Gold Ore

southfork

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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 ?
 

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southfork

southfork

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Rain and snow are keeping me from using the clean up sluice because I'm wimpy lol. But I'm crushing rocks and saving then for the chain mill when the sun comes out sometime this winter. The chain mill is outside because of the dust we did a quick run yesterday and smelted the concentrates. Our first small gold bar 29 grams.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Beautiful day sun shining no wind ran a couple of jars of samples through the jaw crusher. Some nice pickers but everything went though the chain mill not saving any specimens on this run. I had one specimen soaking in Whink for a couple of days the gold is all the way through . I placed it back in after a light brushing still making the water rusty it may get crushed also. Ran all the fines on the ribbed sluice a couple of pickers showed and some micro gold it got the mercury treatment. I have a nice a nice amalgam ball going might try the retort in a couple of days. All metal detector finds.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Slim Picken's today crushed a five-gallon bucket from mine waste I hauled home. Into the chain mill for a good whipping Black sand and magnetics / pyrite/ Oh wait I see gold I'll check with my loupe super fine into the I'll Smelt you latter jar. I still have a half bucket of big rocks and a small tote full of rock and dirt it only takes one good rock. Happy Mining 8-) I'm going to add a section above the slick plate with low profile riffles and a couple of different types of mat. Catch the pickers before they roll! Maybe I'll be able to feed faster. I don't like the vibrator a little too much even turned way down I found a little gold at the bottom of the ribbed sluice.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Took advantage of the sunny day and crushed a couple of buckets of rocks. Then I tried crushing a tote full of material I shoveled off the mine waste pile went through the jaw crusher just fine. But clogged the chain mill screen up too much moisture classified all of it by size placed in buckets to dry. Fun for another day my son crushed a couple of small pieces metal detector finds that made a little noise. A small little pinch more than I recovered from a whole bucket.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Another storm on the way but still a nice day decided to try the retort. I need a small pump to recirculate the cooling fluid or make an expansion tank. Today I filled it with antifreeze and clamped the hose's sprayed graphite inside the pipe cap and fired it up. Worked perfect almost the clear plastic hose sprung a pinhole leak and lost a little antifreeze. But the mercury had stopped coming-out. Great return on the mercury and the gold sponge was clean no visible mercury but a little black sand 15 gram sponge Happy Mining. Whoops I guess my phone was in video mode.
 

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gold tramp

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Another storm on the way but still a nice day decided to try the retort. I need a small pump to recirculate the cooling fluid or make an expansion tank. Today I filled it with antifreeze and clamped the hose's sprayed graphite inside the pipe cap and fired it up. Worked perfect almost the clear plastic hose sprung a pinhole leak and lost a little antifreeze. But the mercury had stopped coming-out. Great return on the mercury and the gold sponge was clean no visible mercury but a little black sand 15 gram sponge Happy Mining. Whoops I guess my phone was in video mode.
Do you weigh you Hg before amalgamations ? Then chk weight after retort.
Gt ..
 

gold tramp

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No I didn't but I will on the next run. I was going to weigh the amalgam before but I was to lazy to walk back to the house. But it looked and felt like I got all the mercury back.
It's always nice to know,
Best tool in my arsenal of mining equipment Hg. With out it I have a heck of a time collecting the fine stuff I work (desert gold) one day when I grow up I would like to learn to leach these ores.
Till then next best thing amalgamator is my tool of choice
Stay safe .
Gt ..
 

JohnWhite

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I found a guy selling mercury in Mexico…I just might break down and buy some one day…

Ed T
 

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southfork

southfork

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I didn't have a vapor break / cloth tube between the retort outlet and the catch jar. Very important the way I had it set it up could suck water back into the retort and steam escaping could burn you or blow your gold all over hell. Worst case possible explosion. When properly setup with the pump the water recirculates into a separate tank then back to the retort keeping the condensing tube cool.
 

Clay Diggins

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I found a guy selling mercury in Mexico…I just might break down and buy some one day…

Ed T
Why not just buy it here? A half pound should last a very long time if you keep it clean and charged after use. It's available by mail order - clean and pre charged.

There are only two restrictions on Mercury purchased in the U.S. - it can't be shipped by air and export to some countries is limited to a gram per shipment.
 

JohnWhite

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Why not just buy it here? A half pound should last a very long time if you keep it clean and charged after use. It's available by mail order - clean and pre charged.

There are only two restrictions on Mercury purchased in the U.S. - it can't be shipped by air and export to some countries is limited to a gram per shipment.
I remember when I was a child…We used to break old thermometers and tv tubes to play with the mercury…

The guy I found selling it in Mexico is only asking $2100 pesos per kilo…And he states that he has 500 kilos for sale…He was offering other mining equipment as well…I believe that a kilo of mercury will probably last me a lifetime…

I also found that I can get a 55% nitric acid in Mexico as well…They sell a 5 liter jug for $619 pesos on Mercado libre…I have been playing with acids of late…I have found it to be a very reliable poor man’s form of an assay…I have been having much better results with my ores doing wet assays…😄 https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.m...cking_id=89f14527-8ffa-4344-9ce1-d257ee92838f
It is $690 pesos…

Oh well…I still feel mercury is a better option for some folks…🤪

Ed T
 

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JohnWhite

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Here is a link some might find informative…


Ed T
 

gold tramp

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I didn't have a vapor break / cloth tube between the retort outlet and the catch jar. Very important the way I had it set it up could suck water back into the retort and steam escaping could burn you or blow your gold all over hell. Worst case possible explosion. When properly setup with the pump the water recirculates into a separate tank then back to the retort keeping the condensing tube cool.
You might want make an air tort or air press as l call it. will make it so you have less hg to deal when you retort. If you need to know how I can pm you part list .
Stay safe..
Will get a pic of it taken apart you get better idea

Gt..
20230320_112629.jpg
 

JohnWhite

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Here is a link some might find informative…


Ed T
It seems like nobody can be trusted in this day and age…The link I posted states aqua regia as a 4 to 1 ratio…I believe it’s actually a 3 to 1 ratio…And I believe you can use this…https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pro-Cure-4-oz-Sodium-Sulfite/44818055 or https://www.ebay.com/itm/1523491126...KnmLtM1l+7OIv6ASvof8RNPbqBan|tkp:BFBMhPnej-Bh to drop your gold…Those who are interested can read up on it…

Ed T
 

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southfork

southfork

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You might want make an air tort or air press as l call it. will make it so you have less hg to deal when you retort. If you need to know how I can pm you part list .
Stay safe..
Will get a pic of it taken apart you get better idea

Gt.. View attachment 2075101
It just needs a piece cloth wrapped around the outlet so just the cloth touches the water in the collection jar. Just a short hose not the way I had it. But thanks.
 

JohnWhite

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You could always use nitric acid on your mercury…I believe you can use an aluminum can to drop your clean mercury from it…I personally have not tried it yet…

Ed T
 

gold tramp

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It just needs a piece cloth wrapped around the outlet so just the cloth touches the water in the collection jar. Just a short hose not the way I had it. But thanks.
The air tort is the step one uses before amalgam goes into retort, it removes excess Hg, just in case you didn't understand what I was talking about...
One doesnt have to use it, just sharing advice on refining process.
Another tool in you arsenal
Gt..
 

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