Gold rush

[chopped]

It seems that maybe I didnt really see from the beginning that the show was going to be so much drama and set up scenes. I thought it was an interesting subject and wanted to learn more,I can see now how it has evolved and was more for entertainment then the 'facts'
I hadnt watched a dirty jobs in some time and was abole to see a more recient one and could then see a differnce even in that one..This one was about medical waste being treated and it was interesting Mike makes alot of jokes to make the show, but you also get a working knowledge of the business. I enjoy the people. the two owners (dad and son) were so ''stern' and grouchy looking.They would answer with ''yep'' and nope'' (not much personaliy I thoght).
but this time iI made it a point to watch the people more closely, And one point he opened a bucket to find a fake head in it and Mike looked freeked out. Too funny. I only hope it was genuine and he didnt know it wold be in there..
At one point they changed out a bearing and I though it was a bit crude to have to torch it out as they did.But it made for a better show. I was able to laugh when he was cutting and got hot balls burning him. The other guy says we got no leathers. and I cut all the time like that. I could relate to this so it was sort of funny for me..
Ill continue to watch the programs as I enjoy them but I should realize that its not as it always is..
I enjoy the feedback from here on this thread, as someone mentioned he thought he was the only one who questioned their methods.I can relate..

 

[clemsonfor]

I am pulling for Parker! Any 17 year old working as hard as it portraits deserves a little payoff at the end of the summer.
Dave

Hate to ruin it for you but its to late!! Last episode he turned it over to Gpa and said he was taking the last week to looks at some bigger ops in the KLondike, not sure if there talking the Haufmans, haha, or tat irish sounding guys?

 

[clemsonfor]

If you really want to learn about gold prospecting you need to watch a show called Gold Fever. The host , Tom Massey travels around the country and explains in every detail about the different ways to hunt for gold. From panning, metal detecting, slucing, dredging.
I used to watch the show when I had my big dish but when everything went digital I could no longer get it.
He did a whole show on a massive derelict bucket dredge.

I read on Discovery forums about the Gold people that they get paid $5-7000. each per episode.
On Larry King, John from John and Kate said they only got $1 million for a season and he complained that after taxes it was only $750,000.00 !!!!!!

GOld gold fee fee ffe vaaa.

I love that big truck he use to drive about 6 yrs ago on that show, maybe more. IT was on the Outdoorchannel i think, may still be? Kinda cool but all they wanted to do was sell you their USA gold panners club membership with your "special rights to hundreds of your own personal claims" for only $xx.99/year.

 

[clemsonfor]

It seems that maybe I didnt really see from the beginning that the show was going to be so much drama and set up scenes. I thought it was an interesting subject and wanted to learn more,I can see now how it has evolved and was more for entertainment then the 'facts'
I hadnt watched a dirty jobs in some time and was abole to see a more recient one and could then see a differnce even in that one..This one was about medical waste being treated and it was interesting Mike makes alot of jokes to make the show, but you also get a working knowledge of the business. I enjoy the people. the two owners (dad and son) were so ''stern' and grouchy looking.They would answer with ''yep'' and nope'' (not much personaliy I thoght).
but this time iI made it a point to watch the people more closely, And one point he opened a bucket to find a fake head in it and Mike looked freeked out. Too funny. I only hope it was genuine and he didnt know it wold be in there..
At one point they changed out a bearing and I though it was a bit crude to have to torch it out as they did.But it made for a better show. I was able to laugh when he was cutting and got hot balls burning him. The other guy says we got no leathers. and I cut all the time like that. I could relate to this so it was sort of funny for me..
Ill continue to watch the programs as I enjoy them but I should realize that its not as it always is..
I enjoy the feedback from here on this thread, as someone mentioned he thought he was the only one who questioned their methods.I can relate..

Seen every episode. Mike is hilarious. It was off the air for i think almost a year untill this last run and its about 3-4 shows into this new run.

 

[tguy]

The old shows featured the Old Man, called Buzzard. He was a very likable fellow who supposedly searched for gold all his life, with little success. Then, as the story goes, in one week found 100 or so ounces (or some huge amount) in one spot!

 

[EddieWalker]

After reading all the fake stuff that was done in the first season, I haven't been able to bring myself to watch any of the shows in the new season. From what I'm getting by reading the posts on here, it sounds like another year of not having a clue, lots of yelling, and more doing things that don't make any sense.

Good thing for DIY and HGTV to keep my happy!!!

