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Showing posts from April, 2014

Finally, My Eureka Moment! I Found My Gold Nugget

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Thought I would share with you what I found today. Was prospecting in the Bradshaw Mountains of Arizona and was digging near a rock wall on a club claim. It took 4 years of searching - I've found placer gold, but not a nugget worth talking about. Well, for any of you who were like me, check this out and get the fever. Good luck.

Pocket Gold Pan, Easy to Use, Easy to Carry, Placer Hunting on a Moment's Notice

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Here are three photos of a handy pocket pan. This fella had a great idea. What he talks about has happened to me. You are going on a trip and see a waterway that looks promising for placer gold, or you just wonder about it. You didn't prepare to prospect, your goal was to do something else, but you sure wish you could dip a pan in. Here is a mini portable pan that is small enough that you can slip in a pocket and go sample a bit on short notice. Great idea. http://gpex.ca/smf/index.php?topic=3739.0

Mining Claim Posters and Signs - Let 'em Know the Gold "Ground" Rules

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Did you ever wonder what the verbage is on Mining claim markers, Federal Mining Claim Corner Monuments, Registered Mining Claim Documents? - well, here is a link to illustrations. This site  advertises prospecting gear for sale, but these signs/notices are of interest just to visualize. It may be of use? http://rocksinmyhead.biz/MINING-CLAIMS_c232.htm

Share the Adventure of Prospecting With Dry Washers in the Desert, Blowing the Light Stuff Downwind!

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Here is a webpage chock full of content about gold prospecting. It comes from the news bank of the New 49ers, a gold prospecting club in Northern California, Happy Camp, founded by Dave McCracken. This page has so much information about dry washing, from how to set up, not standing "down wind", plans, clean up, placer geology, information on clay-like material and dealing with it, water flow and you just name it, that this would be one of the first sources I would go to if a newbie were contemplating dry washing. It is excellently presented. I was particularly impressed by the section Drywashing; or Introduction to the Blister End of a Shovel, written by Sam Long. There is a photo of a man prospecting on the inside bend of a wash in Kearney, Arizona. I prospect about 15 miles south of there and it is a rather desolate place with a spot in my heart. The area I like is a bit closer to Hayden, Arizona. Another feature is attached links to videos. See: http://www.goldgold.c...

Free Plans for a Homemade Miter Saw Stand to Build Those Gold Prospecting Tools

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It occurred to me that when attempting to build some of the wood contraptions previously listed for fsifting, classifying, and washing our placer gold, it might come in handy to be able to build your own miter saw stand. I built mine, but not from someone else's plan. I wish I had seen this plan before I assembled my own. The link to the actual plans is at the bottom of the page and looks like this -   Miter Saw Stand Plans. Have fun at http://woodworking.about.com/od/woodworkingplansdesigns/ss/miterSawStand.htm Photo courtesy of http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/my-miter-saw-stand-59660/