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ZippoZ
Knomadic


Registered: 06/17/03
Posts: 13,227
Loc: Pongyang, North Korea
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I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining
#21205159 - 01/31/15 12:46 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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So ive always wanted to go to alaska, and my passion for gold mining lines up just wonderfully with it. Ive started to lay the ground work, and line up some potential claims.... but now ive got a problem.
A backhoe loader, is like $35 Thousand dollars! And if im looking to move from a few different potential claims or locations, im gonna need a trailer, and a truck to move it around, which is another 10 Grand... And then ill need a washplant... and I dont even have a price for that, but im guessing about another 5 grand.... (probably has to be custom built)
So now my simple dream of doing some mining this summer is going to cost like 50 grand, AND i have to figure out how to get all this shit to alaska, because if i buy it there, its going to be like double the cost!
And on top fo it, mining is such a fucking crap shoot in the first place, theres no gaurantee ill make any money... I suppose i could always sell the machinery, but god damn, what an undertaking.
anyone have any advice or experience on any of this?

-------------------- PEACE
zippoz "in times of widespread chaos and confusion, it has been the duty of more advanced human beings - artists, scientists, clowns, and philosophers - to create order. In such times as ours however, when there is too much order, too much m management, too much programming and control, it becomes the duty of superior men and women and women to fling their favorite monkey wrenches into the machinery. To relieve the repression of the human spirit, they must sow doubt and disruption" "People do it every day, they talk to themselves ... they see themselves as they'd like to be, they don't have the courage you have, to just run with it."
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passifloracaerulea



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: ZippoZ]
#21205234 - 01/31/15 01:24 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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That machine will break up there. I would do it but 500k is a closer estimate to what real start up costs would be to do it right, not to mention the leasing of a claim which will take a hefty percentage of your gold.
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ZippoZ
Knomadic


Registered: 06/17/03
Posts: 13,227
Loc: Pongyang, North Korea
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yeah realistically i would want a seperate loader and excavator, then you're at about 500k, not to mention i wont even have a Dozer.... but ill be working with 5 acre permits and evaluating claims for next years full scale operation..... i think i can get away with a little loader excavator combo..
-------------------- PEACE
zippoz "in times of widespread chaos and confusion, it has been the duty of more advanced human beings - artists, scientists, clowns, and philosophers - to create order. In such times as ours however, when there is too much order, too much m management, too much programming and control, it becomes the duty of superior men and women and women to fling their favorite monkey wrenches into the machinery. To relieve the repression of the human spirit, they must sow doubt and disruption" "People do it every day, they talk to themselves ... they see themselves as they'd like to be, they don't have the courage you have, to just run with it."
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twighead
mͯó



Registered: 08/27/08
Posts: 30,491
Loc: Glenn Gould's Fuck Windmill
Last seen: 8 days, 3 hours
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: ZippoZ]
#21205337 - 01/31/15 02:38 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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I'll join your crew if you get it together 
Where I am at in Oregon is one of the more under prospected areas in respect to gold and silver, can visually see gold specks in the creek still and in the roots of plants pulled by the water
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CHeifM4sterDiezL
Chief Globerts


Registered: 07/28/10
Posts: 23,322
Loc: United States
Last seen: 1 hour, 32 minutes
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: twighead]
#21206020 - 01/31/15 09:22 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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I hope you know what your doing. I always got the impression it was one of those things where every year a flood of newbs pours in and the locals sit back and laugh while 9/10 fail miserably in the first season. I hope you have really deep pockets. Seems like one of those. Alaska is a cruel mistress be prepared for everyfuck up possible to go to levels of totally fucked you never before imagined.
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shLong



Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 25,330
Loc: 'sconsin
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: CHeifM4sterDiezL]
#21206097 - 01/31/15 09:46 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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I was gonna come in here and tell OP to holler at passaflora, but he was already present
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passifloracaerulea



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: shLong]
#21206355 - 01/31/15 10:52 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yeah, I was looking into a gold claim here in Oregon this year, but I need some heavy equipment and I don't know if I want to throw the last of my savings into another mining venture unless I can for sure prove it's easy to get and fairly consistent. I'll spend some money drilling test holes over the claim but there is the river now and old river bed land all around that was never mined with trees on it. I would really start considering it if I had a crew willing to work for a share, and not direct payment out of my pockets. It's a 20 acre claim.
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shLong



Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 25,330
Loc: 'sconsin
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I don't mean to pry, and obviously you're more than welcome to NOT answer this, but I was curious.
I know you have a good amount of wealth (at least, from what I understand).. I remember you saying your parents were pretty well set, too...
Are you making all your money from your mining, or other ways? Would you feel comfortable disclosing a ballpark figure as to how much you make with your mining operations?
Again, if that's out of line to ask, or you just don't wanna, I get it.. But I was curious
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passifloracaerulea



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: ZippoZ]
#21206458 - 01/31/15 11:18 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
ZippoZ said: yeah realistically i would want a seperate loader and excavator, then you're at about 500k, not to mention i wont even have a Dozer.... but ill be working with 5 acre permits and evaluating claims for next years full scale operation..... i think i can get away with a little loader excavator combo..
In Oregon you can get away with the combo, but in Alaska you'll be lucky to find ground that pays $10($5 is more likely) per yard(roughly a ton) requiring many machines just to be able to run the yardage and make your fuel back, not to mention pay for the large crew that demands. I would only mine Oregon ground worth $30 and up and that is what the claim I'm interested in is boasting. Being in Alaska and everything that comes with it, I wouldn't mine there for less than $50 per yard. Ground that rich is in high demand and claims aren't cheap. The big boys have those claims and won't let them go for less than the gold is worth, making it all worthless. I have done mining(obsidian) for 7 years straight and decided last year was my last doing that, especially after we ran out of the electric blue. There might be more there, but it would take digging a lot of new test pits just to see what is on the bottom of the flow 8-10' down through solid obsidian and hard ash. We did so well last summer that I don't think I can top that season and anything else would seem like failure.
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passifloracaerulea



