinyl rain gutter
1 outside end cap
3 feet of ribbed rubber safety mat. (the kind with sharp ridges)
2 1/8 X 1/2 stainless steel screws with wing nuts
Drill
hacksaw
1. Cut your vinyl rain gutter into one section each of 3 feet and 2
feet.
2. Place the 2 foot section 6" into the inside of the 3 foot section.
(this will give you a 6" overlap of the two peices.
3. Drill two holes for the bolts 2" apart side by side to attach the
two sections.
4. Cut to fit a strip from the rubber matting so that it fits inside
the lip of the longest piece of rain gutter. This is your riffle
section! Make sure the ridges are running across the gutter and not
along the length of it.
Now you have a fully functional micro-sluice. The matting fits inside
the 3' section and the 2' section is screwed down into the 3' section
and holds the matting in place. This also provides a pan to place your
concentrates into above the riffles.
While adjusting the water flow, it is a good idea to place the loser end
in a pan or bucket to catch your concentrates and perserve any of your
gold that ma get washed out due to too much flow.
The end cap may be fitted with a hose connector for use at home. Simply
drill a hole to accept the fitting and clamp or glue it into place and
attach your graden hose. Use the hose valve to regulate the flow of
water.
Cleaning the sluice is simply done by shutting off the flow of water and
washing the matting into a pan or bucket.
With a little practice, you will find that this simple unit will save
you many hours of panning.
Sorry but no diagrams at this time.
Happy Hunting,
Al
9.6.3 The Micro Concentrator
I've used a Micro Concentrator from McCann Engineering for about 3
years. It's 12V, using two 750 GPM bilge pumps and a vibrator to give a
fluidized bed effect. There's a small grizzly on top made of 1/4"
hardware cloth and has two jets of water spraying over whatever you pour
onto it. It is mounted on two 5 gal. pickle buckets and recirculates the
water. The bottom part consists of an angled chute with a ribbed rubber
mat in the bottom, held down with 4 riffles consisting of plastic tubing
with aluminum pins through them.
I've used it both with 1/4" classified material and concentrates. I
amalgomate the remains with mercury and find it loses maybe 1 percent.
Here in New Mexico the black sand contains a significant amount of gold.
Sometimes up to 14 oz. per ton. Crushing and processing is required,
which is a different story....
Bruce Boatman nmho...@rt66.com or Hey You, whichever
Tutor Computer
Los Lunas, NM 505-866-5533 Fax 505-866-5540
9.6.4 Laundry Tub Method
BTW, my Great (Great-Great?) Grandmother ran a laundry in Carson City,
NV back in the 1880's. She managed to move back east with a fair amount
of money after "mining" the sludge from the laundry!
GCB
10. Is it Easy to Stake a Claim?
> r...@usa.pipeline.com(REB) writes:
>
> --
> What is the differance between a patented mining claim and an
> unpatented one? OK, Yes...I am a newbie!
>
> Robert E. Beam
> Colorado Springs, Colorado
> r...@usa.pipeline.com
> "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars"
>
>>>>
Unpatented land is a standard "claim" where you get mineral rights only.
After years of effort and various hoops to jump through you get legal
title to the land-a patent. Then you can do most all you want on it,
sell it,etc although in recent time there are generally rather severe
land use attachments to the patent.
Steve
10.1 Costs/rules/responsibilities
Contact the BLM near you.
10.2 Patenting
Under review, and it is even posible that you may never again be able to
patent land.
10.3 Current status
Under review, changing constantly. Just have to check back!
11. Is joining a 'club' a good idea?
It is, and there will be more addresses/phone numbers in the next
version of the FAQ.
11.1 GPAA
The Grandaddy of them all, with thousands of members nationwide. Lost a
few steps after founder George "Buzzard" Massie died in 1994, but his
sons have stepped into the breach and are doing quite well with it.
11.2 New 49ers
Located up in the Klamath River area of northern California. Own many
claims on the Klamath and nearby.
11.3 Gold Prospectors of Colorado
They have several claims to work near Como, Fairplay, and Golden.
