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pascalfortier 16:35:12 Mon Oct 4 2010 Offline 63 posts ![]() Reply |
Hi Robin!
I know you are busy, do you have a date in mind for your Giant book or can I pre-order and receive an unfinished copy? ( paypal or credit card ) I prefer a numeric copy but I will take a hard copy if you like to go that way. Thanks Pascal |
dungbeetle 08:45:55 Tue Oct 5 2010 Offline 60 posts Reply |
Yeah me too, it's been available "in the next few days" for a while now! Just release the bloody thing already! : )
Cheers |
Muley 08:50:41 Tue Oct 19 2010 Offline 377 posts Reply |
Try this link to Steppe's website. He is working in a place that has very poor communication so if you send him a email don't get frustated if he don't get back to you.
http://www.mine.mn/index.htm Happy diggin's Muley |
Steppegold 05:39:11 Thu Nov 11 2010 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Oops - :embarassed::embarassed:
Sorry folks. Everything was ready, and then it unraveled. Here is the groaning saga, hopefully with a happy ending. Once I did print it, just to get the feel of it. Never, ever try to print 1,700 pages back to back on a scanner, that was a real dumb idea. The next idea was simple enough. To put the book as a CD via Amazon and such-like. All that needed was to air freight them a stock of CDs, and get the book a ISBN number so that Amazon could index it. That idea hit a brick wall, as Mongolia still has some vestiges of the former command economy. For anyone to publish anything you have to registered to do it. OK, sounds easy. Well, not quite. To register my company (Eco-Minex International Ltd, the name chosen so I would remember the short version EMI which unfortunately Mongolians call eee-my), as a PUBLISHER was a no-no. Its not in our Founding Document under the Foreign Investment Law, so no-can-do. Plan B, just get an ISBN number. This is a global system. Er well, no-can-do in the UK as I've no address there. No problem as there is an ISBN office in Mongolia. After Chimee tracked down the office, the person was successively away, out, sick, on leave, vanished etc. for months. Finally met, only to be told, nope, ISBN numbers are only given to registered publishing companies, which EMI is not. Plan C was to do a load of CDs, and use a marketing outfit in the next block to distribute it worldwide via their internet shop. But, after allowing a cut for the internet shop, the cost of CDs, packaging, international postage etc, and the lag time of getting it to a customer, forget it. Plan D was next. [Steppe, are you going to do the entire alphabet??? Ed]. Er not quite. Simple solution, make it a download and people buy it online via a secure merchant account. That neat idea bit the dust when we took into account it would take 5 hours or so to download it from the Mongolian-based server we use (magicnet.mn which works like clockwork but its a slow clock). We could move the website and/or the download site to the USA or the moon and it would of course be quicker. Might do it, and then after being smug after making a pay-page on the site that the security could be bust by anyone, the idea was dumped. Plan E is a-l-m-o-s-t ready. We are talking to a US based internet co that will do a seamless merchant page for us and will do whopping downloads fast to customers. So it looks like the Gold Miners Book will be out real soon, assuming... well we are trying. ![]() :confused::confused: ------------------ Meanwhile I've been on a bit busy, involved in all sorts of strange stuff. More on that later. Steppe |
DanAK 05:57:38 Thu Nov 11 2010 Offline 376 posts ![]() Reply |
Thanks for the update, and all your hard work on the book, I will be patiently waiting whenever it becomes available.
|
kevyluvu 06:37:17 Thu Nov 11 2010 Offline 261 posts Reply |
My friend has setup multiple websites with Paypal. One of them for a photographer to sell prints. If it's prints or PDF's it's all 1'and 0's so it just about enough bandwidth. Sounds like this company you're in contact with has got you covered, but if you need additional info I can give you his contact info via PM.
-Kevin |
kringle_mining 15:36:51 Thu Nov 11 2010 Offline 2563 posts ![]() Reply |
Sound like you should bind it by volumes 1-5 . From personel experience, If a book is opened enough the back ends up cracking and throwing pages out. It is worse with thicker books.
There is definitely a market for a mining book at this day and age with the inner city beginning to bend their 401k, computers, mortage and suit suits into plow shares and picks and axes . |
peluk 06:50:32 Fri Nov 12 2010 Offline 1433 posts Reply |
"All good things come to him who waits."
