[PIC] 5-Gallon bucket of concentrate. How do I separate the gold?

[servenomore]

I'm a gpaa member, but I'm a total greenhorn. I took the family gold prospecting on a claim in Colorado last week. Dug up some gravel, classified it on site with 1/4", 1/12", and 1/30" classifiers. Then we loaded up a 5-gallon bucket of concentrate and brought it back home to Texas to pan. It contains a lot of flakes and fine gold, but I can't separate it from the sand.

I've looked on youtube for videos of equipment to buy that'll help and I've looked thru all the ads in the gpaa magazine, but I'm not sure what to buy or if there's a process I'm missing.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a picture here to see if anyone could take a look at what we've got and offer a suggestion to hep us gather the gold.

The photo may not show the sparkle very well, but thanks in advance for any help!

 

[jpdriver1]

I use a desert fox auto panner when I have a large quantity like that --

 

[KevinInColorado]

Put a couple tablespoons worth in a pan at a time and do all the stuff you see in the GPAA instructional panningvideo. That material is JUST PERFECT to learn to pan! Pan into a wash tub so you can scoop up the material and do it again until you get your panning skills honed. You do not need more gear, just some practice. Be patient with yourself and you'll get better. Learning to pan is soooo key to this stuff.

PS glad you got to visit Colorado. We have a lot of gold gettin' spots here. Feel free to ask for suggestions the next time you're headed this way.

 

[goldenmojo]

Get a tub of water and pan the light stuff off. As soon as you get rid of all the light stuff you will have black sand and gold left in your pan. Remove the gold with a snuffer bottle. If you are having trouble with panning look on you tube for how to pan. It is the first step you must learn to get gold.

 

[gunflintguy]

I started about 6 months ago, so I am still learning. Follow Kevin and goldenmojo's comments. Learn to pan. Once I figured how to pan, things got easier. Goldhog's you tube panning video's at Gold Hog - YouTube really helped me out. He has a lot of great video's, well produced and informative. He's also a forum sponsor. He's got 4 really good panning video's, 3 posted to his page a year ago and one posted 9 months ago. Check those out.

Ask questions as you go along, the people here are great and always willing to help and welcome to TNET

 

[MadJack_ME]

Did you run any of this through a sluice? Most dirt will have 'sparlkes', but any gold should be a butter-color and remain so in the sun AND shade.
Panning is the key, the time to learn is now. As said above, pan into a wash tub or tote full of water. And collect any gold in a snuffer bottle.

 

[dredgeman]

If the sparkles stay with the sand it might be called pyrite. Fools gold etc. Any real gold should be below the material after a vigorous shaking of the pan.

Learn to pan and have a great time

 

[ALewis]

save your $$ and Pan it....little bits at a time

 

[servenomore]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll definitely watch the videos suggested and work on my panning. I'll post a picture of my results asap. Either way, we had a great time on the river! Everything about the experience was enjoyable!

 

[Oregon Viking]

Learning to pan is a good advice.
Also, these Prospectors Choice Clean Up Sluice
I use this at home and LOVE it!
I like it better then a miller table, It;s a bit faster too.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Yes, learn to pan. Also a Miller table will help separate the black sands from the fine gold much faster than panning. There are some very good links on here about Miller tables, how to build, how to use, etc.

 

[Portadrillmini]

classify , roast , then pan cons. put cons under a microscope , smelt cons , save , melt into dore button

 

[B H Prospector]

Hey guys you forgot to tell servenomore the secret ingredient for panning. A few drops of jet dry in the panning tub water. Don't want his gold floatin' away do we? Oh an d welcome to the forum sevrenomore.

Good Luck!

BH Prospector