Prospecting & Detecting
A Third Generation Small-Scale Hardrock Revival
November 2019 by Ron Kliewer
One of his friends had 700 feet of small-gauge mine track and a hundred-year-old track bender laying out in his back 40; plus he also wanted to join the team. Perfect.
Desert Prospecting Yields More Than Just Gold
This wash was not far from where I once dug a half-ounce nugget, so I knew there was gold in the area.
What's Left Behind

Metal Detecting Old Hard Rock Mine Dumps
The type of mine dump that is best for metal detecting are the ones that consist of mixed sizes of rock and are located near some sort of excavation, commonly a shaft or adit. Sometimes the piles located along a trench dug by the miners can be productive as well.
Blackberries and Gold
There were iron stains all over and even a few places where I could see iron trash sticking out of the bedrock. These would be ideal spots to start with as the gold travels with the iron and lead.
Some Tips and Tricks for Dredgers: Determining Pulley Size and Belt Length
If Epd is larger, then the compressor will be spinning faster than the manufacturer’s maximum specified RPM and might destroy itself. If this happens, then the compressor again might not produce enough air to support a diver. Neither is a desired outcome.
Buyer Beware! Counterfeit Metal Detectors
When I was recently in West Africa, I got to see and play with my first, phony, Chinese knock-off metal detector.
Ask the Experts
• Drones for the independent prospector
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Seeking advice on setting up an operation and the agreement with the landowner
• Montana Gold and Sapphires Revisited
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Respect the Angle of Repose
• The Summer of ‘81
• The “Chuck It Out” Nugget
• High Sulfidation Epithermal Deposits
• Gold and Silver Deposits of Bodie, California
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Crumb Hunting With A VLF Detector
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