Eddie

 

[chopped]

I like those shows also Eddie. Ive been watching the canadian show 'holmes inspections' Its a good show but alot of finger pointing and name calling. And I am one who knows first hand.I saw the things that the inspector missed on my daughters house.
The one glaring one was an elect junction box in ceiling without a cover. thats fine and good but he missed five connections made int he basement with NO NO box at all. I admit they blended in with the old looking wood but when I started to wire basement lights in I couldnt believe what I found.
And not to mention that he said the kitchen was fine. well they brought ina frig and it wen through the floor.
Luckily there wasnt even a crawl space. lol the nuilt right ontop of the earth.
So we had to remove all five layers of floor( yes I said 5). each floor was shimmed to account for the sagging.Unreal that he didnt even suspect this.But I just thought it had a low ceiling..LOL
Looked kind of funny digging the crawl space and wheel barrowing out the front door in January lol
He also observed that the back chinney might or might not be lined.. yet from outside you see the lining and cap and inside you pull the insulation plug out and fined the small liber for a pellet stove ..
Looks like I might have hi jacked my own thread lol
I do enjoy the DIY ones but sish they would go into more depth sometimes ...Seems that you (eddie) could make your own show fromt he posts ive read on here..

 

[Stimw]

The old shows featured the Old Man, called Buzzard. He was a very likable fellow who supposedly searched for gold all his life, with little success. Then, as the story goes, in one week found 100 or so ounces (or some huge amount) in one spot!

Buzzard was Tom's Dad and in the clips of him that I saw he was quite outspoken! He was a freedom lover for sure!
IIRC Tom talked about finding 800 ounces in the bottom of a water fall with his dad but said it could not be done today because they diverted the water or used a dredge to get it which would be illegal now.
Tom always preached using a safety pan when panning concentrates. Some that is never done on the gold circus.

 

[Mousefield]

Buzzard was Tom's Dad and in the clips of him that I saw he was quite outspoken! He was a freedom lover for sure!
IIRC Tom talked about finding 800 ounces in the bottom of a water fall with his dad but said it could not be done today because they diverted the water or used a dredge to get it which would be illegal now.
Tom always preached using a safety pan when panning concentrates. Some that is never done on the gold circus.[/QUOTE

The Hoffman's gold separating machine seems to work very well. It just may be a little better and easier than panning. Many years ago I spent 3 summer (school) holiday's working in the Yukon, back around 1967 or 1968 I went to a large mining operation way up a creek. Had to walk the last 3 or so miles. Backhoe's had to be walked up the creek as they could not drive up and over a very steep hill to get there. Had been mined in the 1930's, as there was an old log cabin from that era there. They were using a couple of backhoes and had a sluice box I'm thinking was 80 - 100 ft long. Tried panning but didn't hit pay dirt.

 

[tguy]

George Massie had the Gold Fever show back in the 80's. I dont remember the boys in the show. George was a very likable guy and made gold prospecting an exciting adventure. He made you feel that he was talking to you and sharing his secrets with you as an individual. I really looked forward to the show. It was not anything like the current shows.

 

[Western]

Digging for gold sure seems romantic and fun due to some of the locations and "possible" payout, but as far as I'm concerned it would only be for the "thrill". If I wanted Gold, I suspect in the long run it would be easier and cheaper to hit the local Jewelry store or pawn shop

 

[Martian]

Just saw a preview for next week where Parker says his Grandpa just had a heart attack. I really hope he makes it, I really liked the old man.

 

[QRTRHRS]

You always have to remember that air time is expensive and these shows have to appeal to a wide variety of audiences to stay on the air. If you were to take any "hard core" job and try to keep viewers it would not last long. Excavating for one is dirty, can be hot, cold and not a lot of fun and more or less the same old thing day after day as are most real jobs.

Everything changes. If any of you members were around when "This Old House" first came out, the show was definately "nuts and bolts". Even long time magazines like Fine Homebuilding have changed sometimes not for the better for my taste. For instance, the latest issue has an article on how to outfit a tool belt. Duh!

I "take what I want and leave the rest" from these shows. I have learned alot about how they sperate and process the gold on Gold Rush. Having done track work, I can relate to repair the 400 excavator and it sure is not fun. I like to see a good resourceful mechanic fix or come with a solution like James Arness(sp?).

I "ain't" no tree hugger but I do wonder about the spoils they leave behind.

