Flour gold, What is best to recover it?

[fishnfacts]

Since being back in Chicago the best area to look for color is north on the Rock River from South Beloit to Oregon. I went up this weekend to do some fishing and took my bucket to check out some dirt. I dug around the roots of one tree that was half exposed from the river wash and when I got it down to a 1/2 teaspoon I started to see color. It is flour but it is color and no more than I dug this will be a great spot to put a lot more effort into.
What is the best and fastest way to recover it and would a sluice work on such fine gold?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[Jimmydolittle]

Do a search for "Miller Table" on here.

 

[DizzyDigger]

For flour gold it's hard to beat a Gold Cube for running a volume
of material through. Then take the cons and work them on the
miller table.

 

[mike(swWash)]

If there's enough water flow, an Angus Mckirk or several other drop riffle sluices work pretty good on fine gold with some practice and pre-classifying to 1/8" or so. The gold cube works exceptionally well and can be used on site with a highbanker type attachment without classifying first, as will many sluices fitted with vortex type matting. Finish on a miller table and you'll recover the finest of fines. Good Luck

 

[fishnfacts]

Dizzie. I have followed your posts for a while now and feel you are experienced in what I am doing. I don't have the funds for what you suggest.
How besides that, And I can pan with the best of them, Can I recover this color?

 

[arizau]

Dizzie. I have followed your posts for a while now and feel you are experienced in what you I am doing. I don't have the funds for what you suggest.
How besides that, And I can pan with the best of them, Can I recover this color?

Some Oregon beach miners use vortex mat or just low rib matting in 4' or longer sluices to recover gold that is likely smaller/flatter than what you are dealing with. That length does not include the slick plate but you could use these in a shorter sluice and probably do better than one with riffles. I think you will also capture the probably rare pickers with such a setup too. Ocean beach sand and the gold is almost all minus 100 mesh and absolutely loaded with heavy black sands. These concentrates are almost impossible to pan so miller tables, blue bowls and the like are used for final recovery. To sluice effectively, you will probably have to classify feed to 1/4" or smaller. Good luck.

 

[mike(swWash)]

My dedicated beach setup.
2'x3', 2200gph pump, vortex matting, 12" rubber slick plate......cost $35 to put together since I already had the pump and hose.

This is the stuff it catches and some you can't see except when it's scraped together on the miller table. This was what I was able to pan clean from a couple spoons full after my last trip before running all the cons on the table get the rest.


Also, if you haven't already checked out a similar thread on this subject, here's a link: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/435150-ideas-small-alluvial-processing.html

Good luck my friend.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Dizzie. I have followed your posts for a while now and feel you are experienced in what I am doing. I don't have the funds for what you suggest. How besides that, And I can pan with the best of them, Can I recover this color?

classify your -50 material into a flat bottomed finish pan. Add a little Jet Dry.Then use the shake and tap method to make that fine gold just dance out of the cons. (See videos from Mike Pung or Doc of Gold Hog on YouTube to learn this method). Once you can pan those -50 cons to clean gold then you can really be proud of your panning skills!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Dizzie. I have followed your posts for a while now and feel you are experienced in what I am doing. I don't have the funds for what you suggest.
How besides that, And I can pan with the best of them, Can I recover this color?

Those are some good suggestions from Kevin, Mike and Ariz. When
I'm working very small stuff (flea poop) in a sluice, I've had my best
results using Vortex matting with 2 layers of expanded metal on top.
No riffles. I lay the expanded metal down so that the holes are offset.

Next, I would classify using a 20 mesh, and don't run the sluice in
too fast of water. Slowly feed it a scoop at a time and let the water
flow do it's job of floating away all the light stuff.

Pan down the cons a teaspoon at a time using Kevin's suggested
method. Still, I would save all the "leftovers" and work them on a
miller table at a later time. Miller tables are easy to fabricate, and
would be the best method of extracting that tiny gold.

 

[arizau]

My dedicated beach setup.
2'x3', 2200gph pump, vortex matting, 12" rubber slick plate......cost $35 to put together since I already had the pump and hose.
View attachment 1064840
This is the stuff it catches and some you can't see except when it's scraped together on the miller table. This was what I was able to pan clean from a couple spoons full after my last trip before running all the cons on the table get the rest.
View attachment 1064841

Also, if you haven't already checked out a similar thread on this subject, here's a link: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/435150-ideas-small-alluvial-processing.html

Good luck my friend.