Cheers! |
pascalfortier 09:38:25 Sat Nov 13 2010 Offline 63 posts ![]() Reply |
Thanks
Pascal |
Steppegold 06:38:43 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Hi Folks
We are incredibly close to making The Gold Miners Book available to everyone via Internet. The latest excuse (Steppe, o-oh not another one - Ed) was the need to get a Company Credit Card in order to make the Internet Banking Sysytem operate. Well, after the usual signed and stamped company letters, the bank demanded to see my passport. Unfortunately that very day the girls had taken it to the Visa Office to renew my visa as 'investor'. The passport came back yesterday complete with my one-year visa. Off to the bank to collect my company VISA CARD, and hey it seems to be happening! Having decided it will only be a PDF download from a merchant site, the distribution costs have fallen to next to nought. That's because there will be no paper, colour-printing, binding, packaging, stuffing parcels, stamps and the rest. What price then? How does 20$ a copy sound? - Less and its hardly worth me bothering. - More and I'd put off folks with scant cash to spare. I'm not being entirely altruistic. The theory (and it could be rubbish!) is that if the price is low enough to attract credit card holders to buy it, then it might sell lots. Quite a few AGF members received a freebie CD copy quite a while back, in recognition of supplying photos and info. [If you'd like a free copy, and help to make it a better book, then listen up! The text and layout is complete, including about 5,000 photos, but I would like to add a FEW MORE! If you can supply a picture, you get a FREE copy, plus an acknowledgement in the caption below the picture and your website URL if you have one. Please make sure you have the copyright. The deadline is Tuesday 21st December 2010 when - assuming I can get my head round the banking system, the book is published on the Internet. Here is my Wish List: CHAPTER 2 - GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT p.23 - 2 pics of Nome and/or Oregon coastal gold placers, e.g. beach scene with wash-plants. p.24 - 1 pic of gold under the sea. p.27 - 2 pics of gold in glacial terrain CHAPTER 3 - PLACER GOLD MINES p.45 - 1 pic of ELUVIAL placer gold mine in in hot climate p.47 - 1 pic of COLLUVIAL placer gold mine in hot climate CHAPTER 4 - PLACER GOLD MINERS p.71-72 - 4 pics of Recreational Gold Miners (We don't have any such people in Mongolia!), This is your chance for a pic of you and friends in a book, doin' your thing! CHAPTER 10 - BAT FOR ARTISANAL GOLD RECOVERY P.374 - 2 pics of BATEAs in action. CHAPTER 11 - BAT FOR PLACER GOLD EXPLORATION p.435 - 2 pics of gravity survey on placer area. p.481 - 1 pic Solid Auger Drill Rig on placer. p.485 - 2 pics R/C Reverse Circulation Drill Rig on placer p.486 - 1 pic R/C Down-the-Hole Hammer Drill Rig on placer p.487 - 2 pics R/C Hammer Drill Rig on placer p.491 - 4 pics of Sonic Drill rigs on placer CHAPTER 17 - MINE MANAGEMENT p.821 - 2 pics of Conveyor on tracks, in a placer mine. CHAPTER 18 - SCREENING p.838 - 2 pics of western Derocker wash-plants p.854 - space for extra pics of placer mine trommels in action CHAPTER 19 - CHOOSING & TESTING A WASH-PLANT p.884 - space for extra pics of nuggets and coarse gold. p.891 - 1 pic of gold being used in a tracer test. CHAPTER 