What size is the majority of your gold?

nickmarch · Mar 27, 2012

Hello All!

I think I have come up with my best idea yet for gold concentration. Before I make it I am trying to figure out what size to make the classifier.

What size is the majority of your gold? What mesh or micron size?

What size would you call a picker? 1/8"? 1/4"?

What I'm getting at is that I want the rare

mesh size nugget/picker/can be detected with a detector to not enter the system. If It can be detected with a decent metal detector I don't want it to enter the system.

You will understand when you see it! Very inexpensive, easy to make, light, easy to transport, can be dredged and/or shoveled into, and will lose little to no gold. Water can also be recirculated for use where there is no water.

TAKODA · Mar 27, 2012

TAKODA · Mar 27, 2012

TAKODA · Mar 27, 2012

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nickmarch · Mar 28, 2012

Pictured is two 10oz chunks of gold. One is refined the other is not. Both are from -20 mesh fines.

The third pic is 55 ounces of refined gold shot.

I also used my brain to get the gold, refine the gold and to post 3 photos in one post.

As I previously posted I found the information I needed to get to work on my new concentrator.

GrayCloud · Mar 28, 2012

Thanks for the photos boys. Sure give a fella the fever to get back out there.

Hoser John · Mar 28, 2012

size don't matter much---but poundage sure does!!!tons a au 2 u 2-John ps--dredge is king in this miners eye--always have done it--always will---nuttn' stops me except a dirtnap .....then ashes in my crik anyhow!!!

Gravel Hog · Mar 28, 2012

That's what I'll be doing,Hoser, you already knew that of course. Hoping to bring out a few more pounds to put up myself. :blackbeard:

True wisdom (ya heard it right here from Hoser)- "size don't matter", only in your choice of recovery type does it, but the weight of your take at the end of the day truly counts. :goldbar:

If the job ain't paying find another that will is a good rule of thumb for a gold dredger wanting to be a success.

ohiochris · Mar 28, 2012

The majority of my gold is pinhead or smaller flakes , but Im in Ohio. It depends on your location

nickmarch · Mar 28, 2012

I also love dredges and the never ending stream of fines that run off of them and back into the water.

Studies have shown that on average there are 10oz of fines for every oz of nuggets. Assuming that Gravel Hog is using a dredge his photo of nuggets shows that he is losing an awful lot of fines! There should be 10 times more fines than nuggets in his pic but the fines must have returned to the water.

This is why I target the fines! You will then get the nuggets and the fines!

Gravel Hog · Mar 28, 2012

Not much in the way of fines in my creek. Hasn't been ground up into fines, maybe way down river in the valley.
Just big heavy tertiary nugs that lay on bedrock and don't do much in the way of moving, even up the suction nozzle.
Did some fine gold recovery but the percentage of fines is very very small barely paid for the gasoline.
Knowing what size of gold you need to recover is important, as each situation is different and requires a recovery system to match.
That pan of nuggets was a one day take, one of my better days in all my 40 years of dredging. T'was 2009 just before the ban in a troughway that I could not do no wrong. That was a good year.

nickmarch · Mar 28, 2012

Gravel Hog, Yes you are right! Size does matter for the reason you stated.

The dredge crap in California over? It amazed me that no one caught on (no one that I know of) to how to get around the ban and the current law.

Gravel Hog · Mar 28, 2012

nickmarch said:
The dredge crap in California over? It amazed me that no one caught on (no one that I know of) to how to get around the ban and the current law.

I think not, but don't rightly care, just keep doing what I think is rightful and hope it the problem is sorted out soon.

strickman · Mar 28, 2012

TAKODA said:
strickman said:

hey t , that looks bright to me . prolly 22 1/2 kt. Ala. and Ga. color sure does look good . Very good showing. Thanks for the vid.

Click to expand...

Sup Strick , we are fortunate to have some nice stuff in our areas for sure . I'm gona
post those crush con pics I sent you a couple days ago . I seem to have to post
them one at a time for reason's I have yet to figure out .
More problems with the new fangled Tnet I guess . They will follow this post .

I like the crush con pics ,kinda like where's waldo !

strickman · Mar 28, 2012

nickmarch said:
Gravel Hog, Yes you are right! Size does matter for the reason you stated.

The dredge crap in California over? It amazed me that no one caught on (no one that I know of) to how to get around the ban and the current law.

how do you get around the ban ?

nickmarch · Mar 28, 2012

nickmarch said:
Gravel Hog, Yes you are right! Size does matter for the reason you stated.

The dredge crap in California over? It amazed me that no one caught on (no one that I know of) to how to get around the ban and the current law.

Well hopefully they will pass the law as it is written now. It's lame & easy to get around.

strickman · Mar 28, 2012

guess its a secret

Gravel Hog · Mar 28, 2012

nickmarch it is easy, you are right, but somethings are best kept off public forums. :blackbeard:

nickmarch · Mar 28, 2012

strickman said:
nickmarch said:

how do you get around the ban ?

Click to expand...

Read the States definition of suction dredging.

Hoser John · Mar 29, 2012

Dredge ban ain't squat compared to highbanking violation as $10,000 cdfg vs $25,000 AND $50 a gallon for all polluted water sayeth the waterboard--gee wiz mama nature/god must get one LL of a bill annualy

F'M' all-John

nickmarch · Mar 29, 2012

Hoser John said:
Dredge ban ain't squat compared to highbanking violation as $10,000 cdfg vs $25,000 AND $50 a gallon for all polluted water sayeth the waterboard--gee wiz mama nature/god must get one LL of a bill annualy F'M' all-John

It's just as easy to get around the highbanker laws as the dredge laws. I have never prospected in Calif and probably never will.

I've read the laws just to see what all the commotion is about fearing that the laws will spread to other States. Hopefully the proposed law will pass as it is currently written. It's so lame that I may take a trip to California and dredge (not as they define dredging) without a permit.

JH read the stuff below it is so easy to get around it is laughable! I wont explain it as they may catch on and change it. If you don't get it the first time read it again! If you do get it please don't post what it is!

This is how the law is currently written: http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=42549

I'd prefer that they pass the laws as currently written and that that law spreads to every gold bearing State. Then I can dredge in every State without a permit!

Question: Can I use a highbanker or power sluice to recover gold?
Answer: Yes, under the following conditions:
1.
The Fish and Game Code, the Clean Water Act, and the California Water Code prohibit you from discharging water and waste sediment from your highbanker or power sluice to an area such that it may enter a stream, river, lake, or other surface water body without a permit from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) responsible for the area where you’ll be mining. Currently there is no general permit available for discharges of water and waste sediment from highbankers or power sluices to streams, rivers, lakes, or other surface water bodies. (you can't do it without a permit but there is no permit?)
2.
You can discharge water and waste sediment from your highbanker or power sluice to land but you must first apply for a permit (so there is a permit) from the Regional Water Board responsible for the area where you’ll be mining. To apply for a permit, you must file a Report of Waste Discharge with the Regional Water Board. You cannot begin mining until the Regional Water Board approves your Report of Waste Discharge and notifies you that either your permit has been issued or that a permit is not required because the discharge will not create or threaten to create a condition of pollution or nuisance. The minimum fee for the permit is $1120.00 but may be higher depending on the threat the discharge poses to water quality and the complexity of the discharge as determined by the Regional Water Board. See below for legal details.

Question: What are the penalties if I don’t comply with the conditions?
Answer: Violating conditions 1 and 2 may result in fines of up to $10,000 for each day, or if the matter is referred to the courts, fines up to $25,000 for each day in which the violation occurs.