Old mine shafts
- Thread starter Plumbus
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hAyyoUinAU
Rick
I am pretty sure in QLD it is illegal to do that. Unless you have permission. I could be wrong
And could be very dangerous. For multiple reasons. Not worth it just to find out they took all the good stuff. (As you would)
And could be very dangerous. For multiple reasons. Not worth it just to find out they took all the good stuff. (As you would)
Underground mine exploration is an activity that should not be undertaken lightly, recognize from the start that there is risk attached and take all reasonable precautions before starting. Here are a few simple precautions that are worth remembering:
1) Never go underground alone.
2) Always let someone who is staying above ground know where you are going and when you plan to return.
3) When you are a beginner go with someone who knows what they are doing to gain some experience before striking out on your own.
4) Use proper equipment and know how to use it - lug sole boots, a hardhat with cap lamp, a backup lighting source for each person (prefer two backup light
sources) leather work gloves, and for vertical entry proper descending/ascending gear. take a canvas shoulder bag, a small pry bar, rock hammer, and a
folding shovel/pick.
also
carry an air monitor that gives constant readings of the oxygen content of the air.
5) Remember that nothing you will see or find underground is worth losing your, or someone else's, life for.
6) Once underground always watch where you step.
7) Always watch for loose rock and timbers.
1) Never go underground alone.
2) Always let someone who is staying above ground know where you are going and when you plan to return.
3) When you are a beginner go with someone who knows what they are doing to gain some experience before striking out on your own.
4) Use proper equipment and know how to use it - lug sole boots, a hardhat with cap lamp, a backup lighting source for each person (prefer two backup light
sources) leather work gloves, and for vertical entry proper descending/ascending gear. take a canvas shoulder bag, a small pry bar, rock hammer, and a
folding shovel/pick.
also
carry an air monitor that gives constant readings of the oxygen content of the air.
5) Remember that nothing you will see or find underground is worth losing your, or someone else's, life for.
6) Once underground always watch where you step.
7) Always watch for loose rock and timbers.
this is the sniffer i have its not new and up to the best of the best but it works and that is all that matters
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It might only look a few metres deep, but it could be just sticks and crap at the bottom that you see concealing a shaft going down another 100 metres, don't assume the floor you see is solid.
Depending on where the shaft was if it was alluvial what they were chasing a detector most likely won't pick up the flour gold, if they were chasing a reef, then it's been ransacked already and most likely a waste of time.
Depending on where the shaft was if it was alluvial what they were chasing a detector most likely won't pick up the flour gold, if they were chasing a reef, then it's been ransacked already and most likely a waste of time.
most importantly tell the local police where your going and what time you roughly expect to get back/check in again with them
and a cbf hand held radios are always handy underground too and proper lighting and a long light 2m pole to probe the ground in front of you its not always obvious what your walking on could be a wooden floor/platforms under a small lawyer of fine silt/dirt with rotten timber's never touch the roof is my golden rule from 1ft on the walls down to the floor is where I would sample if your doing any hard rock sampling also if you have been doing it for a long time like I have 12 years now you get a feel of the ground and what to expect when abseiling down shafts or walking into adits.
another thing I want to point out is when you get into say a tunnel and you see a nice quartz reef sticking out of the wall and you think I wonder what that contains before hacking into it do a very simple test gently tap the wall at a safe distance of 1 or 2 meters with a steel pole if the sound of the rock is like hitting a drum low tone don't go near leave it alone its all lose and cracked it needs to be scaled down/made safe however if you hear a sound like you have just hit steel on steel or like a bell high tone then this sound you can hit the crap outa it and you won't have any problems with rock falling on your head and you feel much safer walking past it.
the most dangerous things in any mine are
wear hard hats
heavy load on timbers the bending of timbers especially and rocks hung up in the roof that have fell down from a higher level in the mine ready to drop onto the adit but are kind of wedged in place.
rotten timbers this creates gas and if covering a stope winze or shaft is very dangerous to walk across even if you think they are ok
hidden winzes under water filled/flooded adits gas from rotting timber under the water noticeable if walking through adits and you start to see bubbles coming up
bad ground/unstable never go into alluvial workings they have the worst gas and the most unstable ground mainly because it was once a old creek/riverbed the miners wore tunnelling into this also applies to hard rock vain mining but with hard rock its usually a fault running through the ground making only some sections of the mine unstable.
belled out shaft collars crumbly like a funnel very deep once you slip in your not coming out in a hurry
mine fires due to the right gas and air ratios can be deadly 2 reasons one a fire ball in the entire mine and two the carbon monoxide and dioxide left from the burn so don't ever have a ciggy underground.
never climb through a cave in the rocks above can still fall on you if you wore to knock that one little rock holding the large car sized rocks in place
if abseiling down or up a shaft never look up as your rope can and often will dislodge small rocks and you may be wearing a hard hat but its no good if your not wearing a face shield if your close to your mate yell out to him if you think there is something wrong or get on the radio
also watch out for snakes in shafts and in adits they like to make it their home
wear dust masks
really it all comes down to experience knowledge and common since anyway I guess they are death traps only if you go inside or if you have no idea what your doing or what to expect.
