Got out a little today....................

[johnedoe]

Johndoe, you ever detect those Oregon beaches? Seems like with all the weather there would be good cuts to detect for some nice chunky beach gold jewelery

You haven't been to our beaches have you?
60 degree days and cool/brisk ocean WIND not breezes won't get many sunbathers out....
Now there are some beaches that do actually get a number of people on them but they are a couple hours from me.
Pacific City, Seaside is a big spring break for the college kids and there are a few more but like I said they are at least a couple hours from me so don't get that worked up about them.

 

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[johnedoe]

Well I didn't get to the beach today but I did finish cleaning up some stuff I had in a couple snuffer bottles from a couple previous outings.

The coin is a dime.... the weight is 3.8 grain..... gas and coffee money...

There is still some really small heavy dark material that just doesn't want to separate in the sample.... The magnetics are all out.
Kevin in Colorado even your soap dish method won't roll this stuff out.

 

[Goldfleks]

smelt it

 

[arizau]

Well I didn't get to the beach today but I did finish cleaning up some stuff I had in a couple snuffer bottles from a couple previous outings.

The coin is a dime.... the weight is 3.8 grain..... gas and coffee money...

There is still some really small heavy dark material that just doesn't want to separate in the sample.... The magnetics are all out.
Kevin in Colorado even your soap dish method won't roll this stuff out.

View attachment 1426248 View attachment 1426249

The dark material may be platinum which would account for why it will not separate (native platinum alloys have a SG of 14-19 which is about the same as native, also alloyed, gold).....additionally, according to this attachment, the colors of native platinum range from "tin-white to dark gray". Platinum: The mineral native Platinum information and pictures

Since platinum is/may be "weakly magnetic" it might jump to a neodymium magnet if you are not already using one.

Have a good one.

 

[johnedoe]

Thank's arizau...
I had forgotten all about that... and yes we do have platinum on the beach... Getting absent minded in my old age....

 

[KevinInColorado]

I like this answer! My soap dish wins every time, even with beach sand. Pt on the other hand is it's own challenge! I have no experience separating Pt from Au but would probably resort to mercury amalgamation in that case. Others may have simpler ideas...

Hang onto the Pt either way. I remember HoserJohn saying he's made good money selling that stuff.

 

[johnedoe]

Nope.... won't use mercury....
I will just smelt it when there is enough to bother with....

 

[KevinInColorado]

Nope.... won't use mercury....
I will just smelt it when there is enough to bother with....

Smelting the usual way won't separate platinum. That'll take some research I think.

 

[arizau]

Just wondering in writing here.........The melting point of platinum is about 70% higher than for gold. Wonder what happens when they are smelted together using just the melting temp. for gold? Doesn't seem like they would alloy due to the melting point differences. If the platinum reports to the floating slag then that could be pulverized and re-concentrated. If it sinks through the gold it will probably be encompassed by the gold but then can it be physically separated from it? Maybe that is what I have seen in the videos when black stuff/slag is chipped off the bottom of dore bars after they have cooled? Probably just iron from the mold though.

Just rambling on.

 

[johnedoe]

Smelting the usual way won't separate platinum. That'll take some research I think.

Right now it's not enough total to even worry about....
2.3 grams from the few times I have been out this winter so far....
About 80 bucks worth....

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just wondering in writing here.........The melting point of platinum is about 70% higher than for gold. Wonder what happens when they are smelted together using just the melting temp. for gold? Doesn't seem like they would alloy due to the melting point differences. If the platinum reports to the floating slag then that could be pulverized and re-concentrated. If it sinks through the gold it will probably be encompassed by the gold but then can it be physically separated from it? Maybe that is what I have seen in the videos when black stuff/slag is chipped off the bottom of dore bars after they have cooled? Probably just iron from the mold though.

Just rambling on.

With a specific gravity of 21 vs gold's 19, it'll be at the bottom. Being a metal, it won't chip off like slag.

 

[johnedoe]

Just wondering in writing here.........The melting point of platinum is about 70% higher than for gold. Wonder what happens when they are smelted together using just the melting temp. for gold? Doesn't seem like they would alloy due to the melting point differences. If the platinum reports to the floating slag then that could be pulverized and re-concentrated. If it sinks through the gold it will probably be encompassed by the gold but then can it be physically separated from it? Maybe that is what I have seen in the videos when black stuff/slag is chipped off the bottom of dore bars after they have cooled? Probably just iron from the mold though.

Just rambling on.

I guess you would want to be sure to use a conical crucible......

 

[Duckshot]

Maybe you could boil the gold off the platinum like you can mercury off gold.

Or would they alloy when it hits the melting point of platinum? Molten metals make good solvents of other metals. It would probably be more economical to separate chemically. From what I have read different chemicals are used to drop platinum out of an acid solution than the chemicals used to precipitate gold from the same solution.

Messy work either way I would guess.

 

[johnedoe]

First off.... there isn't enough to be concerned with at this time...
Second when there is enough to deal with I will let the refiner do it.. I have no inclination to do any more than smelt it ....
The only thing I would do is smelt it into a button when there is enough to even do that...
In the mean time I will just leave it as is and enjoy.

I will be getting out this weekend my friend got here and is eager to move some sand.... will keep ya posted.

 

[johnedoe]

We went up to get a preliminary look this afternoon.... It is looking the best I have seen it in quite some time.

 

[johnedoe]

We got out and overall the weather wasn't too bad.... just a drizzle most of the day.
The freshet didn't have enough flow to set the beach sluice in so had to move it to the bigger creek and cart material to it....
Ran about 6 carts of sands and haven't finished the cleanup yet... definitely feeling my age this evening.....
Any way I will let ya all know cause I know your gonna lose sleep if I don't show ya the results of my labors.....

 

[wildminer]

Six carts with set up and then back to the rig you oughta be feelin your age even if you were a youngster! Good luck on the cleanup JD and anxious to see the cleanup pics!

 

[johnedoe]

LOL.... Well they weren't full but your right I was definitely feeling my age....
Here's the big take... I'll have the massive weigh in a little later tonight after everything has dried.

 

[Hunt4gold]

I got out a little today with KevinInColorado and agolddigger - like yourself, it was good just to get out and enjoy the day with friends. Must be tough moving those carts though the sand though - you should feel tired!

 

[johnedoe]

For so much sand moved and two days it was quite disappointing..... 1.74 grain
But we had a good time and it beats sitting on the couch.