Placer mining and fine gold recovery - your must have tools?

[jdlev]

Toss up question!

What are your 3 must have tools when you head out to the creek (not including a shovel and bucket, lol)? What are your top 3 tools when recovering fine gold?

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Pan, sluice, weed.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Creek? Where's the creek? Most of the gold isn't in a creek.

Heavy Pans

 

[gold tramp]

Creek? Where's the creek? Most of the gold isn't in a creek.

Heavy Pans

Was for me today, dry creek !
Gt....

 

[mendoAu]

Now dang it...all this time I thought this was gold, guess I'll just toss it back in the creek...



I don't use a shovel so here's my top four: 5inch dredge, wetsuit, inhaler, and a camo tarp // didn't used to have to use a camo tarp so a bit of sippin' gin (now number five instead of four) helps when it comes to panning down to that fine gold (that does not appear in creeks,HA!) and the number one thing that you "don't have to carry/bring" is the mindset that there's gold where you're sucking...

 

[mytimetoshine]

Fine gold is finicky. It all depends on conditions and material. I find the best "practical" method of most fine gold deposits in my area is a pan and 1/4 classifier. Classify then run it down to 80/20 black/blonde sand and dump into a catch to later proccess with Gold Cube and blue blowl.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I cant pan to save my life after a few drinks! My #1 is my pan, #2 is my pick #3 is a container to place my concentrates.

 

[Hamfist]

Drywasher, detector, #8 classifier.


What’s a creek?!

 

[okbasspro]

4” dredge 2.5” dredge Fireball

 

[Johnnybravo300]

A 14 pound San Angelo bar breaks up my creek bed better than anything does. It makes shoveling much more productive and easier. It's a struggle to move much material without it.

 

[arizau]

Toss up question!

What are your 3 must have tools when you head out to the creek (not including a shovel and bucket, lol)? What are your top 3 tools when recovering fine gold?

When "recovering" AKA panning concentrates I first classify them to batches of like sized material before panning. I have a couple of sets and the mesh sizes range from about 20 down to 150 mesh. When gold is panned with like size material it is relatively easy to pan (isolate) since it is usually 3 or more times as heavy as non gold particles.

 

[Lamy Lineman]

Pan, sluice, sucker bottle

 

[et1955]

Knowledge, Experience and Perseverance are the best tools

 

[RTD-Tech]

Turkey baster, screw driver and table spoon. Lol, I get all of my gold from crevicing. Usually bring my little brother also, He's a good pack mule.

Somehow, I always forget the weed though...

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I always make plenty of room for that and a 6er. The creek supplies the refrigeration and the music for the day.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Flow Pan, washdown tray, squirt bottle, 1/2" classifier, hand scoop, 2 gal cons bucket w lid.

 

[Duckshot]

Must have plastic pipette for chasing small gold out of black sand.

 

[Bejay]

Used to be a 4 inch dredge. Fuel and wet suit. Have no use for it legally in Oregon now. Of course I had clean up gear....pan and a meat lug...…
https://www.tigerchef.com/meat-lug-...MI58_Jgvax3gIVksJkCh3XWgAzEAYYByABEgJowfD_BwE

Bejay

 

[jdlev]

Now dang it...all this time I thought this was gold, guess I'll just toss it back in the creek...

View attachment 1645845

I don't use a shovel so here's my top four: 5inch dredge, wetsuit, inhaler, and a camo tarp // didn't used to have to use a camo tarp so a bit of sippin' gin (now number five instead of four) helps when it comes to panning down to that fine gold (that does not appear in creeks,HA!) and the number one thing that you "don't have to carry/bring" is the mindset that there's gold where you're sucking...

 

[jdlev]

Knowledge, Experience and Perseverance are the best tools

Looks like I found the Gandalf of the group