Very Fine Gold Recovery?

[Konrad]

Very Fine Gold Recovery?
Hello,

This is my first time at Treasurenet so bear with me if this is a repeated question.

I live in Western Washington close to the Puget Sound. The gold in my back yard and in local streams is very fine dust. In fact, sometimes the only way you can see it is under magnification (hand held lens). This is after classifying and running through a 5 inch sluice.

I have been strongly considering the purchase of the Desert Fox automatic panning machine along with a set of fine classifiers from e-bay but have not followed through.

My question is: What is the best way to extract very fine gold? It is there. I just can’t get it separated from the other debris reliably.

Thanks,
Konrad

 

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[LP13]

JEREMY: The spelling is Aqua Regia. I hate to be the one to make this post, but when it comes to chemisty, mis-information can be deadly. The correct mixture of acids for aqua regia is hydrochloric and nitric acid approximately 3:1 hydrochloric to nitric. I know because I have made aqua regia and have recovered gold using it on multiple occassions. Have you? I think not. Did you know that aqua regia produces a toxic gas and this operation needs to be done under a fume hood or outdoors far away from people? If someone reading your post were to mix hydrochloric and sulfuric, following YOUR instructions, do you know if it will create a deadly gas? An explosion? I feel that your information is too general to have any value and can only lead to some kind of disaster if followed by a novice. Have you ever mixed hydrochloric and sulfuric? What base? Are all bases equal? Are any toxic or explosive if mixed with your acid cocktail? What salt do you use? Are they all equal? Are any of them dangerous? If I am out of place here in this forum making this post, then fine, kick me off. But I would rather correct your misinformation than see someone injured/maimed or killed because they followed your advice. And although typos and mispellings may be overlooked in a lot of things, when it comes to chemistry a simple mispelling can spell catastrophe. Something as simple as a ratio expressed in volume when it should be a ratio by weight can spell catastrophe. I don't know what the forum rules are on giving instructions on chemisty here, but I think it is best left to experts.

 

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[KevinInColorado]

THANK YOU LP13!

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[Gold Cube]

JEREMY: The spelling is Aqua Regia. I hate to be the one to make this post, but when it comes to chemisty, mis-information can be deadly. .........................................I don't know what the forum rules are on giving instructions on chemisty here, but I think it is best left to experts.

LP13 The 3 biggest rules here are Be nice, Have fun, Stay alive. Your post was right on track. There are some things you can read about and jump in and do it. Others could kill or at least harm you if attempted with out "training". You should study up on these. The internet is a good place to learn. Then seek out an expert and get trained. Use your brain, don't pickle it. Mike

 

[Jeremy Bradshaw]

Thanks LP13 and yes I have made it before. I wanted to be vague enough that it would have to be researched to be used. After reading the post I see I was not. Thank you for expressing the danger here. Sorry if I sparked your bad side. I don't care to get into a battle of witts but am thankful you are here for all of us.

 

[LP13]

Jeremy you didn't spark my bad side. You did spark my concern. I felt it the only way to prevent a novice or fool from getting into trouble. On second thought I guess there really is no way to prevent a fool from getting into trouble! I personally have used aqua regia with good results on many occassions. After I have concentrated fines to a reasonable gold concentration, i use it to recover the gold. Works really well and done properly by someone who realizes and understands the dangers of it, it is an excellent gold recovery method. I however will not inform others how to do it. I will leave that to people more expert than I. I really don't want it on my conscience if someone follows my instruction or advice and ends up being injured. Again, Jeremy, it was not a personal attack on you though you may have felt it was. It was my effort to explain the hazards and dissuade people from following that advice due to the dangers.

 

[titoboy]

Very Fine Gold Recovery?
Hello,

This is my first time at Treasurenet so bear with me if this is a repeated question.

I live in Western Washington close to the Puget Sound. The gold in my back yard and in local streams is very fine dust. In fact, sometimes the only way you can see it is under magnification (hand held lens). This is after classifying and running through a 5 inch sluice.

I have been strongly considering the purchase of the Desert Fox automatic panning machine along with a set of fine classifiers from e-bay but have not followed through.

My question is: What is the best way to extract very fine gold? It is there. I just can’t get it separated from the other debris reliably.

Thanks,
Konrad

I have the same problem i live in Iowa and I find flour fine gold I'm thinking of buy this product but it is $479 at a website I saw

 

[goldenIrishman]

For a beginner keeping fine gold recovery to a mechanical method is your best way to go until you've got some experience under your belt. Aqua Regia and mercury processing is not something for a beginner to try. Both methods can be dangerous not only to yourself but to others in the area. Mercury contamination of an area can last forever if not cleaned up correctly. As miners, we are currently under fire by the enviro-nuts because of mercury that was used by the old timers. True we do our best to remove it when we find it, but the damage done in the past is still haunting us and is being used against us to stop mining. When you're first starting out is when you make your mistakes, so take the time to learn and understand not only the process involved but all of the safety requirements that go along with the process. The life you save could be your own!

