classifying

[liftloop]

Let me get this straight.... do you need to classify after you run it threw the sluice and then you pan.... or classify with screens then put threw sluice collect... then pan out....or classify to about halve inch then run it threw a sluice clean out what was captured and then pan... please help liftloop

 

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[cesarnono13]

Re: classafying

Let me get this straight.... do you need to classify after you run it threw the sluice and then you pan.... or classify with screens then put threw sluice collect... then pan out....or classify to about halve inch then run it threw a sluice clean out what was captured and then pan... please help liftloop

1.classify (make sure to break up any mud or clay clumps, and run some water through the rocks to get any yellow flakes that might stick to it.)
2.sluice
3.collect
4.pan out

 

[liftloop]

Well there mite be some clay mostly rocks....slate....and crushed sandstone for the sand all be up in the Huron mountain in November... I hope the snow holds of till then.....I bought a panning kit from garret the 25.00 special,I read allot of good things a bout the pantend gravity traps built right in...I even went as far as to buy dirt off the inter net to pan out....lol then all practice with lead.but I keep on for getting on how cold the water all ways is, summer or winter.....Will silver pan out to, there is allot of silver and copper up in these parts...

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Again liftloop,
#13 gave you the 1-4 of panning. I use a 1/4" mesh classifier others say 1/2", either way get the big stuff out of there. BUT when you are tossing the big stuff, consider how much the piece weighs as in, is it unusually heavy?? If so take a close look at it. You will be doing the same thing ALL historical gold miners have done, separating out "stuff" and if the old timers could not see the gold in a rock they just tossed it. This is where a metal detector comes in handy, possibly even a really cheap pinpointer (or a hammer to crush the rock and wear safety goggles) as there is no need to spend a lot of money getting started.

ANY heavy metal will go to the bottom of your pan, the gravity trap is a good pan. Silver has a specific gravity of around 10, gold is around 19, so you will need to be more careful with the silver to not loose it from the pan. Silver might be corroded to a black or grey color. The big thing for starters is to fill the pan only half full or even a little less. Really get the raw material wet, get all the air bubbles out of it. Shake it, bump the pan, shake it, stir the material by hand and then start the swirling left and then right but get the material liquefied as this allows the heavies to drop through the mass of other stuff and get to the bottom of the pan quick. A Gentleman from Oregon has posted "A beginners guide to Panning" on the internet, check it out. It has instructions, pictures and is user friendly.

Cold water is NOT YOUR FRIEND! At least wear rubber dish washing gloves and possibly over a cloth glove over your hands. Rubber boots for your feet might also be good and DO NOT FALL INTO THE WATER! It is a thrill but the wrong kind and if the water is deep and/or swift it could kill you. Panning is work and your back and legs are worked the most as crouching down at a stream washing a pan of rocks out for say 15-20 minutes will take a toll on your body, a back support might be a good thing to use. Here in California in the summer time I sit down in the water on a piece of blue foam and lean into a rock, it works for me. If you must go out there in the Fall you might consider having a safe camp fire going before you mess around in the water.

Good luck, be safe and enjoy being outside away from the usual cares of the world, 63bkpkr

 

[liftloop]

Thanks every Buddy for your replies this is the bestest forum out their..the fire sounds like a good ideal..... and i can make an quarter inch classify er.To help me..

 

[63bkpkr]

liftloop,
My very first classifier was a Tuna Fish can, the old type of can where you can remove the lid and the bottom with a common can opener. With both ends open I then Pop-Rivited 1/4" mesh "hardware cloth" into one end of the can, I used washers on the inside to be able to hold the hardware cloth. I still have and still use this "Little" fella, as a matter of fact its in the Bronco right now ready to go tomorrow morning, and it is a most useful tool. In use, I fill my gold pan about half to two thirds full with my sample, add water and start scooping out material right from the pan. I keep the bottom of the classifier in the water in the pan and just shake it. This removes the fines from the classifier fairly quickly and they just drop right back into the gold pan.


