Panning last night

[blackbeard81]

Pick up the 15' super sluice after work and proceed to the creek which I had very small gold particles but had large amounts of black sand and pebbles about the size of the stuff on roofing shingles which I can never seem to get out of my pan,Im just wondering if I should be using a classifier with small holes?

 

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[blackbeard81]

Also would it be a good idea to buy a magnet to remove the black sand?

 

[Rebel73153]

You actually got a 15 ft long sluice or was that supposed to be 15 inches? As for classifying the smaller you classify the better. You would do good to pick up at a least #30 and maybe a #50 and or a #100. A small black sand magnet is also a good idea. Good Luck.
Ok, i just figured out that your Super Sluice is a gold pan and not a sluice and is 15" across. If all you are doing is panning then the classifiers won't help you much. The Black sand magnet is still a good idea though.

 

[63bkpkr]

Black Sand Magnet: This is a magnet encased in plastic and is constructed so the magnet can be moved up so the magnetic materials it has been picked up can be easily and cleanly removed from the magnet. I use a few high quality magnets in a 35 mm film can and just shake it so the magnets fly up in the air inside the film can and it works quite well.............................63bkpkr

 

[B H Prospector]

The only time you need to classify from -30 to -100 is if you are processing supercons for a blue bowl or other fine material processor. You run that fine of material through a regular sluice you are blowing most of it down the river. The pebbles are probably hematite and there is a way to work them out but you should be a pretty good panner first. For now just pick them out. Magnet is a good idea however save the sand. If you are doing it wet you can also pick up gold with the sand. Keep it, dry it out, use the magnet again and then repan the remaining material.

Good Luck!

BH Prospector

 

[blackbeard81]

Black Sand Magnet: This is a magnet encased in plastic and is constructed so the magnet can be moved up so the magnetic materials it has been picked up can be easily and cleanly removed from the magnet. I use a few high quality magnets in a 35 mm film can and just shake it so the magnets fly up in the air inside the film can and it works quite well.............................63bkpkr

Hey the 35 mm film can is a great idea,I will decently do that I know my mom has a bunch of them.Now my question is where can I buy them?

 

[blackbeard81]

The only time you need to classify from -30 to -100 is if you are processing supercons for a blue bowl or other fine material processor. You run that fine of material through a regular sluice you are blowing most of it down the river. The pebbles are probably hematite and there is a way to work them out but you should be a pretty good panner first. For now just pick them out. Magnet is a good idea however save the sand. If you are doing it wet you can also pick up gold with the sand. Keep it, dry it out, use the magnet again and then repan the remaining material.

Good Luck!

BH Prospector

Thanks BH prospector again for the info I will do that.

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Also try using a round pan. Not dissing the new panning technology but round pans offer lots of techniques. "Rolling" the garnets and large heavies out is easier with a round pan. Once you remove the magnetite it is easy to keep the gold directly on bottom.. Oh and save your magnetic heavies and pan them. Very often gold gets trapped by the magnetic sands when they attach to your magnet. The gold is not magnetic but the force of the particles being stuck together often traps fine gold.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hey the 35 mm film can is a great idea,I will decently do that I know my mom has a bunch of them.Now my question is where can I buy them?

Buy which, the 35mm cans or the magnets? If its the magnets well, I use the ones off of my Phillips Sonicare tooth brushes once the brush part is useless. Many hardware stores carry "good" magnets that are quite strong and small to fit into the 35mm can........................63bkpkr

 

[blackbeard81]

Also try using a round pan. Not dissing the new panning technology but round pans offer lots of techniques. "Rolling" the garnets and large heavies out is easier with a round pan. Once you remove the magnetite it is easy to keep the gold directly on bottom.. Oh and save your magnetic heavies and pan them. Very often gold gets trapped by the magnetic sands when they attach to your magnet. The gold is not magnetic but the force of the particles being stuck together often traps fine gold.

Now when you say round pans are you referring to the turbo pans?

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Nope just round garret or keene or no name brand 10-14 " pans. Online they are like 7 bucks. Your super sluice is manufactured with one panning technique in mind. The classic round pan is tried and true, and lends itself to various techniques. Back panning and back tapping, rolling, brushing, and vortex swirling are a few examples. You will never see a professional miner with anything else other than a round pan. They will disagree on whether to use metal or plastic but in my opinion plastic is the way to go(doesnt dent). Trust me you definitely want to get good with a round pan. You will be glad you did. With anything though practice and patience is key.

 

[blackbeard81]

Nope just round garret or keene or no name brand 10-14 " pans. Online they are like 7 bucks. Your super sluice is manufactured with one panning technique in mind. The classic round pan is tried and true, and lends itself to various techniques. Back panning and back tapping, rolling, brushing, and vortex swirling are a few examples. You will never see a professional miner with anything else other than a round pan. They will disagree on whether to use metal or plastic but in my opinion plastic is the way to go(doesnt dent). Trust me you definitely want to get good with a round pan. You will be glad you did. With anything though practice and patience is key.

Thanks grizzly gremlin I did buy a garrett gold panning kit the bought the 15in super sluice which I find a bit heavy after a while of panning.Ive been using the 14in pan should I then use the 10in pan for finishing?

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

I finish in a 14" black pan but it doesnt really matter all that much. Smaller 10" pans are less forgiving to user error. I always use black though. Even super tiny gold shows up against a black background. The type of pan is much less important than learning proper panning technique however.

 

[nmhunter]

another easy method to remove most of your black sands is get any container your hand easily fits in. I use a plastic coffee can.

fill it with water and then fill your gold pan with about an inch of water above your cons.

Take a regular refrigerator magnet or the most powerful magnet you have on hand. I like one I got out of an old speaker.

Place your magnet in a plastic sandwich bag and move it slowly over the cons in your pan just under the water surface. The magnetite will jump to the magnet through the water leaving almost all nonmagnetics behind.

shake the bag in the pan to make sure everything is firmly attached, then move bag to container. reach in and move magnet. Sands will fall to bottom of container. repeat these last two steps until magnet is clean.

be sure to save all magnetics since there will be ultra fine gold trapped and there is also a ton of fun things to do with the magnetite.

Hope this helps

 

[nmhunter]

btw I do most of my panning with the 14" then remove the magnetite and finish with a 10". The larger pans are certainly more forgiving.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Blackbeard: I love the 15" Super Sluice pan, as it can sample material faster than
my regular pans.

Trick with it is keep it in the water, and let the natural buoyancy of the pan
be a help. I often work the material under the water, and can now 1-hand it for
a few hours at a time.

I classify down to 1/8" (8 mesh) before working material, as there's about a gazillion
to one chance of finding anything larger than 1/8" in the streams I work.