Alaskan Winter Mineshaft: Gold Mining/Prospecting in the Interior of Alaska - Part 2

[@Askjeffwilliams]

good job on dropping your shaft , would widen it out a bit and timber the collar ...let us know if you need pointers on timbering and ne safe down there .

[@tylernelson276]

Thanks Jeff, it's going to stay 4x4 because it's a nice happy medium for the size of hammer we are using. And yes we plan on collaring the top when we get a bit deeper. Love your videos, you have been an inspiration to us for years.

[@MW-nOttawa]

The Permafrost makes it very unlikely you'll have any cave-ins but obviously in the spring your hole is going to flood. While a collar is a great idea they should also think about digging a sump and thinking of how they will continue in the spring without losing all their hard work. Also they need to be putting those chunks of permafrost into some metal water tubs near a campfire so they can pan it on their downtime. I'll be doing the same thing as these two guys except in late April in the Yukon. BC has spots equally appealing but the Yukon's permafrost is actually a blessing (big equipment needs to wait for thaw out, small operations can work by fire like the oldtimers)

[@tylernelson276]

@@MW-nOttawa This hole will be completed before the thaw. We do not need to consume precious lumber shoring it up as it will be frozen solid the entire time we are working in it. This hole is a prospect shaft and the target is bedrock. Right now we are working through the muck layer and there are no values in that. We are going to do a video on the anatomy of the shaft possibly this weekend to explain the layers. When we hit gravel we will begin thawing samples to pan and stock piling that material.

[@rightsidelanechoice7702]

What’s up Jeff?

[@Askjeffwilliams]

thanks@@tylernelson276

[@copperhead2534]

3 ft down, build a buck frame to hold a piece of thin OSB, cap with 2" foam board, and put 2 bales pf straw on it with another foam board as a cap. Run a rope through it all at center for a winch loop. Lift it as a plug with the winch to access. Keeps the thawed gravel from freezing. Worked in Fbks.

[@Blaaake]

Good luck fellas!

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Thank you!

[@seperego1]

Im really pumped to see the upcoming videos of this. Id really appreciate lots of info and explantion on the process if u guys find time to incorporate it into your videos. Nice work!

[@michaelbyrnes1822]

I was going to suggest the pointed bit, u can get bigger chunks when you get the hang of it

[@LivingGoodAlaska]

A Mr Buddy heater that mounts on a propane tank would work wonders for you guys. I use one all winter on my oyster farm in southeast Alaska.

[@davidpatriot1082]

I know I KNOW this is extremely difficult hard work. but its also pretty damn cool you guys are lucky youre physically and financially able to do what youre doing. Good luck

[@AlaskaUnderground]

We're definitely grateful that we're able to be doing this, thank you!

[@d.andysprospecting]

awesome! getting er done!

[@StevenGamesWHC]

Would probably be better to use a 1" x 12" hammer drill to drill holes like a grid to allow for expansion and to allow cracks to form between the holes when you use the jack hammer.

[@stoningtonbolognington]

Can't wait to see some updates

[@eugenedenny9119]

Stay safe keep the videos coming

[@jasonthompson5324]

Good to see you having a go

[@Blaaake]

The speed difference on the jack bit is nuts…

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

To cold for me ! 🤣 Cant wait to see the progress on this guys ⛏⛏

[@AlaskaUnderground]

You and me both!

[@kilbonrobert]

Remember the Minecraft rule don't dig straight down! jokes aside great work

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Hoping for no lava or caves 😳

[@richardott643]

Nice work boys. My grand dad sunk shafts in interior Alaska over 100 years ago. 4’ by 6’ was standard size for a working shaft. You need the length as you get deeper. Good luck.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Wow, bet he had some great stories. Thank you!

[@McSkilly]

Not bad for some "Novice Miners"! 😉 Great Content boys

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Appreciate it!

[@MW-nOttawa]

This is the first video showing guys mining the same way as me. The only difference is they haven't busted out a diesel heater to make the job a bit more comfortable. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find people to Help with this sort of work. In my opinion its super fun (hard but fun) and the potential finds far outweigh the burden of the adventure.

[@mrMacGoover]

Do you guys keep checking the greese lubrication in the jack hammer gear box?

[@robertclark2959]

When you reach the pay layer what do you pull out on average from a mining pit? Or is it just for testing until spring when you can bring in heavy equipment?

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Yup, just a test hole to determine whether it is worth mining on a larger scale or not.👍

[@ninefingermining8694]

Awesome I have claim in interior AK. Have you guys drilled to test down to see if any gold or you just hoping ?

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Just hoping!

[@ninefingermining8694]

@@AlaskaUnderground so gold in the area ?you around Fairbanks

[@torxxx1]

looks like North of FBKS, Livengood area@@ninefingermining8694

[@z1catfish]

Got a major problem, your shaft is to small, you have no room to add cribbing to support the shaft, prevent cave ins. Hole needs to be at least a foot larger.