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: shLong]
#21206491 - 01/31/15 11:28 AM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
shLong said: I don't mean to pry, and obviously you're more than welcome to NOT answer this, but I was curious.
I know you have a good amount of wealth (at least, from what I understand).. I remember you saying your parents were pretty well set, too...
Are you making all your money from your mining, or other ways? Would you feel comfortable disclosing a ballpark figure as to how much you make with your mining operations?
Again, if that's out of line to ask, or you just don't wanna, I get it.. But I was curious
I really don't have a lot, around 100k. I bought a house last year and threw 50k into mining last summer. So far I've only made about 10k back on that but have at least 5 tons of really good blue which I sell rough for 20 per pound or 10 per gram in jewelry. I had to skip the Tucson show this year due to health issues(kidney stones, gallbladder attacks, and valley fever fungal lung infection) I picked up in quartzsite while mining crystals. Tucson would have paid all of my investment back for last year but oh well at least the material doesn't go bad and nobody else will ever be able to get what I got. If I put my electric blue rough on the market today, I'd get 200,000 easily, but if I make it all into jewelry, then it becomes worth 2000x that and the material becomes exclusive to my lapidary.
Edited by passifloracaerulea (01/31/15 11:29 AM)
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Adden

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 39,201
Loc:
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Valley fever is some serious shit man I hope you're okay, holy shit.
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ZippoZ
Knomadic


Registered: 06/17/03
Posts: 13,227
Loc: Pongyang, North Korea
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: Adden]
#21206648 - 01/31/15 12:24 PM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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Ive done very very well in mining over the past 6 or so years, all of my history is in research and development, i sold a property for about 2 million, and have seen about half of that come in... a lot of the rest of it is royalties and retained ownership that I probably wont see for another 20 years, if ever... And most all of that was with hard rock Iron Ore mining.
That being said, I have quite a bit of knowledge on the sunject, and im better off than the 9/10 that do actually fail. I own a Drill rig that is probably worth about 75K with all the tooling and equipment that comes on it, and it would allow me to sample a large amount of ground, and determine if any of these unmined claims have any value... it really is all about the drilling and planning.
$10/ a yard is the bottom line on what you can actually get away with mining. But identifying higher grade pay streaks can get you an edge as long as you arent mining the shitty overburden or low paying gravels...
Problem is I would definately need a crew, or some more people. I have me and My GF that are willing to go right now, and as much as she says shell drive a loader for 10 hours, i reallllly doubt that her enthusiasm will last.
-------------------- PEACE
zippoz "in times of widespread chaos and confusion, it has been the duty of more advanced human beings - artists, scientists, clowns, and philosophers - to create order. In such times as ours however, when there is too much order, too much m management, too much programming and control, it becomes the duty of superior men and women and women to fling their favorite monkey wrenches into the machinery. To relieve the repression of the human spirit, they must sow doubt and disruption" "People do it every day, they talk to themselves ... they see themselves as they'd like to be, they don't have the courage you have, to just run with it."
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JesusIsLord
Jesus freak


Registered: 08/10/12
Posts: 8,061
Last seen: 9 years, 4 days
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: ZippoZ]
#21207017 - 01/31/15 02:06 PM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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there's gold in them thar hills
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And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
Edited by JesusIsLord (01/31/15 02:09 PM)
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passifloracaerulea



Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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Re: I want to move to alaska this summer and go mining [Re: ZippoZ]
#21207730 - 01/31/15 05:17 PM (9 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
ZippoZ said: Ive done very very well in mining over the past 6 or so years, all of my history is in research and development, i sold a property for about 2 million, and have seen about half of that come in... a lot of the rest of it is royalties and retained ownership that I probably wont see for another 20 years, if ever... And most all of that was with hard rock Iron Ore mining.
That being said, I have quite a bit of knowledge on the sunject, and im better off than the 9/10 that do actually fail. I own a Drill rig that is probably worth about 75K with all the tooling and equipment that comes on it, and it would allow me to sample a large amount of ground, and determine if any of these unmined claims have any value... it really is all about the drilling and planning.
$10/ a yard is the bottom line on what you can actually get away with mining. But identifying higher grade pay streaks can get you an edge as long as you arent mining the shitty overburden or low paying gravels...
Problem is I would definately need a crew, or some more people. I have me and My GF that are willing to go right now, and as much as she says shell drive a loader for 10 hours, i reallllly doubt that her enthusiasm will last.
Well it sounds like you have a good grasp on what needs to be done and if you have more funding than 50k you could pull it off possibly. If that idiot moron Todd Hoffman can do it then anyone can with the right money and crew. He made a lot of mistakes and it's worth learning from his mistakes. I've lived out of a tiny trailer during mining season the last 7 years and I just don't want to live like that anymore. I really just want to make my high end jewelry designs. I got legendary material from my hard work and I would be stupid to stay and try to mine more obsidian. We also hit such an amazing dike of fire obsidian last year after the blue ran out. I ended up with 5 tons of that material too. If I keep mining, my jewelry inventory would never get to the point where I need it to be to have lots of high end sales.
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