Sheet in stream to catch gold

[reptwar1]

Anyone ever heard the stories about old timers stretching sheets across streams to catch fine gold dust? I have read it on several sites but now cant find any of them. Reason Im asking....just got off the phone with a guy that did something similar and caught just over an ounce of gold in 2 weeks. The guy then told me that his contact with USGS informed him that every 24 hours, $16,000 in suspended flour gold flows past the town that we live in. That price was in the 60's when gold was $30 an ounce. Allow me to adjust for current gold prices... Ready?...$541,560 EVERY 24 HOURS!! Now you see why I'm interested lol

 

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[bedrock bubba]

And chlsbrns I did tie off the plastic bag with vaseline and smeared a bunch on side and top of barge. That thing is 200' long. And I will definately look into the specifics of the sand and gravel plant on the other side of the river

You should find out if the sand and gravel plant is recovering gold, as they often do! Maybe you know an employee or manager who would let you know. Get as close as you can to the downstream side of the plant, and pan their effluent.

If you buy a TDS meter(total dissolved solids meter) you can measure the metallic ions flowing in a waterway at intervals and see where anomalys are, which would indicate a possible eroding gold deposit. Grid the creek out, in otherwords, and take your readings.

You can buy them at any wholesale swimming pool supplier, or maybe retail, or a scientific company catalog, like Edmonds.

A miliivolt meter can determine to conductivity between two points on the ground, to find metallic deposits. Its best to wet the ground first.

 

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[reptwar1]

That is an awesome idea. The owner is a cool guy. He said any time I need sand to test my sluice designs, feel free to get as much black sand as I need

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

You should find out if the sand and gravel plant is recovering gold, as they often do! Maybe you know an employee or manager who would let you know. Get as close as you can to the downstream side of the plant, and pan their effluent.

If you buy a TDS meter(total dissolved solids meter) you can measure the metallic ions flowing in a waterway at intervals and see where anomalys are, which would indicate a possible eroding gold deposit. Grid the creek out, in otherwords, and take your readings.

You can buy them at any wholesale swimming pool supplier, or maybe retail, or a scientific company catalog, like Edmonds.

A miliivolt meter can determine to conductivity between two points on the ground, to find metallic deposits. Its best to wet the ground first.

ohm meter.

 

[chlsbrns]

TDS shows ppm of DISSOLVED solids. Many things are dissolved in water even dissolved leaves from trees will be metered

A TSS or turbidity meter will show SUSPENDED solids.

Neither will tell you what it is that is dissolved or suspended in the water.

As I've previously suggested learn how to do the purple test! It will tell you if there is gold in the water, in soil or even in rotting drift wood.

As far as sluicing goes give it a try if you want but dont judge the performance of your sluices by the results you get sluicing in areas where gold is measured in ppb and is almost exclusively -200 mesh.

 

[KevinInColorado]

That is an awesome idea. The owner is a cool guy. He said any time I need sand to test my sluice designs, feel free to get as much black sand as I need

Pounce on his offer. Good chance his black sands contain gold and surely worth checking!

 

[reptwar1]

I agree Kevin! I will get with him Monday. And I should have my gold cube soon to run it through

 

[mike(swWash)]

Ever one seam to be arfraid of yusing mercry. Whin I waz a cid we uzded to luv rolling it roun in er hans.......an I stil norml...sumtims

 

[reptwar1]

Lmao Trust me I am so tempted! But Id have 1000 liberals in my front yard crying about how Im killing tadpoles

 

[mike(swWash)]

Tadpulls.....tha be berkfust fur us hear

 

[reptwar1]

Lol

 

[GoldpannerDave]

It's not his plant but no reason why he can't do both if he chooses too.

He can buy equipment and shovel like a mad man going after tiny tiny gold that is measured in parts per billion and can also get gold with little effort using OLEOPHILIC ADHESION while carrying on with his usual life.

The most gold that I found in USGS reports was about 400 ppb most were 2 to 10 ppb. What tiny fraction of one gram of gold would that be per ton of shoveled sand? Assume that the equipment captures 100% of the gold and not just the small percent that will actually be captured?

Wouldnt 1,000,000 ppb be one gram of gold per ton of shoveled sand? (Assuming that 100% of the gold was captured instead of a fraction of 100%)

1 mg per kg is 1 ppm so 1 mg per 1000 kg (metric ton) is 1 ppb; 1000 mg (1 gram) per metric ton is 1000 ppb (not 1,000,000 ppb).

So 10 ppb would be 10 mg per metric ton or 0.01 g of gold in that ton of sand.

 

[chlsbrns]

1 mg per kg is 1 ppm so 1 mg per 1000 kg (metric ton) is 1 ppb; 1000 mg (1 gram) per metric ton is 1000 ppb (not 1,000,000 ppb).

So 10 ppb would be 10 mg per metric ton or 0.01 g of gold in that ton of sand.

I usually deal with ppm. Thats easy for me to figure out. Ppb confuses me. Thanks for the calculations!

How many tons at 10 ppb to get one gram of gold assuming a 100% recovery rate? 100 tons?

 

[chlsbrns]

1 mg per kg is 1 ppm so 1 mg per 1000 kg (metric ton) is 1 ppb; 1000 mg (1 gram) per metric ton is 1000 ppb (not 1,000,000 ppb).

So 10 ppb would be 10 mg per metric ton or 0.01 g of gold in that ton of sand.

Wait a minute! One gram per ton is one ppm. 1,000 million = 1 billion. See ppb confuses the hell out of me!

Back to my previous question... How many tons at 10ppb to get one gram assuming 100% recovery?

 

[BagLady]

If you were going to use a sheet, plastic bag, or burlap, coated with any kind of oil, wouldnt the easiest way to separate the oil from the gold be to use heated water? The gold would sink, and the oil would rise. after its cold, you can scrape off the oil.

 

[Goldwasher]

If you were going to use a sheet, plastic bag, or burlap, coated with any kind of oil, wouldnt the easiest way to separate the oil from the gold be to use heated water? The gold would sink, and the oil would rise. after its cold, you can scrape off the oil.

You must cook a little

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Wait a minute! One gram per ton is one ppm. 1,000 million = 1 billion. See ppb confuses the hell out of me!

Back to my previous question... How many tons at 10ppb to get one gram assuming 100% recovery?

100 tons

 

[reptwar1]

Yikes

 

[Duckwalk]

why not just go for gold in the ground? Seems easier to obtain after reading this thread.

 

[TunnelRat]

Wouldn't clay and other suspended particles also stick to the grease?

 

[reptwar1]

Im going to check on it this weekend. Not sure if any gold will be in it or not but the concept is that gold is hydrophobic as is the grease so they should adhere. Should lol