One gram club!

[OwenT]

My approximately .29g cleanup today pushed me over the edge to a total of about 1.17g. Here are the pics of today's gold .
Here are the +30s, I was really happy when I saw these and there are actually three more good sized ones not in the picture.

And the 50-30 mesh...

...and the 100-50s of which there was a little more of too because I pulled out a ton of magnetite but then I discovered it stole a lot of gold so no more magnet for me.

And there was also a good amount of -100s but I forgot to get a pic.

 

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[Aufisher]

Hard work paying off!

 

[OwenT]

Yep, I'm getting there. Biggest cleanup to date, not a lot, but I haven't really been at it too long either. My next goal is a gram in a day. I think the hardest work was actually the cleanup haha. It probably took me two hours for all the classifying and panning in the kitchen and my neck hurt worse than anything hurts after a day actually on the river

 

[AU_Solitude]

Keep up the good work!

 

[goldenIrishman]

Nice little haul Owen!

 

[et1955]

Great job Owen, your next challenge is a troy ounce. Once you get that the others will be easy. The place I told you about recently will easily give you a gram a day, remember the rock in the river and go high, your BGT will not work there, highbanker or pan is you best bet.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Owen, your comment on the magnet pulling gold along with the magnetite inspired me to encourage you to refine your technique and keep using the magnet. To avoid pulling gold along:
1. Classify first
2. Put cons in a large pan, in a thin layer, under an inch or so of water
3. Wave the magnet over the water drawing the material up thru the water. This will wash any non-mag material out as it comes up.
4. Dump magnetite and repeat.
5. Once no more is coming up, lower the magnet into the water somewhat using a back and forth or swirling motion to wash the material as it gathers on the magnet...don't touch the material directly yet.
6. Dump and repeat.
7. Finally grind the magnet around in the material to get the last of the magnetite. Drop this material right back in the pan- it'll land on top of the rest of the cons. Repeat step 5 once to grab this last material.

Good job, time to pan.

It took me longer to write this than it takes to do it!

I do still dry out the magnetic material after separation to re-separate it and see if it stole any gold...often the answer is "no"!

I also crush my +30 mags in a little rod mill to liberate any further gold and do find a few pieces that way

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Owen, your comment on the magnet pulling gold along with the magnetite inspired me to encourage you to refine your technique and keep using the magnet. To avoid pulling gold along:
1. Classify first
2. Put cons in a large pan, in a thin layer, under an inch or so of water
3. Wave the magnet over the water drawing the material up thru the water. This will wash any non-mag material out as it comes up.
4. Dump magnetite and repeat.
5. Once no more is coming up, lower the magnet into the water somewhat using a back and forth or swirling motion to wash the material as it gathers on the magnet...don't touch the material directly yet.
6. Dump and repeat.
7. Finally grind the magnet around in the material to get the last of the magnetite. Drop this material right back in the pan- it'll land on top of the rest of the cons. Repeat step 5 once to grab this last material.

Good job, time to pan.

It took me longer to write this than it takes to do it!

I do still dry out the magnetic material after separation to re-separate it and see if it stole any gold...often the answer is "no"!

I also crush my +30 mags in a little rod mill to liberate any further gold and do find a few pieces that way

This dude don't lie!!

 

[BrettCo124]

Amazing, Owen. I'd be happy with just one of those pieces from where I am prospecting.

 

[nh.nugget]

Good job Owen! Before you know it you'll be a pro! Gram a day is a good goal.

 

[OwenT]

Owen, your comment on the magnet pulling gold along with the magnetite inspired me to encourage you to refine your technique and keep using the magnet. To avoid pulling gold along:
1. Classify first
2. Put cons in a large pan, in a thin layer, under an inch or so of water
3. Wave the magnet over the water drawing the material up thru the water. This will wash any non-mag material out as it comes up.
4. Dump magnetite and repeat.
5. Once no more is coming up, lower the magnet into the water somewhat using a back and forth or swirling motion to wash the material as it gathers on the magnet...don't touch the material directly yet.
6. Dump and repeat.
7. Finally grind the magnet around in the material to get the last of the magnetite. Drop this material right back in the pan- it'll land on top of the rest of the cons. Repeat step 5 once to grab this last material.