20 - GETTING GOLD TO SETTLE p.932 - 2 pics of actual turbidity currents p.933 - 2 pics of slurry showing Venturi Effect. p.934 - 2 pics of slurry illustrating Bernoulli's Principle p.956 - 2 pics of gold particles illustrating friction p.959 - 2 pics of Cheerio Effect (breakfast cereal). p.974 - 2 pics of Quicksand Effect (e.g truck!). CHAPTER 21 - RECOVERING GOLD BY GRAVITY p.1013 - pics of nugget catchers (with nuggets) p.1016 - pics of ASAT E-tower p.1017 - pics of Kuryluk's E-tower p.1020 - pics of Osterberg's E-tower p.1029 - pics of the 'Pyramid Rotary Jig' of Santa Barbara (1990s). p.1044 - pics of USA mobile jigs CHAPTER 22 - SETTLING TOWERS TO JIGS p.1082 - pics of Pinched Sluice in action p.1095 - pics of Whirlsizer p.1100 - pics of Compound Water Cyclones in gold recovery CHAPTER 24 - SLUICES p.1169 - 4 pics of Oscillating Sluices p.1171 - 3 pics of Z-Sluice Boxes p.1179 - 2 pics of Toppling Cylinder (South Africa) p.1210 - 1 extra pic of U-Tech RP Table p.1218 - any pic of Bartles-Mozley Muti-Deck Tables (Cornwall UK) p.1220 - any pic of a gold Vanner, large or small (= Countercurrent Sluice). p.1222 - any pic of Bartles Crossbelt Vanner (Cornwall UK) CHAPTER 25 - TABLES TO SPIRALS 1215 - Goltron (extra pics needed) 1220 - pic of Vanners in action CHAPTER 26 - CENTRIFUGES p.1252 - pics of I-Con centrifuge washplant p.1253 - any pic of Falcon C Bowl CHAPTER 28 - RECOVERING GOLD BY CHEMICALS p.1312 - pics of Recreational Miners cleaning up mercury. p.1372 - pics of gold recovery by chlorination (bleach etc). p.1373 - pics of Igoli Gold Process p.1377 - pics of Tincture of Iodine method of gold recovery p.1384 - pics of Aqua Regia gold recovery method p.1385 - pics of Salt-Electrolytic gold recovery method CHAPTER 29 - UPGRADING GOLD CONCENTRATE p.1431 - pics of Rotopan, preferably in action p.1435 - pics of McCanns Small Sluice p.1438 - pics of Damn Fine Sluice p.1442 - pics of Loewens Small Sluice CHAPTER 32 - TRAINING-STANDARDS-MONITORING p.1490 - pics of training of placer miners Yup its a long list, but its worth chipping away at it. Anything anyone can do to shorten the list is much appreciated. It would be icing on the cake, but anyhow the deadline is next week. cheers Steppe emiweb@magicnet.mn |
Geo_Jim 06:58:23 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 1241 posts ![]() Reply |
Steppe, I am all about gold in glaciated terrains, so I have pictures. But you need to be more precise about what you are looking for. If you want to see gold in focus, the terrain will be out of focus. I would think you are more interested in the terrain and accept on faith that gold came from there, right/ Well I have gobs of them. What in particular are you looking for?
Geo Jim |
Steppegold 10:41:09 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Hi Geo_Jim - many thanks for the offer of help.
Yes I am "more interested in the terrain and accept on faith that gold came from there". This is in the introductory part of the book. So general views of placers in glaciated regions (or recently deglaciated) would be fine. For instance, paygravel associated with glacial till, or outwash associated with a glacier snout, or even diggings in permafrost. Anything like that would be fine. cheers Steppe |
baub 14:00:49 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 915 posts Reply |
Good news !
