Small Mining Operations
The Jenkins Mine Project, Conclusion—Recovery Operations & Summary
November 2010 by David Shackleton
This project taught me that you don’t need to be Albert Einstein to apply a little science to your prospecting. I learned that most of the science related to suction dredging is actually common sense. All we need to do is take the time to apply it.
The Fire Assay of Carbon
Carbon, activated charcoal, or “char,” as some old timers refer to it, can be an assayer’s nightmare.
The Smell of Gold—Part I
Some claim they can smell gold. This may be, but when I take a whiff of gold, I smell dirt, rotten eggs, garlic or just nothing: my nose is everything but sensitive.
A Third Generation Small-Scale Hardrock Revival
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.
My First Carolina Nugget
On my weekends off I spent many hours dredging the Second Broad River from Cane Creek Road up to the headwaters. I used a three-inch dredge with air and graduated to a five-inch with air.
Resurrecting An Old Hard Rock Mine--The Saga Continues
Another little gem of equipment he built was a nifty sample splitter. In order to get accurate assays, you need to have really good, representative samples for the assayer to process.
Ancestral Yuba River Placer Gold Deposits
The small-scale miner has reasonable opportunity to exploit some of these small, rich placer gold deposits.
What To Look For—And Look Out For—In A Placer Mineral Report
Buying a placer claim or investing in a placer mining property comes with plenty of financial risks. You need as much information as possible about the mineral deposit in order to minimize those risks.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Gold of Plumas County
• Recent Prospecting in Plumas County
• Prospecting for Nickel Deposits
• Detecting My Way Across Australia—Pt II
• Detectors Versus Pans
• Check The Box For Tax Savings
• Mining Stock Quotes & Mineral and Metal Prices
Free:
Undiscovered Placer Deposits in Alaska
• Melman on Gold & Silver