Good job, time to pan.

It took me longer to write this than it takes to do it!

I do still dry out the magnetic material after separation to re-separate it and see if it stole any gold...often the answer is "no"!

I also crush my +30 mags in a little rod mill to liberate any further gold and do find a few pieces that way

Thanks for the advice. My material was classified when I used the magnet but maybe I need to have less in the pan. I had it under water too. When I got the magnet close enough to pick anything up it was under the water probably a little less than an inch from my material and then it instantly gets covered in a big ball of black sand, I dumped and repeated like 4 times. Seems like it should've worked ok, I wonder if it was partly just because there was so much magentic material. I'l try it again next time.

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Owen, your comment on the magnet pulling gold along with the magnetite inspired me to encourage you to refine your technique and keep using the magnet. To avoid pulling gold along:
1. Classify first
2. Put cons in a large pan, in a thin layer, under an inch or so of water
3. Wave the magnet over the water drawing the material up thru the water. This will wash any non-mag material out as it comes up.
4. Dump magnetite and repeat.
5. Once no more is coming up, lower the magnet into the water somewhat using a back and forth or swirling motion to wash the material as it gathers on the magnet...don't touch the material directly yet.
6. Dump and repeat.
7. Finally grind the magnet around in the material to get the last of the magnetite. Drop this material right back in the pan- it'll land on top of the rest of the cons. Repeat step 5 once to grab this last material.

Good job, time to pan.

It took me longer to write this than it takes to do it!

I do still dry out the magnetic material after separation to re-separate it and see if it stole any gold...often the answer is "no"!

I also crush my +30 mags in a little rod mill to liberate any further gold and do find a few pieces that way

It's definitely a good idea to crush black sands. I'm far from a geologist and am not good at differentiating between magnetite and other heavy black material but on my last clean-up I saw a relatively large black pebble hanging with the gold. I looked closely and could see a little gold protruding just a little on each side of the pebble.

This observation made me very happy that I've been hoarding my black sands to crush later as I'm thinking there may be a gram or more in the 2 gallons of black sands I've been saving. Just need to crush em' up on a rainy day and see what I get!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Thanks for the advice. My material was classified when I used the magnet but maybe I need to have less in the pan. I had it under water too. When I got the magnet close enough to pick anything up it was under the water probably a little less than an inch from my material and then it instantly gets covered in a big ball of black sand, I dumped and repeated like 4 times. Seems like it should've worked ok, I wonder if it was partly just because there was so much magentic material. I'l try it again next time.

Sounds like you put it too close to the material too quickly. There is some finesse involved here which takes a little practice

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

...And congrats on your first gram OwenT! That's a great accomplishment and I see you are already setting your next goal, good luck in getting there.

 

[motohed]

Great job Owen ! Keep up the good work , I just love to see that Golden color in your pan .

 

[mytimetoshine]

It's definitely a good idea to crush black sands. I'm far from a geologist and am not good at differentiating between magnetite and other heavy black material but on my last clean-up I saw a relatively large black pebble hanging with the gold. I looked closely and could see a little gold protruding just a little on each side of the pebble.

This observation made me very happy that I've been hoarding my black sands to crush later as I'm thinking there may be a gram or more in the 2 gallons of black sands I've been saving. Just need to crush em' up on a rainy day and see what I get!

Does that mean we have another DIY rod mill in production soon? Or am I gonna have all the fun myself?

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

I think so, im just not mechanically inclined - like not at all lol but ive got a buddy who can probably help me out [emoji6]

 

[OwenT]

I'll probably have to make one sometime too, not yet though, I'll be saving up sands for a while. Is the idea with the crushing just liberating gold attached to the sand, or is it that by crushing it you are making the sands smaller, but the gold just squishes so then it's easier to separate the two?

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

I believe both occur. Crushing the sands liberates and flattens the gold making it easier to process

 

[mytimetoshine]

I think so, im just not mechanically inclined - like not at all lol but ive got a buddy who can probably help me out [emoji6]

Oh believe me I am far from mechanically inclined. But I can ghetto rig something with the best of them lol..