Prospecting & Detecting
Pumping Water With Solar Power
March 2019 by Steve Hicks
Solar energy can be used for any size placer or hard rock mining operation. It is most practical for small and longer-term operations provided your mine is not located in a dense forest.
Finding Gold in Tailing Piles
Old mine workings and tailing piles can represent opportunities on many levels, from the chance to simply find a nugget on up to the commercial reworking of the old tailings for profit.
The Value of Old Patches
Nuggets make for the best memories and this patch was just adding to mine. In the hours of daylight I had left, I worked from that nugget to the bottom of the patch, collecting eight more nuggets.
The Art of Underwater Nugget Shooting
There is a surprising amount of detectable gold under the water’s surface. The right tools make it much easier to find, and with a little patience and practice you can take advantage of this underappreciated bonanza.
Detecting at the Sixteen to One Mine
A while back I was given a very special opportunity to take my metal detector to one of the most famous gold mines in all of California, the Original Sixteen to One mine in Alleghany.
Crushing Quartz in Calaveras County: A Placer Miner Learns New Tricks
I had never run an impact mill before, but anything involving rocks, water and a big electric motor sounded great.
Highbanking at the 144
My third sample location proved to be my last and most interesting. I needed to look no further.
Detector Brings New Life to An Old Lode Mine
…it was immediately evident the previous owner had not been using a detector. During just a few months of working the dumps part-time, he recovered gold in quartz specimens valued in excess of $40,000.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Any references on gold formation?
• Ask The Experts - Finalizing an agreement with a mining company
• The Basics of Exploration Leases and Contracts—Part II
• My Introduction To Gold Prospecting
• Resurrecting An Old Hard Rock Mine—Safety Is No Accident
• Mining Claims: Breaking All The Commandments
• The Importance Of Mining Critical Minerals In The USA
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Gold Is Where You Find It
• Detecting for Gold: A Return to Familiar Ground
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
