Steve Houston

The early models (BFO) used a 67 1/2 volt battery and if I remember correctly it was the same battery used in crank telephones. Batteries Plus now has them for people restoring those old phones and the cost was around $50.00 to $60.00 each. Steve Houston

Well I probably shouldn't admit it but I was the guy throwing those pesky red rocks down the mine shaft, at least a couple of dozen before I noticed gold protruding out of one before I pitched it. Now did I feel pretty silly and disapionted at the same time. Well never again, Rick, will I throw away a red hotrock. Hydroflouric acid fumes can and will kill you. Simply put, it is best not to use it. Steve Houston

Welcome Steve to Sweet Home OR. Steve was able to stop by for a visit Wed. night, the night of our club meeting. Sooo of course we talked him into speaking at the meeting. It didn't take much talking in fact it didn't take any at all. If you don't know Steve he is a great guy and probably the best speaker when it comes to his passion, GOLD. I've known Steve for 15 years and he is a natural when it comes to using and speaking about metal detecting, metal detectors and gold in it's many forms. Thank you Steve! We will hook up in Northern Nevada and spend some time together detecting for gold. Hopefully it will be as good next time as it was last time. Thanks again, Steve Houston

Hello WesD, Countless hours of research, swinging a detector, and just a lucky day! This is the largest we have found to date on the claim and by far the prettiest. Steve

Your welcome and thanks. It was found with a GP Extreme at just over 14 inches deep. Sounded real nice like you know it's a nugget. We know there is more just need the time to spend down there. Steve

Hope this picture turns out. This was found in Northern Nevada in the last two weeks. It has been dipped in acid but just enough to bring out the character of the nugget. The weight is 2 1/2 ounces after being cleaned. Pretty piece with more to come, hopefully. Steve

A fish hook in a dry wash in Northern Nevada and a mid 40's Dodge PU while dredging at about ten feet deep. Steve

Cograts Rick, WOW great gold! I will have my SDC2300 soon and will meet you in Nevada. I am going to try to spend at least a week this time. Now that you are learning yours you can teach me to run mine. Steve

I tend to use the Nugget Busters or when in snake country the Rattlers. The Rattlers only cover one ear so you can hear the snakes. Both good Head Phones and made by the same company as the Black Widows or Grey Ghost.

For gold I plan on using a GMT and a GB2 both with small coils, may even buy the SDC 2300.The TDI SL and 12 inch coil will be used for deeper targets. For coins I use the MXT and 10 inch coil and shallow diving the AT PRO. I can't swim so no need for detectors that will work in deeper water. Steve

I spend a lot of my down time researching new areas. Local historical books, libraries and newspaper archives. Of course I put myself in areas where gold has been found in the past. I look for "New Gold Discovery" or "Gold Found at" etc. This guides me to new areas. Check with the BLM on the status of the areas you wish to "research" further. If it is open visit the spot. If there are large disturbed areas, possibly a Minelab went through there and it maybe ripe for a VLF such as the GMT. If it has not been disturbed, bonus. Now this only works if the area you research has detectable gold. So it comes down to "gold can be found again where gold was once found 100 yrs ago". They did not have detectors then and did miss gold so become intimate with yours. This research process takes a little of your time but may be well worth it and has served me well. So remember "research, research, research" "practice, practice, practice" and last but not least "patience, patience, patience".

WOW nice gold and great story. Wish I owned a 7000 and it was my claim. But oh well my day is out there. Congrats!!

The White's Coinmaster Series might also be a thought. They start at $179 and are easy to learn and operate, somewhat similar to the Ace Series. Most of my friends wives use the the White's MX 5 but a bit more money. Just a thought. Steve

I forgot an important step. HF will ruin an eye if splashed on so wear eye protection (goggles etc.). Get the goggles off as soon as safely possible if they have a few drops on them. There is a liquid form of calcium gluconate designed as an eye wash but I would still make a run for the hospital. The best method is to simply not use HF.

