bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719 
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Post by bushmanbilly on Aug 13, 2013 12:01:06 GMT -5
Billy, I'll do that. Here's the total haul from six buckets of dirt that our friends collected at the same time.  This stuff is so full of tiny mica flakes, it's a bear to pan the concentrates. We'll get it done eventually. This is something that you just have to do for the fun of it. Not only are you never going to get rich (at least around here), you're not even going to get your gas money back! But, just maybe, you'll get lucky!?? Not to bad for a few buckets, Are you sure that is Mica? Mica is light and should be among the first to leave the pan. A magnet will pullout the heavy iron and make the separation easier. Gold panning is one of the few hobbies that can pay for itself. The main reason I do it is for the peace and quiet. And I love the bush. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 13, 2013 12:09:51 GMT -5
No, what's in the pan is gold. I didn't pan out these concentrates. I understand about the mica floating away first (still need to work on my panning skills  ), but it is just so dang fine, powdered. It would be easier if they dirt was coarser, ;ike construction sand, but this is so silty. Might get back to it tonight. Working on editing the video now. |
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Aug 13, 2013 13:14:07 GMT -5
Flour gold is a pain, but there is more flour than pickers in the real world. Here is a trick that you might know already. Tilt your pan a little foreword, now tap the rim of the pan with your palm. The gold will move to the edge of the pan and the other heavy's will move back to the center. Snuffer it up and repeat. Some nice gold here. After running my cons through a mini cleanup sluice. Click image.  The 2 pickers weighed about a gram each. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 13, 2013 13:34:36 GMT -5
Very nice, Billy! I'm just starting on all of this. I've got a lot to learn about panning yet! Right or wrong, there's a buttload of videos on You Tube.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Aug 13, 2013 14:41:06 GMT -5
Just trying to help. One of the few subjects on this forum that I can lend a hand with. Everything I know about rocks I learned from the kind people on the forum.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 14, 2013 9:54:35 GMT -5
I very much appreciate your help, Billy. What I meant was I need to improve on my pretty much non-existant panning skills. I've seen that there are a lot of videos on YouTube showing how it's done. But I think the best way to learn is standing next to someone that knows what they are doing.
I did just two pans last night, came up with just one teeny tiny sand grain-sized speck of gold. But it is a no doubter! We know from what our friends recovered that gold exists at that claim.
And you are correct about the many kind people on this forum, they are the best!
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Aug 14, 2013 10:42:36 GMT -5
A good way to practice and learn is with small lead bird shot. If you can keep lead in your pan, gold will not be a problem.
Fine gold and small flakes will float so be careful. Add drop of dish soap to your panning tub. Soap breaks the surface tension.
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Geoff
spending too much on rocks
Please add 1074 to my post number.
Member since December 2012
Posts: 446
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Post by Geoff on Aug 25, 2013 23:38:32 GMT -5
Went and did a little mining yesterday while all my girls were at a birthday party. I set up near a car sized boulder and worked all the sands around it. Got good course gold all day, black sands are in the ball mill now getting ready for fines recovery. Used the mini highbanker, and set it up to feed a sluice to better catch the fines. All of the course gold was in the first two riffles of the highbanker. All in all a good day. Haven't weighed anything yet, but probably over a gram. My back is killing me today. Time to invest in a small dredge. Here's where I set up  Feeding it the sticky, heavy, black crap from around the boulder  Quick pan to see if I was in a good spot. Yep, it'll do.   Still have to blue bowl some stuff and I want to try an ultrasonic fines recovery method. Should be interesting. |
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Aug 25, 2013 23:45:31 GMT -5
Dang that looks like a good time.Something I'll never do,just gonna watch you!
snuffy
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 26, 2013 9:20:23 GMT -5
I so want to find some of that, Geoff! Thanks for posting your trip.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2013 9:34:31 GMT -5
I envy all but the back ache. Just be careful and do not wear out your back when you are young. It will be hell later in life. But, I would be doing the same thing. lol Thanks for showing us. Where did you say you are keeping your stash? lol You must be getting quite a bit in your bottle by now. We appreciate you taking us along and I hope that we get to see you hit the streak.
Jim
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), but it is just so dang fine, powdered. It would be easier if they dirt was coarser, ;ike construction sand, but this is so silty.
