just for fun put some gold through -150 mesh screen

[zemetrius]

bought some 150 mesh screen from amazon, this piece of gold went through that screen, tip of a safety pin for scale.
white light through a yellow paper reduces the glare (from the white light) on the gold.

this is using a microscope i bought on amazon, has a nice view screen so i am not looking through the lens to see the gold.

this is without the yellow paper filtering the white light .

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

A whole bunch of Snake River flour gold would pass through that screen...LOL
Jim

 

[zemetrius]

A whole bunch of Snake River flour gold would pass through that screen...LOL
Jim

wow, my microscope can see this stuff but this is my limit, more power to those who seek out this and smaller.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Yeah, the old timers said it took 3 million pieces to make a pennyweight. Hard to imagine.
Jim

 

[russau]

I'd be very happy with that million pieces in my vile !

 

[Assembler]

Yeah, the old timers said it took 3 million pieces to make a pennyweight. Hard to imagine.
Jim

Nice to catch some while focusing on bigger colors as it can help in a small way with the total weight.

 

[zemetrius]

3 million.........wonder how old timers managed that, with naked (with glasses) eye can barely see below -100.

below -150 its my microscope or not possible to see.

 

[Assembler]

Amazon sell even 400 mesh metal screen.
You will have to sweep up into piles in order to see the values.

 

[zemetrius]

no, no thanks. will let that size stay on amazon for the more hardcore among us.

 

[Assembler]

no, no thanks. will let that size stay on amazon for the more hardcore among us.

Most people will have trouble panning past 150 - 200 mesh. A centrifuge action could be used.

Both the 200 and 400 mesh could be used to help filter out the very fine flour values to be used with a centrifuge process steps.
If nothing else to give you an idea just how much flour values it takes to add up to something worth the time.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

They did poorly on the Snake until somebody figured out using burlap as a matting was the key. Years ago, when it was still standing, there was an old shack with hooks along the rafter where they hung the burlap to dry before shaking the gold out of it. There was so much of that flour in places, that an occasional paystreak would produce 2 ounces in a single day.
Jim

 

[arizau]

They did poorly on the Snake until somebody figured out using burlap as a matting was the key. Years ago, when it was still standing, there was an old shack with hooks along the rafter where they hung the burlap to dry before shaking the gold out of it. There was so much of that flour in places, that an occasional paystreak would produce 2 ounces in a single day.
Jim

Forerunner to the gold cube mat.lol

 

[Assembler]

The cube / fine rib mat sluice and the centrifuge with fine screens / burlap cloths can be used to catch fine values. They work differently and can catch different sizes.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Forerunner to the gold cube mat.lol

LOL...you got it, Sid! I found an operation on the Snake that was only from 2015. Some guys had a claim up on the bank with 8 sluices ganged together. The sluices all had some kind of tight carper matting. They were piping water 1/2
mile from the river. I could have told them they were wasting their time. Apparently they gave it up, as the stuff was just sitting there the last time I went by. The claim has now lapsed. They were running 1/8" minus, too. They should have been running one of my dry sluices. So far those are looking good on the Snake flour.
Jim

 

[Assembler]

LOL...you got it, Sid! I found an operation on the Snake that was only from 2015. Some guys had a claim up on the bank with 8 sluices ganged together. The sluices all had some kind of tight carper matting. They were piping water 1/2
mile from the river. I could have told them they were wasting their time. Apparently they gave it up, as the stuff was just sitting there the last time I went by. The claim has now lapsed. They were running 1/8" minus, too. They should have been running one of my dry sluices. So far those are looking good on the Snake flour.
Jim

Just asking have you posted about your dry sluices?
Thanks.

 

[Assembler]

LOL...you got it, Sid! I found an operation on the Snake that was only from 2015. Some guys had a claim up on the bank with 8 sluices ganged together. The sluices all had some kind of tight carper matting. They were piping water 1/2
mile from the river. I could have told them they were wasting their time. Apparently they gave it up, as the stuff was just sitting there the last time I went by. The claim has now lapsed. They were running 1/8" minus, too. They should have been running one of my dry sluices. So far those are looking good on the Snake flour.
Jim

Just asking have you posted about your dry sluices?
Thanks.

They did poorly on the Snake until somebody figured out using burlap as a matting was the key. Years ago, when it was still standing, there was an old shack with hooks along the rafter where they hung the burlap to dry before shaking the gold out of it. There was so much of that flour in places, that an occasional paystreak would produce 2 ounces in a single day.
Jim

Just wondering if most of the river was used to flow through the burlap cloth?

 

[Assembler]

Some rock deposits have a lot of flour values in it.
Perhaps a combination of steps both dry and wet could be used to catch a lot of the flour values.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Just asking have you posted about your dry sluices?
Thanks.

Just wondering if most of the river was used to flow through the burlap cloth?

Not yet. I started working on the sluice two years ago. I'm still experimenting on riffles for it. It definitely works, and better than I expected. Even recovered some garnets with it in Wyoming last summer, which really surprised me. But, we also ran into a snag with the drop riffle we were using. I just tested a cardboard version of a new variation on that, and the results were really good. Now waiting on plastic to make a permanent copy for the backpack version. Will be trying that down south in a few weeks at the copper/gold prospect. I'll be posting some video of the Dry Sluice in a few weeks. Still haven't decided if I'm going to patent it. Probably won't and just sell plans. It's a nifty unit, for sure, IMHO...LOL
On the Snake, they used sluices with the burlap mats. They also used copper, with mercury overlaid on it, but still lost a lot of the flour. I find considerable mercury-coated gold when panning and using the sweep Jig. I have no idea how they elevated the water to run through the sluices, unless they used canals from above the falls at what is now American Falls. I've got an old pic of one operation, and the sluices were about 12' above the riverbank.
Jim

 

[russau]

I like your idea of selling plans to your sluice ! This gets the ole bones stirring !

 

[Assembler]

Not yet. I started working on the sluice two years ago. I'm still experimenting on riffles for it. It definitely works, and better than I expected. Even recovered some garnets with it in Wyoming last summer, which really surprised me. But, we also ran into a snag with the drop riffle we were using. I just tested a cardboard version of a new variation on that, and the results were really good. Now waiting on plastic to make a permanent copy for the backpack version. Will be trying that down south in a few weeks at the copper/gold prospect. I'll be posting some video of the Dry Sluice in a few weeks. Still haven't decided if I'm going to patent it. Probably won't and just sell plans. It's a nifty unit, for sure, IMHO...LOL
On the Snake, they used sluices with the burlap mats. They also used copper, with mercury overlaid on it, but still lost a lot of the flour. I find considerable mercury-coated gold when panning and using the sweep Jig. I have no idea how they elevated the water to run through the sluices, unless they used canals from above the falls at what is now American Falls. I've got an old pic of one operation, and the sluices were about 12' above the riverbank.
Jim

I have read somewhere about the use of the flowing water off of the American Falls.

I'm in the process of playing with a type of dry air movement of fines with the first stage acting as the 'puff' / surge control that the operator controls with the rest going down a 'wind tunnel sluice' and then into a few stage traps. Trying to control the losses in the process. Just a fancy dry concentrator in steps / stages for the different sizes......LOL.