OK here it is but first be cautious HF acid is very dangerous. First a soak in Muriatic for 24 to 48 hours. A short soak in ammonia about 24 hours then a good rinse in hot water for about an hour. Next a pressure wash using one of those neat pressure guns that dry cleaners use. Soak in HF for 12 hours (remember HF is extremely dangerous) wear chemical gloves for this process. Do not breath the fumes, it will burn your lungs! Now soak in ammonia for 24 to 48 hours. Rinse then soak in HOT water for 1 hour. If needed pressure wash again CAREFULLY. If a drop or two gets splashed on you, the best thing is to be cautious and don't let it happen. If it does rinse with ammonia then pack with Calcium Gluconate (Calgonate)and get your butt to the hospital! Remember you may not feel the burn but it will be happening. The best way to avoid burns is to be cautious and don't let it happen, wear chemical gloves and even an apron. Keep the ammonia and the calcium gluconate real handy. I friend of mine is missing a thumb and he insists that he cut it off before going to the hospital. Dramatic I know but I would do the same thing IF it happened to me without the materials needed to rinse and clean the wound. Steve

WOW, nice specimen Steve, you sure put your time in. Rita closes her doors at the end of January and we plan on working the claim more to see what's there. Also work some new areas to see if we can find another patch. I am sure that we all could learn from you and the first item is to quit my favorite beverage, just quit Pepsi so am heading in the right direction. Good luck Steve!! Steve

I too have lost a patch and I know exactly where it isn't. I was following a wash up towards some hills finding the a bit of gold on my way. I came to an ancient waterfall (dry now) about ten feet high. I climbed on top to a large flat with a dry wash through it. I found 11 nice nuggets and since it was getting onto dark I hiked back to my rig. Got there a little after dark, drove back to camp and left for home the next day. It took me a year to get back down there and drove right to it, NOT. I am still looking for it ten years later. I now carry a Magellan GPS.

If and I repeat if I have to clean gold I use a multi step process. This is NOT for the beginer. Start with a soak in HC (Muriatic) acid for 24 to 48 hours. Neutralize in ammonia and then rinse. Pressure wash. ( I use one of those neat cleaners that dry cleaners use). Rpeat if needed. Most of the time I leave gold the way I find it or use HC or a good soak in Whink. I use a prosess using HF acid but it is way to dangerous to explain it here but when done properly is very effective and will leave a nice nugget when done.

I agree with the silence in the threshold. I call it a null. I dig them because every once in awhile it will be a tiny nugget. The nulls are hard to pick out sometimes because of the ground noise. Actually That is how I found our claim. A lot of small zips, a few nulls, then an overload that was a 2 1/4 ounce nugget. I will always dig a null. Steve

One day I hit a patch and called the three others over. We took turns until someone called it clean. My competitive nature took over because I knew there had to be one more. Directly I heard a whisper and pulled out a small nugget. I started to really work the area giving everyone a target after I found it. After the dust settled I ended up with 7 nuggets that did not equal a grain. Not a gram but a grain. But wow were the quiet. Some of the pieces were just above the sound of the background noise but I was in the zone and having a lot of fun. I was popping up pieces that even Dick could not hear. The even asked me if it was all worth it and my response was "heck yes". Ahh the memories.

Rick, you probably did lose them. These came from our trip in October just hadn't cleaned them up yet. Boy was I surprised. They came from the bottom of the trench where you dug the hole. I did not dig any deeper due to the gold we were finding on top. I've seen these type of nuggets at the BLM office called leaf gold. This would make what, five separate veins now? I too hope to break into another nice pocket. Steve have a great time in Alaska and will see you soon.

Steve, here are a few gold nuggets found on our claim. They are the first of this type. I am still working in the trench below Rick. Maybe a new vein? We went deeper on the main vein and stopped finding gold, these were a foot deeper or so. We picked up the main vein higher up the wall.

What is your coil doing or not doing?

That looks like what I am looking for, a pilot mill. Or if I find one that will do both steps I think that would be the way to go. The concrete mixer wets the material so I can run it through my Gold Genie it also tends to get rid of the light material leaving the heavies behind. I will start watching ads. Thanks, Steve.

Hi Reno Chris, I have tried iron balls but seems there is not much difference. I have it all crushed to roughly 100 mesh with my impact mill before running the material through the mixer. The main problem is my impact mill only accepts 3/4 minus material. Steve