Colorado for Spring Break Gold Panning

[rosej3570]

My family (wife and 3 kids) are heading to Colorado for Spring break (mid March). We are planning on going around Colorado Springs, but we will have some abilities to go other places to, as long as there are things to do. Are there any suggestions on places to try and pan on public land? All I have panned is a creek on my families farm, got black sands, so I was happy, and my wife got me some pay dirt for my birthday, which was fun. I won't have a lot of time, but wanted to at least try.

Any suggestions is appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

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[KevinInColorado]

How to get it: http://findinggoldincolorado.com/finish-processing-your-concentrates-after-a-day-of-digging/

 

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[rosej3570]

How to get it: http://findinggoldincolorado.com/finish-processing-your-concentrates-after-a-day-of-digging/

Perfect, thank you. I need to get my hands on some classifying screens now.

 

[arizau]

Here is one of the classifier sets that I own. https://www.amazon.com/Camel-Mining-1V_CM-026-Nesting-Classifier/dp/B009WV1QW4
Even though the smallest screen size is listed as 60 mesh it seems, for some unknown reason, to be the same opening size as a 100 mesh screen from another set that I own since the same material will pass either screen equally. For that reason, and since it is larger in diameter than my other set, it is what I mostly use. In any case the camel set should be adequate for your use but a google search may reveal a less expensive supplier or manufacturer that better suits your budget.

Good luck.

 

[rosej3570]

Here is one of the classifier sets that I own. https://www.amazon.com/Camel-Mining-1V_CM-026-Nesting-Classifier/dp/B009WV1QW4
Even though the smallest screen size is listed as 60 mesh it seems, for some unknown reason, to be the same opening size as a 100 mesh screen from another set that I own since the same material will pass either screen equally. For that reason, and since it is larger in diameter than my other set, it is what I mostly use. In any case the camel set should be adequate for your use but a google search may reveal a less expensive supplier or manufacturer that better suits your budget.

Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C...6_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DRS2AZTZ4YR430NV3W0K

I was also looking at this set. I don't think I need all of them but they may be nice to have.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Get the ones arizau suggests, that's a better set for several reasons.

 

[arizau]

Here are a couple of reasons.....those are bucket classifiers intended to handle large volumes of feed material and the smallest mesh size is 20. Your picture of the panned material indicates to me that much or all of what you have is already smaller than that. At least a couple of reducing steps smaller than that (say 40 or 50 mesh and 80 or 100 mesh) will advantage you when you are panning. Gold when it is about the same size as everything else in the pan is fairly easy to pan since it will be two or more times as heavy as other individual particles of it's own relative size. I have bucket classifiers too but do not use them for already concentrated material since, at the end of the day, I usually only have a quart or so to process.

Good luck

 

[rosej3570]

Here are a couple of reasons.....those are bucket classifiers intended to handle large volumes of feed material and the smallest mesh size is 20. Your picture of the panned material indicates to me that much or all of what you have is already smaller than that. At least a couple of reducing steps smaller than that (say 40 or 50 mesh and 80 or 100 mesh) will advantage you when you are panning. Gold when it is about the same size as everything else in the pan is fairly easy to pan since it will be two or more times as heavy as other individual particles of it's own relative size. I have bucket classifiers too but do not use them for already concentrated material since, at the end of the day, I usually only have a quart or so to process.

Good luck

Awesome. Thank you for the input, still trying to figure it all out. I will take a closer look at the ones suggested.

 

[Hunt4gold]

Nice bit of color for your first outing! Looks like you are hooked on prospecting - its a great way to get into the outdoors and the kids can join you.

 

[rosej3570]

Nice bit of color for your first outing! Looks like you are hooked on prospecting - its a great way to get into the outdoors and the kids can join you.

Got the camel sieves that were suggested yesterday. Tried driving when wet and didn't like it, so dry some if the cons I brought home tonight.glad we don't get rid of old pans right now, but since we are moving soon I don't like the idea of moving them.

Btw, I did find a few more bits yesterday after sieving some wet. Still working on my technique for getting that fine gold.

 

[arizau]

Wet or dry probably the best way to screen is to progressively run each screen separately and save what passes for the next smaller size screen, etc. Do not try to run a lot of material at a time as the screen might clog or some of the material will not even migrate down to it so in both cases there may be incomplete classification. Of course keep the different sized material separate.

Good luck.

 

[rosej3570]

Wet or dry probably the best way to screen is to progressively run each screen separately and save what passes for the next smaller size screen, etc. Do not try to run a lot of material at a time as the screen might clog or some of the material will not even migrate down to it so in both cases there may be incomplete classification. Of course keep the different sized material separate.

Good luck.

This is exactly what I have been running into. At work we have rototap's for sieving metal powder, I'm seeing the advantage of them now. I really need to figure out my methodology, and container management.

 

[goldenmojo]

Try thisfor getting the small gold.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Try thisfor getting the small gold.

This is really good. Since it also covers a Gold Cube (which I own), I got even more out of it than just the panning. I had Blueberry John himself show me how to tap and back wash, but Doc's shaker table in a pan is new--and I think very useful. Love learning new things!!

Thanks.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I adopted this approach from Docs videos a couple years ago and I can say it is a real time saver. You MUST classify properly for this to work and only have a modest amount of material and a small amount of water in the pan. If you try this and get frustrated try reducing the water in your pan first. Often that's all it takes

 

[rosej3570]

I adopted this approach from Docs videos a couple years ago and I can say it is a real time saver. You MUST classify properly for this to work and only have a modest amount of material and a small amount of water in the pan. If you try this and get frustrated try reducing the water in your pan first. Often that's all it takes

Thanks for the tip. I've been practicing it and have a ways to be proficient.