Too bad Oregon bans motors of any type for mining on the beach. Still haven't figured that reasoning out. Must be because they are considered State Parks.

 

[niffler]

The "Lil Gold Trap" will catch the gold down to 600 fine. You must classify the material down to #20 though first. Do a search for Lil Gold Trap. There is also a larger version coming out soon, with same performance. I personally knew Ray, the inventor of this machine, and he knew his stuff. Also it has a lifetime warranty, runs on 12v battery or battery charger, and comes complete in a kit to be up and running immediately.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

I appreciate the recommendation based on personal knowledge. However, the cost exceeds or equals a Gold Cube, which can be used in the field and not just on cons. A final clean up can be done with a Miller table, easy and cheap to make (see link below). Also given that I saw a note that the Lil' Gold Trap is no longer being offered due to quality control issues, maybe the cheaper, more versatile route would be a Gold Cube followed by a Miller table.

I don't own a GC but I know at least 3 folks that do and they are crazy about them. I would get one if my wife would agree that I can afford it.

I do own a Miller table like this:http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/400309-making-miller-table-using-rubber-mat-surface.html

 

[niffler]

Actually the lil gold trap is being offered for sale at lilgoldtrap.com There were no "quality control issues", just some guys trying to screw Ray out of his money. They have been removed from the equation. The actual price can be found on the lilgoldtrap.com website, not what those other guys were selling them for. I know all of this from firsthand experience, as I knew Ray Reinke and I know the guy who is now owns lilgoldtrap.com. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth

 

[Aufisher]

Mercury/retort

 

[bakergeol]

Since being back in Chicago the best area to look for color is north on the Rock River from South Beloit to Oregon. I went up this weekend to do some fishing and took my bucket to check out some dirt. I dug around the roots of one tree that was half exposed from the river wash and when I got it down to a 1/2 teaspoon I started to see color. It is flour but it is color and no more than I dug this will be a great spot to put a lot more effort into.
What is the best and fastest way to recover it and would a sluice work on such fine gold?

Many years ago an experimental sluice the Popandsons sluice was developed for fine gold recovery.

Prospectors Cache Forum - Viewing topic #62871 - Sluice Bench Testing, Phase 1

As usual low water velocity is the key for ultra fine gold capture. One thing that was not discussed was the use of dampeners- plastic sheets to dunk the ultra fine gold- particularly during start and stop operations in the field without jetdry. Yep I have seen a lot of ultra fine gold just rise up and float away after water start up.

George

 

[Rugger]

One technique used by the oldies was to build a flat sluice box and buy a quality wool blanket as a mat. The one I used was a Hudson Bay blanket.
To prevent floating I used a dish soap with a intravenous needle to control the drip.

Warning? if lots of black sand is present your in for lots work.

 

[Higgy]

What about a gold spiral? Not capable of collecting flour gold fine enough?

 

[Gelmac]

Mercury/retort

Unless you're really careful and know what you're doing. I would not use it if I am in your situation. Mercury is a very dangerous substance

Gravity recovery methods (miller, Gold Cube ..etc) and screening should do the trick. Just to avoid the troubles with poisonous materials e.g Mercury

 

[Gelmac]

Many years ago an experimental sluice the Popandsons sluice was developed for fine gold recovery.

Prospectors Cache Forum - Viewing topic #62871 - Sluice Bench Testing, Phase 1

As usual low water velocity is the key for ultra fine gold capture. One thing that was not discussed was the use of dampeners- plastic sheets to dunk the ultra fine gold- particularly during start and stop operations in the field without jetdry. Yep I have seen a lot of ultra fine gold just rise up and float away after water start up.

George

Thanks George for directing the attention for that discussion on the archived thread. (Popandson) has done an amazing work in testing and improving over time of their design. Actually Steve (The Pop) recommends and uses a plastic dampeners e.g Visqueen sheeting's in his sluices for knocking down the Ultra fines and also recommends using a water surface tension breaker e.g Jetdry