WHAT TO DO WITH BLACK SAND???

[blynch35]

I have heard that you can sell black sand and or melt it for super fine gold in it, is this true and what else can you do with it?

 

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[KevinInColorado]

LOL...I did something similar before it occurred to me to use that modern invention - "the wheel"!!

 

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[Goodyguy]

Tell me about it! First time I tried to go beach prospecting, I lugged half a bucket of BS half a mile from the beach to my car. NEVER doing that again!! I thought my arms were going to fall off! It wasn't until after I got back that the old timers tell me to take a wagon with me... Lesson learned!

Make one of these.......

I call it the bucket chariot


GG~

 

[Fullpan]

thats so cool! - GG

 

[Meagen's Dad]

Is that 1/2" EMT electrical tubing? I was an electrician for over 20 years so I recognize the set screw coupling in front of the wheel, I just don't see how EMT could hold up to pulling 2 or 3 hundred pounds around at a time. I agree with fullpan it is very cool!

 

[Goodyguy]

Is that 1/2" EMT electrical tubing? I was an electrician for over 20 years so I recognize the set screw coupling in front of the wheel, I just don't see how EMT could hold up to pulling 2 or 3 hundred pounds around at a time. I agree with fullpan it is very cool!

Good eye Meagen's Dad

I'm surprised at how well it has held up so far but will most likely replace it with GRC when the EMT fails.
The only problem so far has been a twisting of the long handle when extreme weight is being hauled.

I'm sure it's just a matter of time until the handle fails.

GG~

 

[Gold Maven]

I've got about 3 buckets saved up that has been panned 3 times, I always heard about all the micron gold that is still in there.

Thought I would try tumbling it in a small mortar mixer with mercury, and then shipping the amalgam off to a refinery.

 

[johnnysau]

I know mercury is very dangerous stuff, but i read that the oldtimers would put the mercury amalgam in a potatoe that had been cut in half, a scooped out, wired back togather and thrown in a fire for a while to burn off the amalgam and left with a button of gold inside. Dont know where i saw that or if its true. Make sure to stay away
from the vapours though and get rid of the leftover potatoe bits.

johnnysau

 

[Goodyguy]

Using a retort is the best way to recover the gold and at the same time you safely reclaim the mercury

 

[sagthegreat]

for poor people like me this is perfect lol jk

 

[KevinInColorado]

Johnnysau, the old timers did do that trick with the potato but please don't do that. The fumes are very dangerous and we want you around and of sound mind...not mad as a hatter! I am sure you can find an experienced prospector in your area with a retort if you try. If not ask at the chemistry dept of your local college....they are often happy to help.

 

[419GottaMinute]

Usw the science dept if you can, amalgamated gold looks so shiny after a bath in nitric

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

is a mix of gold and black sand attractive in the same vial

 

[KevinInColorado]

No.


But u can send it to me for quick separation if you like.



Notice that I didn't say anything about sending it back

 

[oldbrundogg]

Hey Kevin, meant to post this a while ago, i think you had the best idea with collecting from the clubs and splitting the profits. Somebody with more go-getter in them than me could set up,I would think,a pretty good business going around to all the clubs in an area or state and making a drop off at a refinery. Take a little research but with the price of gold and what seems to be a new gold rush of sorts might be profitable.
OBD

 

[KevinInColorado]

I think you're right OBD. A friend and I are going to do some smelting tests (he has amazing skills and tools for this sort of thing) too see what sort of values are the local sands. Based on what we learn, I am hoping to organize one or two of the local clubs

 

[oldbrundogg]

Go for it my Coloradoian friend!! Not as much fun as playing in the dirt, but sure will get the entrepreneurial juices flowing.
OBD

 

[omnicron]

I posted a picture some time back asking to identify a machine.. Nobody was able to identify it's manufacture. But I did find out the purpose of the machine...On my last visit to a local gold buyer we got chit chatting. He was very impressed with how clean my gold was and how pure, 19.9ct. He asked me if I was using the Lil Gold Trap (that machine I was trying to identify)

I told him no just rubber vrib matting glued to my sluice and my garden hose...then panned the super cons left. He went to the back room and came out with that machine. He told me that it is used to recover micro gold from otherwise clean black sand. He plugged it in and ran maybe 10 or so table spoons of black sand through it, turned it off then picked up a magnifying glass and told me to look. Sure enough without the magnifying glass I didn't see anything but with the glass I saw very very small gold in the v-grooves. It wasn't until I read this thread that it all clicked in my head!!!
Now I realize that it still is not getting everything but heck even if it gets 25% of the micro gold it could end up paying for it's self in no time once I have enough bs to run...food for thought!

 

[wa-au-nut]

The Black Magic sluice does the samething for about 1/3 the cost of that one. Maybe slower but I have a lot of time. Save all my black sands to run through it. Set it up and play when I need to be alone, great therapy

 

[TheNewCatfish]

The Ole' Timers (49'ers) used to throw their concentrate onto a wool blanket and flip it up into the wind. The lighter material blew away and the heavier gold particles fell back onto the blanket (which was burned at the end of the process). I believe this method of recovery was called "Winnowing", but it requires two participants to pull it off. One guy at each end of a blanket. It works best if they're both sober. Another trick was to heat the black sand in an iron skillet. When the skillet was red hot, they threw a bucket of ice cold stream water on it (which exploded and fractured the sand) releasing gold. Again.. only attempt this if you are completely sober. The sand was then panned or winnowed. Generally it wasn't economical to transport black sands anywhere. The same is true today, unless you're on some incredibly RICH dirt, (which then begs the question.. Why are you messing around with the tiny stuff ?). I did see one fella on the Arkansas River using a looped clear plastic hose attached to a variable speed Wet-Vac running black sand through the loops. Adjusted correctly, the fine gold didn't make it over the top of the loops, the black sand did. I panned the sand in the Wet-Vac and found none. I saw the gold particles that collected on the bottom of the loops. Would i use this method ? I don't think so. Running 20 gallons of material just to get less than $5 dollars worth of gold doesn't seem practical at all.

 

[Jason in Enid]

TNC, the methods you listed are only usable for normal placer "panning" gold. The micron gold being discussed here would blow away with the slightest breeze and never settle in a vacuum hose.