I think most of the bickering is short lived and can deal with that. I don't much care for American Chopper since that seems to be about all they do on that show anymore.

 

[muddstopper]

I "ain't" no tree hugger but I do wonder about the spoils they leave behind.
QUOTE]

I bet there is more gold in their tailing than they are cleaning out of their washplant.
Anything that is plugged with mud from top to bottom isnt getting all the gold. They have already discovered that they where leaving a lot behind by not digging deep enought in cut#1. I bet if they re-ran there tailings they would find even more. I would also propably but a slush box downstream of where they keep crossing it with their loader, aint no telling how much has washed off the loader tires. You have to know if you can see the gold in the bottom of the pit and you drive thru it with a rubber tired loader, the loader tires have to be carrying a bunch off every trip.

 

[ncnurseryman]

yeah, the numbers surely don't add up. So, what are they and their families really living off of? There is no way a person can spend X number of months doing a show for nothing? At least I couldn't. :confused2:

 

[chopped]

The show I just saw ,they had a good ''season':thumbsup:' I assumeed they meant the gold mining season. But now Im thinking they meant season of shows .lol
Anyways close to 100,000 PROFIT WOW GREAT. and they said to split between the four or five people.
Thats great income..do doubt about it...with just four of them they cleared close to 25,000 each not bad if it were 1920..:laughing:
Oh wait I said cleared, should read more like close to 25,000. each BEFORE taxes. So in the end they got less than the 25,000.
Oh wait. what , if the ''boss' took more? then the others would get less than the 25,000.:confused2::confused2:
I make more cutting lawns in a year lol

 

[jpm1]

IMO you can't watch this program and watch it "deep" i started yelling at the Hoffman's and "Big Boot", calling them names, ya know the whole 9 yards. My wife said i couldn't watch them any more! It's just a tv show, remember! she said. She's so right. I do "root" for Parker and Grandpa. Grandpa Reminds me of my dad. Big Boot. . . well i've worked with to many like him and have no problem with him. Consider his lifes dealings having his house destroyed by a flood, that could make a man "irritable" know it would me but hopefully he has insurance and a wife with a sense of humor. The Hoffman's on the other hand are to me like a bunch of kids playing in sand box unfortunately they don't have a clue about much of anything. IMO they need to go home and hide them selves from the public eye.
Also it you spend that much money on Heavy Equipment, you need to maintain it! Last program i watched the track slip off the D8, the operator said the pins were stretched and behond take up! Do they think this machine is going to "Heal it self?"
My dad always said, "You can fix Ugly" but "Stupid is forever"'
The program, to me now is just a cheap form of entertainmentand I sure do thank my wife for setting me straight on this !
Remember this is my opinion now! . . .John

 

[chopped]

''''''Also it you spend that much money on Heavy Equipment, you need to maintain it! Last program i watched the track slip off the D8, the operator said the pins were stretched and behond take up! Do they think this machine is going to "Heal it self?" ''''''
YES I found this interesting. I dont have enough experience to know if there is a stretch limit or not. Id assume if they stretched this far then they could remove one link?
But either way I found myself thinking how it must be to run a machine and know you cant trun sharply..That alone would weight on the mind ..

 

[JoeinTX]

"I "ain't" no tree hugger but I do wonder about the spoils they leave behind."

Like you, neither am I a "tree-hugger" but I too wondered about that. Seeing the massive unending piles of spoil that the dredging boat left 80 years ago was eye-opening. I don't live in mining country so I don't know about it much, but, oil companies generally have to have a reclamation clause/effort in their operation once a well is drilled. Roads have to be maintained, well site has to be turned back to as close to original as possible, no junk left behind, etc. Once you go peeling back 30-40 feet of the topsoil over many acres of surface area that leaves one heck of a mark on the landscape that is going to have its effects for years to come.

 

[muddstopper]

YES I found this interesting. I dont have enough experience to know if there is a stretch limit or not. Id assume if they stretched this far then they could remove one link?
But either way I found myself thinking how it must be to run a machine and know you cant trun sharply..That alone would weight on the mind ..

I have been around heavy equipment all my life and I cant remember anyone ever taking alink out of a dozer track. I guess it could be done, but if its worn that bad, removeing a link would be like putting a bandaid on a slit throat. It might slow the bleeding, but it wont stop the person from dying.

I suspect they havent made enough money to replace the track is why its adjusted to the max. Runinng the dozer in mud and water all the time will wear the track out faster than it would if they where running in just dirt.