Remote Prospecting?

[Geowizard]

Technicalities and Ford Tractors;

GOLD behaves as it has for the past 100 years!

The process of using the force of gravity combined with ANY combination of moss, carpet, and/or matting has always been known to work to one degree or another.

Marketing has driven the technology;

The best way to sell something is to incorporate the word "NEW Technology". There really is NO NEW technology. The technology has not changed. Oh... lookie here... Riffles in a GOLD PAN! Artisinal miners all over the world use smooth GOLD pans with NO riffles. Professional GOLD panners don't use pans with riffles. Panning fine GOLD requires a shiny, smooth metal GOLD pan.

Magneto ignition systems;

I bought a NEW Generac AC Generator for the mine a few years ago. It has a magneto ignition system. Magneto ignition systems have been used in airplanes from the beginning and into current production airplane engines.

Why?

Because they are simple and reliable!

Remote prospectors learn ONE LESSON early in their prospecting experience... Keep it simple. Keeping things simple helps to improve reliability!

- Geowizard

[Micropedes1]

Sorry Jim. I should clarify.

I run unbacked miner's moss over ribbed mat in a couple of large beach boxes (think gold cube on steroids.
) Typical angle is around 45 degrees. Gold gets trapped in the loops of the miner's moss, then migrates into the mat as far as possible, and then slowly creeps beneath the mat or thru the mat. Very noticeable with backed Astro-turf. Less so with backed miner's moss. But the creep does happen and is very common in areas with not a lot of heavy black sands to impede the movement down the saturated mat.

I did not intend to imply that the gold would pass thru backed miner's moss. Only that, given time and adequate flow, heavies like gold will migrate down the length of the mat.

Since Chuck in likely to run a lot of presorted tailings in his MaxiBanker before doing a clean-up, I thought that the distinction was warranted. The experience comes from running fine gold slurries on the 40 Mile and the beaches of Nome.

[Geowizard]

Rubber V mat;

I am planning on a THIRD trip this season!

Why?

I have everything set up to run a wash plant with a "revolutionary" NEW Sluice box!

The wash plant will have NO SCREEN. The box will have Cocoa Mat the first four feet and V mat the next 4 feet.

The revolutionary part is that the box will have perforated metal over the matting with 1" standoffs!

- Geowizard

[Micropedes1]

Geo, if I might interject a slight improvement on your design that we incorporated on the 40 Mile. It consists of nothing more than an additional bar beneath the plate at the top of the sluice with holes drilled to add more water beneath the punch plate. The additional water was pressure regulated and frequency was timed using one of Russau’s vibropulsators that was attached to the side of the box (parallel to the flow)

The pulse was regulated to just enough Upward force to minimize the inevitable blinding that renders your plate useless. It’s a balancing act between enough force to dislodge pebbles and allowing gold to settle. Takes a while to tune, but when you get it right you can run all day with an open screen.

[Geowizard]

Remote prospecting;

Understanding the need for simplicity in Remote Prospecting, the wash plant was based on ONE important specification, "No moving parts".

In keeping with simplicity, there aren't any moving parts and the only external connection is WATER.

To get on the GOLD today, prospectors have to look for GOLD in remote places. Every "thing" that adds to complexity and requires external power adds to the number of things that can go wrong.

Set it up and "Rock and Roll"!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Mother Nature and Orbital Mechanics;

Remote prospecting in the Northern Latitudes is only possible during summer months!

Mother Nature controls the weather. Weather patterns although unpredictable from season to season are to a degree predictable over a longer period. So, looking at temperature for example, because temperature affects placer GOLD mining and prospecting operations, it's a good idea to look at expected temperatures. There are sources of temperature data for different areas of Alaska. The same thing goes for periods of daylight.

In planning my third venture into the wild, I have taken time to note the hours of daylight remaining and the temperature averages over the past decade for the remaining days this season.

The advantage of "late in the season" mining and prospecting in Alaska is that the ground has had more time to thaw. Early in the season, frozen ground makes it impossible to dig. Planning requires working with the daylight available and how low the temperatures get. The cutoff is about the last week of September where I am working.

- Geowizard

[Micropedes1]

No moving parts, huh?

How about this? Add a section of triangular profile screen over an undercurrent sump. Spacing should be less than .030” to exclude blonde sands.

Screen sections are not cheap. But they absolutely will not bind. Jet on sump should be less than 1 inch.

Not entirely my idea. But rather a collaboration and combined discussions between me, Bob Dahlke, and Jim Harrand. Sometimes it pays to shut up and listen.

[Geowizard]

Glen,

Impressive team you are collaborating with! I will seriously consider your advice.

You are aware more than anyone else on the forum about the geometry of the tailings GOLD. A simple description of that geometry is 90 percent 20 mesh and smaller dimpled disc. This GOLD sources from a disseminated LODE in the fractured, intruded, laminated shale bedrock residing UNDER the existing drag line tailing piles!

Going forward, next week, I will be on site prepping the ground to launch the next Big Hurrah.

Stay tuned!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Into the wild;

This is my third trip this season into the wild. The Journey begins in the wild West.

Somewhere in Arizona, a Remote Prospector prepares for a 3000 mile trip North. For those interested in riding along, I will provide a running documentary right here on the Alaska Gold Forum!

Preparation for a Flight to Alaska these days requires Covid-19 testing. So, in keeping with those requirements, I will go to a Lab today. Alaska is experiencing the same problems with increasing cases of the virus and proof of a negative test within three days of arrival is a mandatory requirement. Upon arrival in Anchorage, travelers go through a checkpoint at the airport where they provide evidence of having been tested. Because travel on an airline represents a risk of exposure, travelers are required to proceed to a place where they go into self isolation for 14 days. Travelers complete a travel declaration and are required to follow CDC recommended best practices.

- Geowizard

[Leonard]

I'm looking forward to traveling vicariously with you as I can no longer follow in person. I almost made it to Ophir 10-15 years ago. I loved my month long trips for 3 years in the 2008 time period. Now that I've retired I can no longer physically make the trip I look back and realize what a position I put my wife through to allow me to make the trips.
Leonard