New to gold panning

[YoungBlood]

Iv been a member of this site for awhile and have collected antiques for a long time. I don't know why but I thought I might try gold panning in my area even know I can barely handle my current hobby. I haven't decided if I am going to try gold panning yet but does anyone have any tips in case I do.

 

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[YoungBlood]

I was also wondering If there is any household item I can use to pan until I get a real gold pan. Since you can't MD/ relic hunt in the winter can you pan in the winter? Will that affect results? I know these questions sound stupid but where I live nobody looks for gold because it's coal country.

 

[G.I.B.]

Youtube... hundreds of hours of videos. What a great learning resource.

 

[B H Prospector]

Welcome,
You can use a pie tin until you buy a real pan. You can pan at any time but winter is a little uncomfortable unless you take the dirt home and do it in doors.

Good Luck!

B H Prospector

 

[63bkpkr]

Water for panning

YB - I think GIB and BH have given you some good starting info. Depending on what part of the world you are in winter can be mean on a person especially when that person is playing with water. Don't know what type of water locations you have but if they are rivers be very careful as every rock will be slippery, the water will be cold and therefore deadly. Water can be bad even if one knows how to swim, just depends on the circumstances.

I've used a plastic cereal bowl in a pinch for panning but if you think you might get serious about panning then check out this site Batpan.com I have panned for some years and can do a fair job of it but after watching the video of the inventor panning with it I purchased one. Since then all of my other pans have been dry. I feel there is just a lot more in a persons favor panning with the Batpan than any other pan. Best of luck with whatever you do............63bkpkr

 

[Vance in AK]

63bkpkr, have you tried the Hex pan, & if so how did the two compare?

Youngblood, I am in Alaska & I will pan anytime I can find soft water & digable material! Neopreme gloves help.
It will be a worthwhile investment to get a "real" pan.
Panning is a cheap hobby... the problem is the dredges & highbankers it can lead to!

 

[63bkpkr]

Sorry Vance, a good question but I saw the Batpan before I got to the Hex pan and never went past it to try anything else, I'm happy with it. Where abouts you located in AK? McGrath by any chance? Traveled through there one quiet day, even slept on the floor of the bush pilots garage floor as our stuff did not make it in on the same plane we flew on. Next day the bush plane settled onto barely a landing strip about 200 yards from some river. He dumped our stuff on the ground and took off. We floated the river for about 5 days till a Moose walked into our camp and that is when the work began! I suspect you know all about removing the hide off of a Moose. The day we were going to play in the water I was already shaking from the cold and misty rain so I never suck my pan in the water.............63bkpkr

 

[YoungBlood]

Thanks all for the info and advice I think I'll try it as soon as summer hits.

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

im having a hard time seasoning my 3rd gold pan i tried using hot water alcohol sand dishwashering detergent i need help lol does it matter thats its chinese bc my keene gold catcher was really easy to clean

 

[YoungBlood]

im having a hard time seasoning my 3rd gold pan i tried using hot water alcohol sand dishwashering detergent i need help lol does it matter thats its chinese bc my keene gold catcher was really easy to clean

What do you mean by "seasoning" your pan

P.S. remember I'm new.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Getting it ready for use by removing the plastic mold release agent on the surface of it. Surprisingly hard to do but no big deal all the same.

 

[davidb]

You can do this by using wet sand paper fine grit rough it up just little

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

What do you mean by "seasoning" your pan

P.S. remember I'm new.

Lol sorry youngling lol I meant breaking it in so it works properly

 

[YoungBlood]

Thanks all. You don't have to do that with metal right

 

[jumpnut]

Anyone having sucess finding gold in Michigan? around Dowagiac or in the southern part of Michigan, excluding Athans Mich.

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

from what i heard with metal one i guess you put hot coals into it idk youll have to double check that

 

[KevinInColorado]

Njnuggetpirate - yes you need to remove the machining oils from the metal, you can use heat if you prefer since its not plastic!

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

i heard thats the benefits from metal pans bc old miners used to cook in them too and burned the oil out afterwards lol i guess you can you the plastic pan for a salad bowl ahahahahaha

 

[YoungBlood]

Since I still don't have a real pan is there anything I should do to my pie tin. LOL

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

get one for 8.00 on the GPAA website