and a cbf hand held radios are always handy underground too and proper lighting and a long light 2m pole to probe the ground in front of you its not always obvious what your walking on could be a wooden floor/platforms under a small lawyer of fine silt/dirt with rotten timber's never touch the roof is my golden rule from 1ft on the walls down to the floor is where I would sample if your doing any hard rock sampling also if you have been doing it for a long time like I have 12 years now you get a feel of the ground and what to expect when abseiling down shafts or walking into adits.
another thing I want to point out is when you get into say a tunnel and you see a nice quartz reef sticking out of the wall and you think I wonder what that contains before hacking into it do a very simple test gently tap the wall at a safe distance of 1 or 2 meters with a steel pole if the sound of the rock is like hitting a drum low tone don't go near leave it alone its all lose and cracked it needs to be scaled down/made safe however if you hear a sound like you have just hit steel on steel or like a bell high tone then this sound you can hit the crap outa it and you won't have any problems with rock falling on your head and you feel much safer walking past it.
the most dangerous things in any mine are
wear hard hats
heavy load on timbers the bending of timbers especially and rocks hung up in the roof that have fell down from a higher level in the mine ready to drop onto the adit but are kind of wedged in place.
rotten timbers this creates gas and if covering a stope winze or shaft is very dangerous to walk across even if you think they are ok
hidden winzes under water filled/flooded adits gas from rotting timber under the water noticeable if walking through adits and you start to see bubbles coming up
bad ground/unstable never go into alluvial workings they have the worst gas and the most unstable ground mainly because it was once a old creek/riverbed the miners wore tunnelling into this also applies to hard rock vain mining but with hard rock its usually a fault running through the ground making only some sections of the mine unstable.
belled out shaft collars crumbly like a funnel very deep once you slip in your not coming out in a hurry
mine fires due to the right gas and air ratios can be deadly 2 reasons one a fire ball in the entire mine and two the carbon monoxide and dioxide left from the burn so don't ever have a ciggy underground.
never climb through a cave in the rocks above can still fall on you if you wore to knock that one little rock holding the large car sized rocks in place
if abseiling down or up a shaft never look up as your rope can and often will dislodge small rocks and you may be wearing a hard hat but its no good if your not wearing a face shield if your close to your mate yell out to him if you think there is something wrong or get on the radio
also watch out for snakes in shafts and in adits they like to make it their home
wear dust masks
really it all comes down to experience knowledge and common since anyway I guess they are death traps only if you go inside or if you have no idea what your doing or what to expect.
7.62marksman said:
you have pretty much covered what I was going to include but there is no point in weighting the same list twice
I would call it a gas detector but that's just what I have
hAyyoUinAU
Rick
You wouldn't even know if there is a winze in there waiting for you..... there are plenty better places to find the yellow
if you can obtain the mining plans that you wish to explore and grades ounces per ton before going to so much effort and risk going down/in looking for it
but be warned not every mine was mapped and some of the ones that wore mapped wore later reworked and the new workings drives, shafts, adits winzes, risers, stopes wore never put on the old plan or they never made a new one including the more recent workings.
but be warned not every mine was mapped and some of the ones that wore mapped wore later reworked and the new workings drives, shafts, adits winzes, risers, stopes wore never put on the old plan or they never made a new one including the more recent workings.
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Ahhh the luck of the Irish,Plumbus said:
Nah, sampling, reading ground, looking for reef outcrops for veins or water worn rocks for alluvial, etc etc.
mmmmmmm google maybe :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sorry mate had to say it :8 :8 :8
Sorry mate had to say it :8 :8 :8
hAyyoUinAU
Rick
They would usually pan their way up the creek, then to the gullys following the gold. Then when it stoped, they would chase the source up the hillsides.
Sometimes they would just investigate where the shed gold and quartz floaters where coming from.
They would also dig pits to sample spots. Not Shafts. Just like big holes. If they found outcrop of a quartz reef they would sample it and dolly it. Or send it to be assayed.
Some used diviners, but that is a whole different subject. Dare I say "guessing"
So, just because there is a shaft, it doesn't necessarily mean they actually found any gold at all.
My 2 cents
Sometimes they would just investigate where the shed gold and quartz floaters where coming from.
They would also dig pits to sample spots. Not Shafts. Just like big holes. If they found outcrop of a quartz reef they would sample it and dolly it. Or send it to be assayed.
Some used diviners, but that is a whole different subject. Dare I say "guessing"
So, just because there is a shaft, it doesn't necessarily mean they actually found any gold at all.
My 2 cents
found mainly by loaming pretty much what hAyyoUinAU has said they would also do trenching if on flatter ground to expose the reef
