Your Techniques For Trashy Tailing Piles

[Steve Herschbach]

Do you want to use discrimination or not? You should dig everything, but if that is not practical, then use discrimination. Some people can dig trash all day, others not. The basic rule is... as long as any targets remain a nugget can still be found. The only truly hunted out location is one with no remaining targets. Hunted out = nothing goes beep.

Many people hunt tailing piles that have been screened and so the idea is looking for large nuggets that went over the screen. Therefore the preference for larger coils. If the tailings were never screened and are comprised more of small material that might have small gold then a smaller coil might be better. There are no rules, only preferences and judgment calls about what works best for any given situation. Out of box thinking and flexibility go a long way in this endeavor.

[fredmason]

Steve, as always is correct...

The amount of iron in tailing piles depends on how much stuff got thrown in and how many iron screens and tacks got in the mix. I have never found big nuggets in the header piles, yet, but plenty of little nuggets in the tailings....also, the ground beneath may have not been worked....and the spaces between the piles...you just don't know until you try.

fred

[Skookum]

It’s been a while of meaning to reply to this thread. I certainly don’t want to hijack it, rather follow up with the results of the good advice given here. Shortly before reading the above comments, I was hunting some trashy tailings piles, as well. I chose the 5” coil on the GM1000 and found 2 nuggets. The amount of trash was profound. As has been said, I figured it meant few others had bothered with it. After seeing VAnursePaul’s timely post, I went back to the same piles, but took along a dirt-cheap Harbor Freight Pittsburg Heavy Duty Magnetic Pickup Tool for $7.99. I couldn’t wait for the order of K&J magnets that Rob recommended to arrive. (By the way, those magnets are amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.) In the meantime, the cheap pickup tool worked great. It wasn’t neodymium strength, but there was no way I could have processed that pile without it. The second time around, the EQX 800 with the 6” coil put up a good fight against the Gold Monster. In a strange way, the Equinox is more pleasing to the ear, but I digress. After a filling a pouch with iron bits, two more nuggets popped out. VAnursePaul, thanks for the great question and, as always, the generous sharing of responses. Thanks, guys. 

[geof_junk]

Sometimes you have to admit defeat. My wife and I got a heap of nuggets here, but did not remove all of the junk. There was a lot of gold in the area (over a kilo) but I am sure there is more left for someone else.

[GB_Amateur]

17 hours ago, Skookum said:

took along a dirt-cheap Harbor Freight Pittsburg Heavy Duty Magnetic Pickup Tool for $7.99. 

....

...The cheap pickup tool worked great.

Nice story.  Is this the tool you're referring to?  Appears lightweight, which obviously makes it easy to carry along, especially if you have a ways to hike.

 

[Skookum]

1 hour ago, GB_Amateur said:

Nice story.  Is this the tool you're referring to?  Appears lightweight, which obviously makes it easy to carry along, especially if you have a ways to hike.

 

That's it. The price was right and I was in a rush. 🙂. The downsides are that it’s an extra tool to handle and it’s not a neodymium magnet. The upsides are that it is cheap, it can be used while standing, it is easily pushed into and through loosened dirt. It got the job done nicely. 

[normmcq]

 Paul

 I have the counter weighted carbon fiber shaft and love it, balances it nicely.

                                                                                      Norm

[vanursepaul]

Thanks Norm--

Believe it or not  I had my truck stolen again for the second time---- this time the west hollywood police found it right before it was to become a parts donor...lol

But alas--- my 800 was gone 

[schoolofhardNox]

1 hour ago, Skookum said:

That's it. The price was right and I was in a rush. 🙂. The downsides are that it’s an extra tool to handle and it’s not a neodymium magnet. The upsides are that it is cheap, it can be used while standing, it is easily pushed into and through loosened dirt. It got the job done nicely. 

How about just getting the same size round neodymium magnet and just let it attract to the magnet on the bottom of the one you bought?

[Skookum]

10 minutes ago, schoolofhardNox said:

How about just getting the same size round neodymium magnet and just let it attract to the magnet on the bottom of the one you bought?

Yes.  That may be a decent idea.  I believe some of those circular K&J magnets have a #10 countersunk hole.  I haven't gone as far as taking the screw out of the Harbor Freight magnet to size it up.  There is something to be said for not to having to kneel down for every flake of iron.