Thought it might be a good topic to post photos of old goldrush era tools and equipment we find in our travels
Most of the basic picks and shovels would have been brought by ship from Britain / Canada / china etc until blacksmiths and foundries began to be established here but I am interested to compare the tools used by the various nationalities in the diggings.
First two photos are just a sledgehammer head I dug up from a deep hole (fugget) but I can't pick its age , the mines at this location began to be worked in 1871 through to the 1950's but it looks like it was used to break up hard rock judging by the preened over edges , at a guess it could be 1930's but someone here might have a better idea.
Before and after a dunking in 50% hydrochloric acid
Remains of a relatively new stamper near moruya , I say relatively modern because it has pillow block bearings instead of hardwood greased with lard that some had in the poorer camps , its drive gears are a more modern cut and it has bronze hard facing on the lift cams so it was either upgraded after 1900 or installed after that time
Most of the basic picks and shovels would have been brought by ship from Britain / Canada / china etc until blacksmiths and foundries began to be established here but I am interested to compare the tools used by the various nationalities in the diggings.
First two photos are just a sledgehammer head I dug up from a deep hole (fugget) but I can't pick its age , the mines at this location began to be worked in 1871 through to the 1950's but it looks like it was used to break up hard rock judging by the preened over edges , at a guess it could be 1930's but someone here might have a better idea.
Before and after a dunking in 50% hydrochloric acid
Remains of a relatively new stamper near moruya , I say relatively modern because it has pillow block bearings instead of hardwood greased with lard that some had in the poorer camps , its drive gears are a more modern cut and it has bronze hard facing on the lift cams so it was either upgraded after 1900 or installed after that time