Got fever bad!

Capt Nemo

Bronze Member
Apr 11, 2015
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Oshkosh, WI
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I was scoping out a spot and didn't take a pan with me. Found a nice little spot with sand in a bedrock crevice and wanted to sample it bad! Frustrated, I began looking around for something to use as a pan. Found a beer can, and that nice curved bottom caught my eye! Got out the Leatherman and cut the bottom off with a little extra to fold so I didn't have a sharp edge. Some of the other visitors were looking at me as if I were crazy. (except for the Amish family) Added a handful of material and began panning.

Result: Chunks of lead shotgun slug, a little black sand, and a 50 hiding in there!

The "Beer Can Pan" just one more way to recycle that trash on the claim!
 

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I was scoping out a spot and didn't take a pan with me.

BLASPHEMY!!! Shame on you, as your penance you need to march right back out there and do a proper recon! And this time take a camera to show us that you actually did it and did it right!

On the other hand part of me wants to say ha ha I'm not the only one who done something like this.

Good job on the McGyver beer can pan... a picture would be nice here too

ratled

ratled
 

I pop'd the hubcap off my car once to use as a pan, after I got home I went right out to Cabelas and bought two extra pans
 

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Sure you're not from New England? Sounds like some good old yankee engineering to me! Forget the camera sure, forget the pan, 50 lashes for you! That's why I got 4 one stays in my truck under the seat ALWAYS! Just like American Express don't leave home with out it.
 

Could have shaped it into something like the cow horn I saw on here somewhere.
I was scoping out a spot and didn't take a pan with me. Found a nice little spot with sand in a bedrock crevice and wanted to sample it bad! Frustrated, I began looking around for something to use as a pan. Found a beer can, and that nice curved bottom caught my eye! Got out the Leatherman and cut the bottom off with a little extra to fold so I didn't have a sharp edge. Some of the other visitors were looking at me as if I were crazy. (except for the Amish family) Added a handful of material and began panning.

Result: Chunks of lead shotgun slug, a little black sand, and a 50 hiding in there!

The "Beer Can Pan" just one more way to recycle that trash on the claim!
 

I'll confess Cap'n, I've panned with my hand and got a flake...or so I thought at the time. :laughing7:

and yes...never leave home w/o your gear. I have little room for groceries but I'm ready for just about anything!
 

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Always, always ALWAYS have at least the basics in your ride so you can sample those areas that you look at and go "Hummmm"! In my case it's a pan, a 1/4 in classifier, shovel, a few buckets and small pick! Jan and I just went to pick up some free buckets in Bullhead City and on the way back decided to stop at one area and have a look. Long story short I grabbed a couple of buckets before Jan threatened to chew my arm off if I didn't get her home and get her fed. That lady has some warped priorities I'll tell ya!

EDIT: BTW Nemo.... How long do you figure it would take ya to do a yards worth of materials with the "micro pan"?
 

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Well you are not alone and I wasn't going to mention it but I actually used a plastic bottle cap once and got a little placer in it! I was on a bike ride without any intention of prospecting but got interested in a big tailing pile... Like they say Always have a stash in the car and if possible on your bike???
 

Always always always keep fork and beans and Jerky in the truck. :laughing7:

...and a space blanket, a first aid kit, jumper cables...you're right Jeff, almost no room for groceries!! LoL
 

Both my trucks always ready to go with sluice, pans, tools, water , LEGAL FOLDER, dehydrated food and granola bars for quick energy to instantly disappear when needed :skullflag:-John
 

Boy Capt'n I don't think you're gonna live this one down for awhile! Talk about throwing yourself to the lions! LOL.
 

Funny stuff!
Occasionally, when I head out to go fishing or something not related to prospecting, I will empty my truck of proper prospecting gear just so I don't deviate from my intended plan and stop to prospect somewhere along the way. As you guys know, this doesn't always keep you from doing some digging.

Unfortunately, once you've panned up enough color using a real gold pan, you can also pan up color with virtually anything that will hold dirt and water… the list of improper items that can be used is endless.
 

Well I had a 10", 14", 1/8" & 1/4" classifiers, E-tool, and buckets in the car, but I didn't want to attract a whole lot of attention in the park. But when I saw that crack, I just had to try it!

Here's the pic! The 50 is hiding in the sands.
IMG_2838.JPG


Maybe those keychain gold pans should be carried by all!
 

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hey capt nemo have you gone south on I43 out side the Milwilkee there is a s & g pit on the south side I want to say about the 50 mile marker or more. looks like if some one could get the ok to do some panning they might do good and get some yeller stuff.

Bill
 

Well I had a 10", 14", 1/8" & 1/4" classifiers, E-tool, and buckets in the car, but I didn't want to attract a whole lot of attention in the park. But when I saw that crack, I just had to try it!

Here's the pic! The 50 is hiding in the sands.
View attachment 1237137


Maybe those keychain gold pans should be carried by all!

Let's see here... With that size pan I estimate that if you started on a yards worth of material you should be able to finish it up something around Christmas. ...Of 2025 that is! I remember Gilded Lens saying she's got a pair of gold pan ear rings. Maybe see if you can get her to lend a hand with the panning? You should also only use the bottom of a Coors can to increase your chances. After all it's from "Golden", Colorado.
 

hey capt nemo have you gone south on I43 out side the Milwilkee there is a s & g pit on the south side I want to say about the 50 mile marker or more. looks like if some one could get the ok to do some panning they might do good and get some yeller stuff.

Bill

Haven't worked that far south...yet! My southern limit has been Sheboygan so far. A 3/4 oz halfbreed nugget was found recently north of Milwaukee. Been hitting copper and gold at Sheboygan so it looks like I'm getting material from the same deposit the nugget came from. There is a copper claim in the UP in line with the glacial path, so I think there's more than just copper at that claim site. Check the shoreline around that area at the mouths of streams for black sands and a mix-mash of granites, basalts, sedimentries, ect.
 

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