NOTE: in forming the hardware cloth to fit into the can I had to cut it and immediately stuck the sharp wire into my hand. Then I folded the edges over and covered the folded stuff with hot solder and I've never stuck myself again. Of course larger cans can be used OR one could go to a store like Bed Bath and Beyond, go to their "Prospecting Section", I think they call it Drawer Dividers or Drawer Organizers, and look for the type made from a type of hardware cloth. They come in all shapes and sizes, here take a look at the picture, (oh the triangular thing in the background is the Grizzly for my new Batpan):

63bkpkr

 

[63bkpkr]

Hey LL,
I bet you do not do much detecting in the winter! I just checked on your location and you could almost fish Superior from your backyard. Man it must be cold there in the winter! I was born in DeeeTroit MI and when we started our westward migration I was living in Livonia both a bit south and east of your location. My Uncle Al and his family lived in Newberry in the UP. Currently I'm in Walnut Creek California and then I travel to the Sierra foothills to backpack, fish, explore & Prospect. The fall weather started here about two days ago with mild rain and cooler temperatures. Today we have mixed sunshine/clouds and it is pleasant outside. I guess my brother could not get used to CA weather as he now lives in Eagle River Alaska. Unlike myself he does not need to travel very far to be in the woods. He and MY WONDERFUL SISTER IN LAW, have a lovely home in an area of custom homes and lots on a hillside so they can see Anchorage from their living room. Also without even leaving their living room they can see eagles, and sometimes Moose and Black Bears as a matter of fact sometimes they don't even have to leave their couch as the Black Bears come right up to the back deck window and look in at them. In MI our father would take us out into the farmers fields in the fall where we would hunt for Pheasant and Rabbit, good times!

Take Care, 63bkpkr

 

[liftloop]

they call it gods country up here and there rite a bout that.

 

[grzbear]

they call it God,s country because nobody else want,s it -- back to the topic though , 99% of the gold your gonna find up here will pass through window screen , classify down to that then take it home to run through a miller table. gonna try to get another 5 gal. bucket full of black sand to get me through the winter. it,s snowing now good luck

 

[Astrobouncer]

For a cheap classifier check out the hanging wire baskets at Dollar General Store, I think they are 2 bucks each and about 4 mesh (1/4 inch). They lasted me several months before I finally broke down and bought the keene ones.

 

[rwells]

Here is a link to a classifer I plan to build this week. I think it is pretty neat and should fit in the top of a bucket.
http://www.minnesotagoldprospectors.org/BuckeClassifier.pdf

Rick

 

[rwells]

Hello All
Got busy and built that classifer. Took about 45 minutes. Here are a few pics. Don't know if I will leave the handle on or not.
Rick

 

[63bkpkr]

Hey rwells,
Thanks for the share, the drawing and the pictures. That unit looks darn good especially in the green color as I'd expected white. One can usually pick up free buckets off the highway, at least in CA. Don't understand why pickup truck owners/drivers don't tie their stuff in.

Use it well, 63bkpkr

 

[harryb007]

Hello All
Got busy and built that classifer. Took about 45 minutes. Here are a few pics. Don't know if I will leave the handle on or not.
Rick

I made three of these in different sizes. You will want to secure the screen to the buckets. I used pop rivets which worked fine on the 1/2 and 1/4 inch. The smaller was hardware screen with about 1/16 openings and it did not hold so additional fastening is suggested if you go that small. The 1/4 inch seemed to be my favorite size. Hope this helps anyone looking to build these. They do stack nicely, handle does get in way when seperating but comes in handy when carrying.

 

[rwells]

I am looking at a way to support and reinforce the smaller screens. Looks like they will hold a lot of material until it filters through. That is just my thoughts, I don't have a ton of experience.
Rick

 

[B H Prospector]

Hi All,
Here in the Black Hills I have seen some of the miners use light gauge metal strips and cross them across the bottom and bolt them on to the bucket for support for smaller mesh screen ie. 1/4" & 1/8" screen. Works pretty good. I don't have time to make classifiers so I just buy them.

Jim

 

[liftloop]

Thanks again for all the information love this forum....it was 2 degres a above zero this morning...and about one foot of snow on the ground so fare..

 

[Doug Watson]

It's been a long time ago but the guys used to take sewer pipe in like 12" diameter and get a piece of steel plate hot on a fire then lay the screen on it to get hot then take about a 4" piece of the sewer pipe and press down on the hot screen and it would melt it right into the bottom of the pipe. Trim the edges and you have a classifier. Was cheap and you can make quite a few fairly quick. The biggest problem was the weight. When you're hiking in somewhere the weight adds up. Anyway, just a thought. Doug.