Gold Ore

southfork · Apr 22, 2022

A little sample that was found with a metal detector. Crushed by hand then panned to wash away some of the dirt and clay? The photo is macro so real small particles, but the quartz shows and what looks like iron and free gold. I think we need a small smelter to retrieve the values trying to speed up the recovery what's your thoughts ?

Reed Lukens · Jul 6, 2022

You can get moulds and everything pretty cheap on Amazon.

Amazon.com : steel cone mold for smelting

southfork · Jul 6, 2022

Reed Lukens said:
You can get moulds and everything pretty cheap on Amazon.

Amazon.com : steel cone mold for smelting

Not cheap

Cast Iron Conical Slag Removal Mold 8" Diameter x 6" Depth for Pouring Casting Metals Gold Copper Silver Aluminum

$449.95$449.95

desertgolddigger · Jul 6, 2022

WoW!!! They sure do charge a ton for that. I hope it's designed to last a lifetime, at that price.

southfork · Jul 6, 2022

desertgolddigger said:
WoW!!! They sure do charge a ton for that. I hope it's designed to last a lifetime, at that price.

Maybe it comes with gold sure would be nice to do this right at least the smelting part.

Ohiogoldfever · Jul 6, 2022

southfork said:
Maybe it comes with gold sure would be nice to do this right at least the smelting part.

This is the very reason I don’t yet own one. Yikes!

Tesorodeoro · Jul 6, 2022

southfork said:
Maybe it comes with gold sure would be nice to do this right at least the smelting part.

Seems kind of big..

Reed Lukens · Jul 7, 2022

I hadn't looked at that one because of the price... lol
I had seen this one and lots of others down the page in the link above.
Amazon product ASIN B019VHD8MO
Or this $10.00 special
Amazon product ASIN B08RDQQ89B

southfork · Jul 7, 2022

Reed Lukens said:
I hadn't looked at that one because of the price... lol
I had seen this one and lots of others down the page in the link above.
Amazon product ASIN B019VHD8MO
Or this $10.00 special
Amazon product ASIN B08RDQQ89B

I have the small graphite molds, but I need a steel cone mold I can beat with a hammer to knock the slag out.

southfork · Jul 11, 2022

No rocks to crush so I smelted some slag in the bottom of a crucible. I filled the crucible about halfway with borax and some silica sand to try and get the slag fluid enough to water drop. I'm still waiting on a steel cone mold, so I poured the molting slag into a bucket of water. It fractured into small bits that I panned to recover any precious metal it was covered with iron/manganese? I smelted that material again and recovered a 1-gram button of gold. A lot of steps but gold is where you find it. I had to pound on it a little to knock the shell off.

desertgolddigger · Jul 11, 2022

Hey southfork, to get that gram of gold, about how much did you invest in resources (propane, chemicals, etc.)? I've always wondered if it's worth processing something that will actually cost more than the end value.

Of course I'm thinking this is just fun for you, and maybe cost is irrelevant.

Anyway, way to go. I enjoy reading about your exploits.

southfork · Jul 11, 2022

desertgolddigger said:
Hey southfork, to get that gram of gold, about how much did you invest in resources (propane, chemicals, etc.)? I've always wondered if it's worth processing something that will actually cost more than the end value.

Of course I'm thinking this is just fun for you, and maybe cost is irrelevant.

Anyway, way to go. I enjoy reading about your exploits.

Cost was minimal a couple of bucks for propane and borax is cheap I'm still on the first box. My time is worth beans lol electricity for the crusher is nothing I have solar. Time wise it's a couple of hours per smelt I need to stand watch with an open flame, but I have a chair shade and music the muriatic acid I reuse until exhausted I pour it back and forth. It just takes a little acid to cover the button and leave overnight. Sometimes I use a toothbrush to scrub then back in the acid around 24 hours per soak seems to clean nicely. This is just a great hobby for me between gold arrowhead hunting and old cars I don't leave the property often. The Gold will pay for everything if we sell it.

RTR · Jul 11, 2022

southfork
How does one melt extremely small gold , any tips ? I've tried it and The flame keeps blowing the small gold away :icon_scratch:

southfork · Jul 11, 2022

RTR said:
southfork
How does one melt extremely small gold , any tips ? I've tried it and The flame keeps blowing the small gold away

When melting flour gold, I place it in a cupel, or small crucible then place inside of a large crucible just for insurance and place in the furnace.

desertgolddigger · Jul 11, 2022

Weeeellll! It certainly sounds like maybe 5 bucks to get 50 bucks. That's worth it.

I guess the initial investment on equipment and chemicals eventually gets paid for, and then pure profit.

I certainly wished Gold Tramp had shown me his setup. I always love to learn, even if I can never afford all that equipment. Besides, 29Palms probably has an ordinance forbidding such activity in a residential area. Wish, when I moved out here I had purchased that fixer upper house and garage on 15 acres east of 29Palms. Never knew about gold mining back then. Was just trying to survive financially. Sorry southfork, not meaning to drift away from this threads subject.

Thanks for you answers and this thread.

russau · Jul 11, 2022

After all....... what good is a dream if you can't pursue it ?

southfork · Jul 11, 2022

I crushed a 1/4 bucket of float from around the house today and panned to see if there was any gold. A little flour and a couple of tweezer sized pickers but the gold is a lot cleaner/ brighter. I have cows clearing ground for me not one rock is safe now. If I could just get my son to bring home an excavator for a few days. I could rip out some quartz veins that show all over our place just a little testing no gold I'll fill the holes.

Ohiogoldfever · Jul 11, 2022

southfork said:
I crushed a 1/4 bucket of float from around the house today and panned to see if there was any gold. A little flour and a couple of tweezer sized pickers but the gold is a lot cleaner/ brighter. I have cows clearing ground for me not one rock is safe now. If I could just get my son to bring home an excavator for a few days. I could rip out some quartz veins that show all over our place just a little testing no gold I'll fill the holes.

Unfortunately no gold baring quarts Veins in Ohio, let alone in the back yard! Love it.

southfork · Jul 12, 2022

Crushed random 1/4 bucket of Quartz float from a little walk on the place good exercise for my old self. Some color and micro balls of gold.

Tesorodeoro · Jul 12, 2022

southfork said:
Crushed random 1/4 bucket of Quartz float from a little walk on the place good exercise for my old self. Some color and micro balls of gold.

Do you feel confident that your equipment was completely gold free before you started? Great problem to have, where all your equipment is “contaminated”.

southfork · Jul 12, 2022

Tesorodeoro said:
Do you feel confident that your equipment was completely gold free before you started? Great problem to have, where all your equipment is “contaminated”.

Yes, I'm sure I clean the inside of the machine with a brush before each sample. And a 1/4 bucket is my limit when carrying up a hill.