Job for a gold miner!

IT is a management job offering a great opportunity for one successful candidate. The National Trust is looking for a gold mine manager to run its Dolaucothi Gold Mines near Pumsaint in Carmarthenshire. Although they no longer operate as working mines, the site in the Cothi Valley is a tourist attraction which runs guided tours for visitors who can pan for gold. The precious commodity had been mined from the hills at the site since Roman times but the last time it functioned as a working mine was in 1938.

The Romans who exploited the site almost 2,000 years ago left behind a complex of pits, channels, adits and tanks.

Mining resumed in the 19th century and continued through the 20th century, reaching a peak in 1938. It is a legal requirement that the mine has a manager but the role is more one of overseeing the conservation of the site and further developing it as a tourist attraction.

Jacqui Kedward, the trust’s property manager for Carmarthenshire, said the mine closed when costs became too much to extract the gold.

“There is still gold in the hills, but the cost of getting it out was prohibitive.

“The site is preserved by the National Trust because it’s one of archaeological importance and still has the pick marks the Romans left behind.

“Historically the manager would be someone who would have organised the shifts and the extraction of the gold.”

The previous manager is moving on after more than six years.

Mrs Kedward added: “We’re looking for someone who has a great passion for working with the National Trust but it is also important that they can help develop Dolaucothi as a tourist attraction.

“The mines are a bit of a hidden gem so there is lots to be done to promote it as a tourist attraction.”

Elements of heating

We have the capacity to manufacture a wide range of parts including heating elements to any given drawing, sample or customer requirement, using the most up to date Milling, Turning, Welding and Sheet Metal Working equipment available.

We specialize in the manufacture of components to very exacting quality standards, tight tolerance, customer specific requirements and offer a very responsive repair service.

We pride ourselves on our levels of customer care and our ‘Total Quality’ approach ensures that our customers receive their orders on time, well packed and in perfect condition.

If you would like any heating elements made to size or order then please contact us.

Niobium Suppliers

Niobium has a similar structure to Tantalum and is produced in a similar method.

It too has a very high melting point of around 2470°C. It has excellent corrosive resistance and has good cold ductility. It is however half as dense as Tantalum.

Applications include; sintering trays and boats, special chemical applications, superconductors, medical components, jet engine parts and is used in the lighting industry.

If you need or would like Niobium for equipment or if you would like us to help you out using the Niobium then please contact us.

Stock

Wrought Products As a stockist of Molybdenum, Tantalum and other refractory materials we are also able to offer a very reactive and competitive wrought product service.

We stock a wide range of materials in plate, sheet, bar, rod & wire form and can supply a range of standard sizes with a very quick turnaround & Delivery.

If you are interested in buying any of our stock then why not contact us?

Information

If you would like any more information from SMF then please see our site for details.

Or feel free to take down the details below and contact us.

For all wrought Material and Fabrication queries and requirements please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tel: 01268 820409

Fax: 01268 280665

Email: sales@special-metals.co.uk

Morgan Stanley dropping prices in 2012

Apparantly Morgan Stanley has lowered its 2012 prices for the majority of metals and minerals, citing “uninspiring” prospects and the case for a stronger dollar

The revisions follow a belief that the risk of a full-blown global recession increased in the second half of 2011, the firm said in a note. “Our bear-case scenario for 2012 and 2013 in particular reflects the downside risks in base metals and bulk commodities from this major growth risk.”

“In general, we are negative on the metals with sizable surpluses such as aluminum, nickel, lead and zinc,” the report said. However, the firm said it remained positive on copper, which it said was “supported by low inventories, high levels of supply disruption and a restocking cycle in China.”

Despite remaining a “favored base metal,” copper could average $3.70 a pound in 2012, down from $4.01 a pound in 2011 as well as an earlier 2012 forecast of $3.80 a pound. A strong U.S. dollar and weak euro are negative for commodities in general, the house said.

Having to beat metal thieves

Along with his usual church-related daily tasks, the vicar of St Augustine’s Church has had to add checking the roof for missing parts to his list.

“You quite often get damage to the stonework as well from people removing the lead and climbing around,” the Reverend Matthew Tomlinson said.

The 19th Century church, in Edgbaston, has been targeted by metal thieves six times in two months, something Mr Tomlinson said was “pretty disheartening” for both him and his parishioners.

The vicar said that despite being based at the church for 11 years, the metal thefts at the end of last year were the first he had encountered.

“We replaced the stolen lead and it was stolen again four or five days later,” he said.

The church was one of dozens in the city targeted last year by thieves attracted by the rising price of non-ferrous metals.

Now, the House of Commons is to hear further calls for new laws to tackle the growing problem of metal theft which counts hospitals, historic buildings and the rail network among its victims.