Burning moss

[tyeechinook]

So the area I've been working for the last 3 years, has a ton of moss on the bedrock and boulders. I decided this last time out to also take a bunch of moss home to process. I washed the moss first, low and behold, gold!! As much, if not better than digging and working my butt off. Then I heard to burn the moss to ashes and pan it. So I did, low and behold!! More gold!! I burned it in a few batches and was getting a consistent amount of gold. Last batch had a piece of lead in it and as I burned it, the lead melted into many little small lead pieces, very little gold. My question is, do you think the gold is inside of the lead pieces? Should I save them? Is there a way to get the gold out of it? Thanks in advance for any info!!! And heavy pans to all!!


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[ClaimStake]

around here the old miners would take the turquoise moss off the trees and line the bottom of their long toms with it. than burn it after.

environut friendly.

 

[arizau]

Not in the lead but the moss is a natural to catch gold and I have heard that the guides on Rogue river rafting/jet boat trips demo this for their clients. Also read on the GPEX forum that it is illegal some places in Canada (natives excepted if I remember right) and may be the same here in the U.S.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

In many areas, removing moss and grass clumps from the river banks is considered damaging the environment.
Both are great gold traps.

 

[jere64ca]

Yes, I believe that there could be gold in the melted lead. You could cupel it. Get yourself a bone ash "cupel" put the lead in it, place it in a furnace and the cupel will absorb the lead but not the gold as it melts. Probably not worth doing unless you suspect a good quantity of gold.

 

[JT2]

In many areas, removing moss and grass clumps from the river banks is considered damaging the environment.
Both are great gold traps.

How about removing moss from rocks WITHIN the river? Any ideas?

 

[ClaimStake]

How about removing moss from rocks WITHIN the river? Any ideas?

depending on what forest you're in. it's illegal in some forests. but most places you can get a burn/brush removal, or fire wood permit. and the moss will come along with the wood.

don't take moss off of standing trees.

 

[russau]

And don't do like the bears do!

 

[Capt Nemo]

And don't do like the bears do!

What, use bunny wabbits to wipe?

It don't stick to their fur!

 

[DizzyDigger]

I enjoy a day of mossing now and then, and after wearing myself out
time after time trying to get the moss clean, I've decided that burning
it is not only the best way, but also the most efficient method of getting
all the gold out.

When I cut/dig/scrape moss it all goes into 5 gal. buckets, then I drain
as much water from the bucket as possible (poured out over a pan) and
then bring it all home. Lay out a couple big tarps, spread the moss all
around it in the sunlight and let it get good and dry. Take a clean, metal
pail and start burning it down to where there's nothing but ashes.

Classify and pan, then all the post-panning cons go on the miller table.

Don't work hard...work smart..

 

[DizzyDigger]

Something else to consider when mossing: The moss grows on rocks of all kinds,
but there is a root system that holds it to the rock. That root system is often found
working it's way into a crack in the rock...got a chisel? Bigger gold could be buried
in that crack, so be sure to clean/scrape as much of that material as you can get.

Along with the typical paint scrapers and odd shaped, home-made tools for crevicing,
my "moss kit" includes my Apex pick, a short-handle sledge and half a dozen chisels
of various sizes.