While I'm a trained lab-tech, I shy away from using Aqua Regia due to the dangers involved with it's use. Anything that can dissolve gold (which is a noble metal and usually not effected by much of anything) is not something that people should want to play around with unless there is no other way. If that's the only way you can get that little bit of gold, then save up your cons until you have enough to warrant sending them into a professional. I don't feel that the process is worth the danger involved on amounts less than a 55 gallon drum worth of cons.

If you have to err, then always try to err on the side of safety. Don't take chances with your health or life over a tiny amount of gold.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just save up your cons in a bucket until you have enough to make it worth the trouble to learn/find/take a next step. 55 gal drum sounds about right! LOL but really!

Also don't dry or store your cons in the house due to chemicals like mercury that will get into the air. A shed or garage is good...even just a 5 gal bucket hidden behind a bush in the yard is fine.

 

[goldnrelics]

I use a Gold Exorcist Drywasher. Works great for fine gold recovery.

 

[Fullpan]

Are these cons from material out west? Seems like VA has been too wet to run a drywasher this year, just curious. And I agree with GI and Kevin, its overkill
to process with dangerous chemicals for a few grams of gold, imo.

 

[goldnrelics]

I use a hydroponic lamp in a closet to dry out my material. you are right though.

 

[KevinInColorado]

This is -100 and smaller separated simply by panning ...just now

I just took my saved up non magnetic -100 mesh cons from the last couple years and panned it out. I used a 15 inch Garrett Super Sluice pan...not even a fancy finish pan! I used the shake and tap method...that's all you need to learn folks. No chemicals or fancy expensive gear :-)

PS maybe obvious but...all of these cons were classified to -50 and carefully finish panned as I originally processed the cons after each outing. I feel that it's a waste of time to chase the -100 after each outing but once you have accumulated a decent volume (2 cups of -100 is probably plenty), it's time to find a 100 mesh screen and give this a try. Btw I dry-classified the -50 to separate the -100... Is dry classification best? Doubtful.

 

[Fullpan]

Return to sanity - thanks Kevin.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Return to sanity - thanks Kevin.

Can you take a minute to tell my wife I'm sane? She looks at my panning and just shakes her head ;-)

 

[Fullpan]

I met an old codger (I was a young codger) who told me that gold fever forced him into ever more expensive equipment to where he had D-8s and a helicopter
contracted for occasional use. He said he finally came to his senses, sold everything including his claims, and bought a "tote-goat", an MD, and basic panning
gear.

ps - mine just gave "the look", lol.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Can you take a minute to tell my wife I'm sane? She looks at my panning and just shakes her head ;-)

Kev my man... ya just need to get her as involved as mine is. Instead of getting the looks and head shaking I get help from her. My lady has learned to pan, run the re-circ sluice, read a stream etc etc etc. She even took a class on prospecting at the local J.C.!!! Of course she leaves the heavy lifting to me as well as the lab type work which is understandable as I'm stronger and trained (sit up... roll over...beg...) for that type of work.

I'm either the most blessed miner in the world or the luckiest man. I still don't know what I did that was so right for me to deserve a lady like the one I've got.

 

[Gold Cube]

Gold Irishman, looks like you know she reads these forums too LOL Way to earn some points!
Mike

 

[KevinInColorado]

Gold Irishman, looks like you know she reads these forums too LOL Way to earn some points!
Mike

Good call Mike!

Goldenirishman - you are lucky! My wife got asked about panning by a friend of her's just the other day. She said "never tried it but I probably should" so I am hopeful ;-)

Ps: Mike thanks for your work on the Arapahoe Bar signage...so excited to see this success!

 

[mike(swWash)]

Another vote for the Gold Cube. It'll take tons of sand and turn it into a 1/4-1/2 cup of super concentrates. simply use a magnet to remove even more and then just tease the remaining heavies out with a slow rocking motion in your pan. Try to mimic gentle ocean waves and be patient. I usually set my pan next to me on our porch glider and gently rock back and forth while enjoying a cold one.

I'm going to make a powered device to do this for me so that I can just set my pan on it and walk away until it's done.

 

[mu50stang]

I was going to run a 5 gallon bucket of black sand through the gold cube and was wondering if the cube would still operate correctly through the whole bucket or will it need a cleanout before I could finish it.