[@jamisontaylor878]

Frost or frozen ground is the hardest material too break up !!! Hopefully lots of gold for your hard work let's do this from my recliner lol😅😊

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Haha thanks!

[@RonaldFeller-r5h]

😮 over night i would do Cover the surfacegate with a blanket to keep the freeze Out of the ground ...

[@keshlalish5586]

bring a bail of hay next time and fill the hole. it could insulate it for the next run

[@shake9574]

Hope those bucket handles don’t break off, would be a bad day for the guy in the hole

[@MW-nOttawa]

Ill be doing the same thing in Yukon this spring! I've got all the equipment I'll need. If I could suggest one thing that might really help you - get a jackhammer of some sort. There are some really nice small battery powered ones on the market these days.

[@MW-nOttawa]

30 seconds later, theres the jackhammerr! Where is your 170,000BTU propane/diesel furnace ?

[@MW-nOttawa]

After watching the whole video, you guys have a great setup and with a little tweaking you'll be flying. I suggest getting a propane heater like a Buddy Mr Heater and also a torpedo heater for the hole. If you enclose the shaft a bit with plywood or tent you'll be nice and cozy. You guys are working hard, might as well be comfortable. I'd also suggest making a fire and placing some metal buckets with water beside the fire. You can dump the permafrost chunks into the buckets and then pan our the 'melted' dirt an hour or so later. This is what I'll be doing in April.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Appreciate the tips! Best of luck to you on your shaft-digging endeavors.

[@alaskangoldclaims9676]

Drill holes and use heat points to thaw it. Old timers didnt moil donikers.

[@victorjado3404]

Goooo Alaska team

[@glennboyd939]

Time is your friend when you can work daily. Baby steps.

[@matthewwilliams4623]

That first bit is for tarmac

[@mojavered.]

Put those supports away from the hole?

[@rightsidelanechoice7702]

Are we taking any samples or just digging a hole?

[@baTonkaTruck]

It’s a good question, this video could benefit from some context on the land, geology, deposition, and extraction strategy. Probably no values in overburden, I bet they’re waiting to get closer to bedrock (they mentioned gravels), but would be good to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

[@tylernelson276]

Stay tuned, we are working on it. It's been -50F here for the past week and we need to wait for it to warm up a bit.

[@benniehazelwood9276]

I hope that y'all put up a wooden wall so it want clips on you. Be safe

[@Anthony-p2f7u]

Any gold in the material on the way down yet?

[@MW-nOttawa]

they dont know they're leaving it in chunks as far as I can tell. I'd be putting it in metal tubs full of water warmed by a nearby campfire and panning it on my smoke breaks and whatnot.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

None yet, but testing will begin when we return!

[@Anthony-p2f7u]

Is it just a random hole or is there mehod to the madness? Are you chasing a historicaly rich lead?

[@douglasbrown4775]

use a spike you will move 4x5 times as much

[@tylernelson276]

The spike tends to go too deep and stick the bit. It actually tends to get hot then freezes instantly and is really difficult to work with in the muck. It may have it's place when we get to pure gravel but right now the narrow chisel is doing the best.

[@jonmorgan1913]

Collapse?

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Fortunately, we will not have to worry about a collapse during the winter months. The surrounding materials that make up the walls will remain frozen as long as the outside temperatures remain below freezing. However, the shaft will collapse when it thaws, but we will be done digging by then!

[@MW-nOttawa]

@@AlaskaUnderground even if you blast the walls with heat, it will only thaw out an inch or less at a time and you can hack away at it with your pick to keep loose boulders from tumbling out unexpectedly. You're so close to the ground (e.g. in your feet and not in a machine) so you'll be intimately familiar with almost every rock in your hole if you want to be. As mentioned, I'd be putting that spoil into hot water and panning it while you let a diesel heater soften the ground and then hit it with your jackhammer like you've been doing. You'll fly down 1foot every 30mins.

[@matthewmaile8672]

If you don't find gold, you'll at least have a nice latrine.

[@eprofessio]

Please wear some breathing protection. Love your content.

[@AlaskaUnderground]

Ventilation soon to come, thank you!

[@walkitalki5197]

your dad should've worn some

[@eprofessio]

@@AlaskaUnderground ventilation only supplies oxygen. Breathing protection will protect your lungs from silica and asbestos. N95 will help however to really be protected you need the pink 100 filters.

[@eprofessio]

@@walkitalki5197your momma didn’t care that when we made you. Everyone got a piece of that.

[@DominicSparling-x7c]

Cut those walls back

[@neipamocal]

"Alaskan Mineshaft" sounds hella inappropriate if you know what an "Alaskan Pipeline" is.

[@jasonthompson5324]

Chisel bit for the kango hammer boys not the spade bit

[@grgpahljina6145]

This doesnt look fun hopefully the pay out is wourth the work

[@Horizontreecare]

That looks super miserable.