American Boy
10 Stamp Mill

This working model of a ten stamp mill is currently on public display in the Goffs Schoolhouse Museum. It provides a wonderful demonstration of how the American Boy Stamp Mill will look and operate one day in the not too distant future. The pieces and parts for the MDHCA's ten stamp mill have been staged on the grounds of the Goffs Cultural Center for 12 years, patiently waiting for work to begin. Thanks to Charlie and Kathy Connell and the entire American Boy team, now it has!

Many thanks to Dale McBride who acquired the model of the mill and who has graciously loaned it to the Goffs Schoolhouse Museum

Restoring Goffs 10 Stamp Mill

MOVING THE BATTERY BOXES

3 MARCH 2011

The team has commenced work on the ten stamp mill. A tongue-in-cheek attempt by Hugh and Carol Brown, Jo Ann Casebier, and John Harrington couldn’t budge the heavy battery boxes. It took the assistance of Dale Moeller and a big front loader to lift and position the battery boxes at the construction site.

CONSTRUCTING THE FORM

15-17 APRIL 2011

One of the major goals of the Spring Encampment was to construct the form for the ten stamp mill foundation. The American Boy crew consisted of Charlie and Kathy Connell, Dale McBride, Gail Andress (on tractor), Rick Nisbet, John Harrington, Tom Foster, and Pat Payne.

FINISHED FORM

11 SEPTEMBER 2011

A crew consisting of Charlie and Kathy Connell, Rick Nisbet, and Hugh Brown made much progress over three days building the form for the base of the ten stamp mill. It is ready for concrete and will require two pours of about seven yards on each on two days.

CONCRETE BASE POUR

29 OCTOBER 2011

The second concrete pour early this morning completely filled the forms for the base. The experienced team of Charlie and Kathy Connell, Roger Camplin, Jerry Ohlund, Stuart Harrah, and Morris Jackson worked hard getting the “mud” tamped into shape, and all within just a few hours.

BULL WHEELS

14-18 DECEMBER 2011

Work on the American Boy Mill included finishing the bull wheel steel covers. Those are the dark shiny bands around each wheel. Each wheel is connected to a five-cam camshaft. They'll soon be moved down the Boulevard of Dreams to the new mill site.

BOARD REVIEWS BASE

7 JANUARY 2012

MDHCA Board of Directors take a break from their meeting to inspect progress on the American Boy Ten Stamp Mill and the new concrete base. From left to right; Secretary Hugh Brown, Director John Terrill, and President Steve Mongrain.

LIFTING THE FRAME

9 MARCH 2012

A crew of three from Rock’s Crane Service got the two battery boxes and the main frame of the mill set up on the foundation. It was a delicate operation because the battery boxes had to slip perfectly down on an array of threaded bolts sticking up out of the concrete.

RAISING THE MILL

10 MARCH 2012

Today the big bull wheels and cam shafts were lifted into place on the newly erected frame. The crew consisted of Charlie and Kathy Connell, Morris Jackson, Roger Camplin, Jerry Ohlund, Stuart Harrah, Dave Rock, Mike Rock, Jimmy Howell, Ed Ditmer, Gail Andress, Nance Fite, and Mickey Thompson.

FEEDERS

13-15 APRIL 2012

Charlie & Kathy Connell had a crew consisting of Gail Andress, Dale McBride, Nance Fite, Pat Payne, Mickey Thompson, and Don Walter working on the American Boy Stamp Mill. They completed two layers of decking, installed the “feeders,” and built an ore bin. The feeders can be seen here from the back or east-facing side of the mill. The "fresh" ore bin is on the platform above the feeders.

PLACEMENT OF STAMPS

The American Boy Mill showing off placement of the first set of five stamps upright on the left.

American Boy 10 Stamp Mill

Restoring Goffs 10 Stamp Mill

American Boy
10 Stamp Mill