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first fossick
chchfossiker  
Posted : Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:12:43 PM(UTC)
chchfossiker

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finally going for my first fossick this weekend after 2months of making/obtaining gear,researching areas to go. just a one day trip to test out my gear and have a fun day out in the bush and to top it of hopefully find a few specs.

im taking my sluice box
pan
classifiers
crow bar
bucket or two
shovel trowel snifer bottle ect


i have learnt so much info on here to get me on my way,

so cheers guys will let you know how it goes.

hopefully be able to to get something for show and tell haha unlikely but hey you never know with a tin arse
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cavey  
Posted : Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:21:14 PM(UTC)
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Good luck with your trip mate this is a great hobby hope you find some gold.
Cavey
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simon  
Posted : Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:28:01 PM(UTC)
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chchfossiker;

i'd add 2 things that are prob essential:

1. insect repellant. unless you're immune i'd consider this vital for most places.

2. gloves. the water's getting cold. means you can stand a longer spell in the water.

3. you might have already thought of this and omitted from your list but what are you planning on putting your findings in? i use a click clack type container, a small one, found at most supermarkets. used to use a vial. found 2 problems with this - glass breaks if you drop it. and i found it easier to transfer my small stuff into. not so easy to tip into a vial - you could of course suck it up out of the pan with a little sniffer bottle tho.

happy prospecting.

simon.
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WWW
chchfossiker  
Posted : Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:44:37 PM(UTC)
chchfossiker

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simon wrote:
chchfossiker;

i'd add 2 things that are prob essential:

1. insect repellant. unless you're immune i'd consider this vital for most places.

2. gloves. the water's getting cold. means you can stand a longer spell in the water.

3. you might have already thought of this and omitted from your list but what are you planning on putting your findings in? i use a click clack type container, a small one, found at most supermarkets. used to use a vial. found 2 problems with this - glass breaks if you drop it. and i found it easier to transfer my small stuff into. not so easy to tip into a vial - you could of course suck it up out of the pan with a little sniffer bottle tho.

happy prospecting.

simon.


thanks for the info simon

i have a vial but will get a plasic type container, hadnt thought about droping the glass.plus the vial is so small it wouldnt be hard to lose either.

gloves another great idea ... water proof type rubber ones? or just like a thermal style one thats lets the water threw bout keeps your hands a bit warmer like how polyprop works?
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kiwijw  
Posted : Thursday, 26 May 2011 3:59:51 PM(UTC)
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Edited by user Saturday, 9 July 2011 2:29:10 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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chchfossiker  
Posted : Thursday, 26 May 2011 4:18:30 PM(UTC)
chchfossiker

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jw those sniffers/suckers you have look very handy did you make them yourself?
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simon  
Posted : Friday, 27 May 2011 4:46:34 AM(UTC)
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chchfossiker:

in regards to gloves, i have a couple of different types.

the first are just like extra strong household gloves, lined on the inside and rubbery on the out. i think they use them for dairy farming etc. can pick them up at places like crt, carters. i've paid between $7 and $14 for them. they're ok if its not too cold, or if you're not constantly in the water. they're not tight fitting.

when its real cold i use neoprene dive gloves. tight fitting so a lot warmer. only problem is the stitching wears out pretty quickly, and at $45 a pair u may just end up spending all your gold money on replacements.

ideally i would wear these inside the rubber ones but its a pretty tight fit and good hand movement is essential to hold all your fossicking tools.

i'm sure some of you others guys have some better ideas. it's a bit hard to find much in a little town like here.

i used to just go in bare hands but some of the rivers here are loaded with mica from the rocks and it seems to dry out the old hands. chucked in with the rock abrasiveness and you're looking at some worn out hands pretty quickly.

simon.
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Eagle  
Posted : Friday, 27 May 2011 8:45:55 AM(UTC)
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Gidday chchfossiker

If the waters not too cold & I am working my sluice box I wear a pair of gloves called...Brand name=Showa Thermo.. they last for ages,I also wear these sniping,& if it gets real cold sniping I wear a 3mm glove & wear an extra large pair of these Showa gloves over the top to protect the dive gloves which can be exspensive to buy.

If things are getting pretty cold when sluice boxing I wear a thin polyprop glove inside a glove that goes all the way up to your elbow..I think they are used by dairy farmers,sorry I can not remeber there name,but they are waterproff & tuff for hauling gravel all day long,they too last for ages.

I buy these from Mitre 10.

Go hard chchfossiker
Eagle
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Lammerlaw  
Posted : Sunday, 29 May 2011 6:28:04 PM(UTC)
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I noticed the word 'SNIFFER' used to name one piece of equipment. I never knew the origin of the name but the correct name is 'SNIFTER' - in other words 'FT' and NOT double ff
As I said in another thread I have every reason to believe that we have the very first ones ever made in NZ - the first ones were made of car tyre pumps and we had standing orders in second hand shops for every vintage car tyre pump we could find. In retrospect I am now certain that I had one in the Arrow River in 1961 and my uncle would have given it to me.
I am not sure where the inspiration came from to make them but I think my uncle was second person to go looking for gold, making a dredger and SNIFTERS. I think his dredger was inspired by another fellow in Dunedin who had made one though I also remember my uncle mention that he had read about there use in California and the inspiration may have come from there.

Edited by user Sunday, 29 May 2011 6:46:05 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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