11.4 Arizona: Desert Gold Diggers
ari...@aol.com (Arivaca)
NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com
I'm an officer in a local mining club here in Tucson, called the Desert
Gold Diggers. We've got several decent claims in southern AZ. You
could join for $15 if you're already a member of GPAA. If you're not,
then it would cost about $37 - pretty cheap as far as prospecting clubs
go. There are tons of places to go in AZ, but one needs to do research
first as far as land status, unless one goes to the several open panning
places set aside by the state or federal gov't. There are other clubs
in the Phoenix area that have lots of claims. One thing about clubs is
that one can forgo the research and red tape to get to specific placers
and claims, as well as network with locals for all sorts in info.
Good luck. Chris Morrett
12. Where are some other Internet sites?
12.1 Mailing lists
>I haven't been able to find a newsgroup on amateur
>minerology/rockhounding yet, but if there is one this
>seems like a good place to ask where to find it.
There isn't a newsgroup, but there are several mail lists (ROCKHOUNDS
and ROCKS-AND-FOSSILS are the two biggest). You find information on how
to subscribe to these and others at
http://www.calweb.com/~tcsmith/ores/geology/mine/mail.html
-- Ted
12.2 Web Sites
Here's a list of popular Web sites:
http://turnpike.net/metro/tuvok/detector.html
http://www.halcyon.com/treasure/welcome.html
http://www.dnai.com:80/gold/
http://www.info-mine.com/main.html
http://www.microserve.net/~doug/
http://www2.psyber.com/~stockman/
http://www.primenet.com/~miner/gold.html
I would appreciate any additions from the newsgroup, thanks - NKD
12.2.1 Canadian Geo
We invite you to visit our World Wide Web server -
http://www.emr.ca/gsc/
12.3 Other 'Getting Started' Stuff:
12.3.1 Books
I have a prospecting textbook I ordered from the University of
Alaska at Fairbanks that's about 15 years old. It's buried in
some cardboard boxes I haven't unpacked for several years.
The textbook covered EVERY aspect of placer mining at every
level. I suspect that it was often paraphrased by commercial
publications and sold at three times the price. I'd recommend
Emailing UofA and asking how to order the textbook used in
their prospecting class. That's my contribution to the FAQ
project.
12.3.2 CompuServe
Try the Prospecting and Detecting Forum on CompuServe, located in the
Outdoors Section. Plenty of activity, lots of new faces all the times
and a solid band of respected veterans.
12.3.3 Gold Pictures
Excellent mineral images can be found in the Smithsonian gem and mineral
collection. check out the collection at URL:http://galaxy.einet.
net/images/gems/gems-icons.html
12.3.4 Catalogs
In article <44bkhr$a...@homer.alpha.net>, mla...@earth.execpc.com (Mark
Langenfeld) wrote:
> I'm looking for addresses of catalog suppliers of miners' equipment
> (the stuff a working stiff needs: hard hats, lamps, belts, boots,
> self-rescuers, scaling bars,etc.). I do not need info re suppliers of
> heavy equipment or hobby mining gear.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark Langenfeld
You can request a free Keene Engineering catalog @ ...
http://www.halcyon.com/keene/request.html
13. What Else Does This FAQ Need?
How about adding the names and addresses of companies making
recreational mining equipment? Weight conversions used in mining?
Assaying? How to sell your gold most profitably? The names and contacts
for local clubs?
I'm just running my head early on a Sunday morning....this could work
into a 100 page document without much trouble! Sorry to be a bother.
Thanks for taking on this thing!!
_________________________
First, I have been following the FAQ listing, and felt something on the
current status of claim staking from the feds would be important. Also,
lists of books-references would be helpful. Whoever is taking on the
organization of the FAQ, I could help.
Perry Noid
Charlie
"steadfast" award for sure! I think we have a caretaker for Walt Bickel's
Camp here in the El Paso mtns (I seem to remember you'd been there) and
we're still looking for a caretaker for the Burro Scmidt tunnel and cabin,
this is an 1800 ft tunnel though the mtns near the bickel claim, the
caretaker would live on public land for free with the BLMs ok - no power or
water though. Great views!!! I was up there helping today, putting up shade
which is great to have in the desert. Take care and find AU
charlie
"Phil(NM)" <gol...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:408F1B7D...@yahoo.com...
Phil(NM)
word stubborn tho..... heh heh heh...
Re: Burro and Walt's, thanks but I need something that pays expenses and
pocket money.
Phil