|
popandsonminers 17:48:40 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 418 posts Reply |
Steppe,
Your book is a major achievement and a bargain for anyone looking to understand available means and methods for gold recovery. Nice work! It is a good resource for prospectors, mine/mill owners, neighbors and, yes, regulators. For instance, there is a legitimate world-wide desire to minimize or eliminate the use of mercury by millions of artisanal miners. Even the miners want alternates and you’ve many examples of technology that out-competes mercury, without the associated damage to health and environment. I don’t understand GeoWhiz’s cynicism. He makes you out to be a force from the darkside! There’s nothing in your BAT that imposes change: legislation will do that. Will your work influence that legislation? Perhaps. But the evolution of any basic industry is based on continuing improvements to both performance and environmental impacts. When industry does not self-regulate and perform responsibly, the legislators get involved and they are the least likely to choose in favor of industry. Hence, the recent events in Mongolia. And, thanks to your hospitality, I personally witnessed the large-scale devastation in the Zamaar Goldfields: mountains relocated with monster draglines, huge river valleys dredged with bucket line dredges and in most areas, little restoration. The blatant disregard for regulations, contracts and responsible mining practices caused the government to shut down the whole industry: even those examples of responsible mining, which were refreshing to see, got shut down. I do hope it gets sorted out to allow sane mining, as that mid-level and smaller mining industry is a mainstay of Mongolia’s employment and economic health at the individual level. Here’s hoping for a successful launch of your book and may it pay you back for all the effort you’ve put into it--- |
Geo_Jim 19:58:39 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 1241 posts ![]() Reply |
But, but, but Steppe,
It is easier said than done finding a placer operation with a glacier in the same picture. I can not think of a place were the two could be in one. Lets see there is Crow Creek near Girdwood, Alaska where a glacier is close by, but way up the mountain and it might not show. I dont know, I will look. The problem is that the ice age is over...at least for now. Southern Alaska was glaciated to beat the band, but those blokes are gone from view now. Yes, we can recognize the landscapes effected of the glaciers, but those big white globs have melted away. Usually where you have placers in glaciated terrains are in side valleys where the glacier blocked the front of the valley. If the glacier was still around, the placer probably would not have been discovered. I have tons of jpgs of placer ground in glaciated landscapes, but no landscape or even profile shots of glaciers in the same jpg. Geo Jim:confused::confused: |
Steppegold 22:33:57 Thu Dec 16 2010 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Hi Geo Jim - I was only hoping for a pic of a placer gold mine under a glacier, or with a glacier as a backdrop. As it happens, Felix Hruschka gave me some pics of an artisanal HARDROCK mine under a glacier in the Andes, but the book is about placer so I have to draw the line. Also on Google Earth there are spectacular pics of the Kumtor Gold Mine in Kyrgyzstan, which got permission via its EIA to carve a huge chunk of a glacier in order to open pit HARDROCK gold. The area is cluttered with pretty glaciers so this one was sacrificed and got blasted out of the way. The mine supplies half the national income and is a joint venture between the Kyrgyz government and Centerra Inc of Toronto (a spin-out of Cameco Inc).
(Steppe, you're ramblin' again - Ed). Oops. OK, I'd be pleased to settle for a placer deposit or mine with a backdrop of glaciated landscape without glaciers. For instance, with a moraine, U-shaped valley, kame, esker, pingo, ice wedges, varves, or till sheet etc. cheers and many thanks for taking the trouble! Steppe |
outnaboutnak 01:15:05 Fri Dec 17 2010 Offline 62 posts Reply |
Steppe, I have a couple of pictures of me recreationally panning, sluicing and dredging, that I would love to share. How do I get them to you?
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Steppegold 01:56:12 Fri Dec 17 2010 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Outaboutnak - many thanks. You can either deliver them personally to me in Ulaanbaatar (!), or more sensibly send them to my email address: emiweb@magicnet.mn.
I'm chained to my desk to finish editing the Book, so its perfect timing. cheers Steppe |
Steppegold 12:19:52 Fri Feb 25 2011 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Phew, as of 4am this morning, the Gold Miners Book is now polished and ready! It is rather large, with 1,807 pages, 2,497 colour photos, 670 drawings
and 6,550 references. With LOTS of help from Forum members and miners across the world, I've managed to plug most gaps and make important corrections. I've also added a coloured background which makes it a lot more attractive. It is a 230MB PDF and I'm making arrangements for it to be downloadable from a server in California. Now the PDF is ready, I suppose it will take a week or two to set up the download and link it to my website (www.mine.mn). Obviously some gaps remain for important pictures. If you have any pics of the following and are willing to share them then please contact me rather quickly on this thread, as PM or by email - emiweb@magicnet.mn: - i-Con centrifuge - original Falcon centrifuge (single wall, high speed). - Rotopan - Keystone placer drill (as a historical item) - turbidity current in a flume (Chimee won't let me pour slurry in our bath!) - ASAT E-tower (definitely worth investigating) - McCanns Small Sluice (probably the first really good small sluice for recovering fine gold and reci - Damned Fine Sluice - Loewen's Small Sluice (electrostatic, I have doodled a pic from the patent) - Derocker (I've got pics of Siberian copy-cat, but not of the Canadian original) - gravity survey in action (on a placer deposit) - vanner in action - oscillating sluice in action - historic pics of thaw points for large-scale dredging of permafrost (Alaska!) - pics of the Bema Dredge, the large bucket-line dredge in Alaska that was not quite right for marine conditions. - Gold Cone in action (I've doodled pics from the patent, and would like to add a pic of "the real thing") - slate Mulller table (ie from a billiard table or school blackboard) more later Steppe |
pascalfortier 03:07:36 Sat Feb 26 2011 Offline 63 posts ![]() Reply |
Yeah!!!!
