Blue bowl or gold clean up table?

[NC Will]

Just wanting to know some of the methods you guys use to extract the gold, particularly fine/flour gold from your concentrates. I'm looking in to either buying a blue bowl or a gold clean up table but don't know which one to get. I'm just tired of panning out material because my creek contains so much black sand that I second guess my panning efforts and feel as if I'm losing some of the tiny gold. I've also heard that the gold cube works well but is a bit pricey. I'm leaning more towards the blue bowl, though.

 

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[QNCrazy]

I use a blue bowl and there are others that prefer the table. Out in the field, I pan down to black sand and bring it home. At home, I classify to -30, -50, and -100 mesh and run through the blue bowl. I run the 30's with the water level at the top of the bowl then I slow the water flow bring the level of the water down a 1/4" to run the 50's, then and another 1/4" for the 100's. I marked my bowl in 1/4" increments from the top of the bowl down for a total of 1". That's the slowest I will run the bowl and I can catch the micron.

 

[tim907]

The bowl works but is slow, the cube works and is fast, a table will likely be most expensive if it is of any size.

 

[fowledup]

A blue bowl is nice because it's comact, easy, and portable. If we are going to the claim for a few days I'll take one with me. Have you tested your panning? Get a pinch of small shot from a reloader or some small fishing weights, count out a few, throw them in the pan and test your skills from time to time.

 

[brianc053]

I used a friend's table (small slate miller's table) and it was so slow I bought a Blue Bowl. I couldn't be happier with the purchase. It's not FAST but I wouldn't call it slow either. Maybe...relaxing.

Here's some fine gold from Colorado:

 

[PurpleGold]

The Gold Cube is not a valid solution for cleanup. There is a ton to setup and cleaning out the separate trays is a pain. After you clean out the Gold Cube you would still be left with cons that you would need to pan or clean. A Miller Table or Blue Bowl are valid cleanup devices if you're sick of panning. I would suggest to watch some videos of them both online and pick which one looks more fun to you. I was in the same boat as you and I got one of those Desert Fox Spiral panning wheels. It was a bit expensive but I tend to just throw money at my hobbies and not look back.

 

[Jimmydolittle]

Watch this video by Doc, from Gold Hog, good stuff. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...g-cons-panning-last-bit-blacks-sands-out.html

 

[KevinInColorado]

Or this one: https://goldcube.net/gold-cube-university/ (scroll down to the Fine Gold Challenge)

My method:
1. Classify 30/50/100 (100 is optional depending on your cons)
2. Put each in a pan covered in an inch or so of water
3. Pull magnetics up thru water using a rare earth magnet
4. Pan each material down to just the heavies (jet dry in the water)
5 use swirl/shimmy/shake&tap methods to separate gold (adding more jet dry to the -50 pan(s)) You may have to separate the finer material into multiple pans so the amount in each is manageable.
6. Suck up gold as you go, putting it in a smooth bottom ceramic soap dish.
7. Swirl gold in soap dish and use suction pipette to remove last grains of sand.
8. Post pic on tnet!
9. Let gold dry, weigh and add to vial :-D

...all of this takes 30-45 min after a typical outing.

Key point here is the tools: classifiers (needed for every method), $2 10" smooth bottom black Keene pans, rare earth magnet, $2 Walmart soap dish, $0.50 suction pipette. Thanks all folks!

 

[kazcoro]

I keep saying it, the black magic miller table catches gold so fine you need a magnifying glass to see it.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I keep saying it, the black magic miller table catches gold so fine you need a magnifying glass to see it.

So does a smoooooth bottom gold pan with well classified material via the shake and tap method.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Or this one: https://goldcube.net/gold-cube-university/ (scroll down to the Fine Gold Challenge)

My method:
1. Classify 30/50/100 (100 is optional depending on your cons)
2. Put each in a pan covered in an inch or so of water
3. Pull magnetics up thru water using a rare earth magnet
4. Pan each material down to just the heavies (jet dry in the water)
5 use swirl/shimmy/shake&tap methods to separate gold (adding more jet dry to the -50 pan(s)) You may have to separate the finer material into multiple pans so the amount in each is manageable.
6. Suck up gold as you go, putting it in a smooth bottom ceramic soap dish.
7. Swirl gold in soap dish and use suction pipette to remove last grains of sand.
8. Post pic on tnet!
9. Let gold dry, weigh and add to vial :-D

...all of this takes 30-45 min after a typical outing.

Key point here is the tools: classifiers (needed for every method), $2 10" smooth bottom black Keene pans, rare earth magnet, $2 Walmart soap dish, $0.50 suction pipette. Thanks all folks!

Good method!

Hey Kev....what if you have ALOT of black sand?
Click pic three times for supersize...

 

[KevinInColorado]

Same process but use the 100 mesh classifier and add the REALLY fine sieves (I have 3 sieves finer than 100 mesh!)...

PS I still owe you a video...waiting on my wife to free up some time to do it.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Same process but use the 100 mesh classifier and add the REALLY fine sieves (I have 3 sieves finer than 100 mesh!)...

PS I still owe you a video...waiting on my wife to free up some time to do it.

Finest I have is 100 mesh. I have 5 gallon buckets 1/2 full of that black sand! 10-15 at least!

 

[Hoser John]

NEVER found anything that I like better or ez to run than my ol'school 1984 D.A.M. Industries bowl and I've owned/sold/tried just about everything made all these years. Like any equipment some will like/dislike but to each his own as long as I get my 100---mesh I'm one happy miner.-John

 

[KevinInColorado]

Finest I have is 100 mesh. I have 5 gallon buckets 1/2 full of that black sand! 10-15 at least!

With that much fine material I think a Gold Cube is your best move. It'll take all your material down to under 2 cups in an hour or two. Then use my process (go buy a 200 mesh screen...60-80 micron) and you should be through all that material and wondering what to do next. (Answer: go digging!)

Don't want to buy a Gold Cube? Find a fellow prospector with one and ask to use it for an hour or two.

 

[arizau]

Same process but use the 100 mesh classifier and add the REALLY fine sieves (I have 3 sieves finer than 100 mesh!)...

PS I still owe you a video...waiting on my wife to free up some time to do it.

If you use the fine mesh sieves for that Oregon beach black sand from Oregon Viking is it possible that you can include some kind of quantity guesstimate (gold and black sand) by mesh size? I'm guessing that you have the same 3 screen set as Goldpanner Dave.

Thanks

 

[KevinInColorado]

If you use the fine mesh sieves for that Oregon beach black sand from Oregon Viking is it possible that you can include some kind of quantity guesstimate (gold and black sand) by mesh size? I'm guessing that you have the same 3 screen set as Goldpanner Dave.

Thanks

Yes I have the same screens as Dave and yes, I'll do a comparison of the relative amounts of each. Good idea!

 

[motohed]

I still think , I would run a millar table over the winter to get it all . You can get an optiviser with enough magification to pickup the finest gold and you will have more than enough time for colder weather to go through it all . classification is key , too getting all of the gold . Like Kevin says down to 200 mesh .

 

[Oregon Viking]

NEVER found anything that I like better or ez to run than my ol'school 1984 D.A.M. Industries bowl and I've owned/sold/tried just about everything made all these years. Like any equipment some will like/dislike but to each his own as long as I get my 100---mesh I'm one happy miner.-John

Well I like hearin' that!
I just recently purchased (used) one of those D.A.M. bowls!

 

[motohed]

Well I like hearin' that!
I just recently purchased (used) one of those D.A.M. bowls!

I would like to see some pictures of one , and maybe a video in action ?