MESH SIZE QUESTION....

[mattisdell1983]

hey guys just a quick question. I have a royal 30" stream sluice box and I went to my local shop today to buy a classifier screen for a 5 gallon bucket. The guy said to just classify to 8 mesh. Is this about right? or should I clasify down smaller? Up here in northern california(Almost in oregon) we seem to have alot of fine gold. thanks alot in advance, Matt

 

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[Astrobouncer]

8 mesh is a good size if all you are dealing with is fine gold, but if you are finding any coarse stuff at all you might be throwing it back at that classification range. I would go with 4 mesh instead. Plus with 4 mesh you can still find some gemstones that would get tossed at 8.

 

[63bkpkr]

I like to wave a metal detector over the larger stuff I've classified out just to make sure I'm not tossing something good away.
63bkpkr

 

[highdesertranger]

+ that backpacker, using metal detector on the tailings. highdesertranger

 

[Fullpan]

Except for the Bear river, most northern calif. rivers have commonly produced gold larger than #8 mesh

 

[63bkpkr]

I was out in NorCal several years ago late in the year on a river that was getting close to dry. This allowed me to work the down stream side of boulders that were way under water during the spring run off. I was using a 1/16" mesh contraption, I hand plucked all the large pieces out and this left a sizable pile of remaining small gravel. At one point I looked at that pile and in my brain I formed the thought that IF there happened to be any larger gold it was in that pile. It took me awhile to do a quick panning of the pile BUT I did find a nugget in there. Since that time I've used my White's GMT to check my discard or Tailings piles. No Zip-Zip and I just continue on, it's a good check system and saves work.........63bkpkr

 

[TerryC]

8 is ok. I use a 2 into a bucket for sluicing. 4 would be better, I think. TTC