Thanks Steppe! Pascal |
RUSTY_HAPPY_CAM 07:40:12 Sat Feb 26 2011 Offline 258 posts Reply |
Steppe,
I have a few pics of the I-con on my photobucket. You are welcome to use anything you need. http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c98/RUSTY_HAPPY_CAM/ICON%20consentrator/ Rusty |
Steppegold 15:47:17 Sat Feb 26 2011 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Rusty, you're a star!
Great pics, and important for the book. Many thanks indeed. Steppe. |
BillA 02:22:38 Sun Feb 27 2011 Offline 331 posts Reply |
you just cannot let up
I got a warning for my last response to you, may be banned for this one - and that's ok too listen guy, despite your knowledge - you are a jerk info is info, who do you think you are to define black and white ? steppe is worth 1000 of you Bill |
Jim_Alaska 04:47:22 Sun Feb 27 2011 Offline 4302 posts Admin ![]() Reply |
Time to let up on the personal digs and slams guys. This is supposed to be fun, informative, friendly and helpful.
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BillA 07:26:13 Sun Feb 27 2011 Offline 331 posts Reply |
"fun, informative, friendly and helpful"
well hell Jim, now I know I'm a jerk yes, you have described steppe; "fun, informative, friendly and helpful" my hat is off to him Bill |
Steppegold 16:41:34 Mon Feb 28 2011 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
It's all about the book. Still...
Never trust the smile of a crocodile IMO. Nothing personal. |
pascalfortier 18:22:22 Mon Feb 28 2011 Offline 63 posts ![]() Reply |
I like Steppe way of combining the best Recovery methods and his BAT ways (Best Available Techniques)
I think BAT is just part of today mining, and leave a really positive picture of it. If BAT is applied when Mining then nobody can hold a grudge against you. I have being reading his posts and looking forwards his book for 3 years now, I like the level of work and energy he puts into the subject. I might be wrong but I don't think there is anything in the last 100 years that cover 25% of the subject all in one or available that Steppe works will be. I Hope Steppe you will get well rewarded for your work Pascal |
Steppegold 01:23:21 Tue Mar 1 2011 Offline 436 posts ![]() Reply |
Geowizard - I've been asking people who study how Forums operate. They say you are a Troll and a Flamer engaged in Flamebait, and "don't feed the Troll". So cheerio.
Steppe |
BillA 01:43:11 Tue Mar 1 2011 Offline 331 posts Reply |
congrats guy
on one hand "fun, informative, friendly and helpful"; and on the other argumentative, opinionated, obstinate, and condescending Jim, I've said it before and I'll say it again - you need to ban this guy. I'll vote with my feet and save the $10 Bill |
pascalfortier 09:08:38 Tue Mar 1 2011 Offline 63 posts ![]() Reply |
....
Have it your way, I just know I learned along the way how to go mining smart. Yeah I could just Dump all the mercury I find, fill the river with silt and rocks from my wash plant, let that big pond of hydraulic oil and Leave a giant open hole that you can see on google earth. I like my region and I like seeing people able to fish and dig for gold at the same spot. When working on someone else propriety you have to return it to a good condition. If you work on your land then it depends in what condition you want to return it and how much you want to get it for it. If you are in the middle of nowhere in Alaska, I sure would leave that pit open. Steppe isn't saying do not use this technique. But he does says that there is what he think be a safer-cleaner way of doing what you what to achieve. I am very looking forward too for the vast quantity of knowledge this book might contain. I went to mining school and left for two main reasons one being forced to be more poor than a poor miner for a few years while I study and the lack of knowledge of the mining program both college and university about placer mining. There is nothing bad about mining if you behave correctly, mining is essential. Grand-pa time when you could dump a car in the river is over |
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