rusty metal vs. plastic pan argument

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

A friend of mine just came back from an Alaskan cruise where he took advantage of their gold panning side trip. He has always given me a hard time over the fact that I use Garratt plastic pans, he says that rusty steel pans are the best and are easy to use and you don't lose any gold, or at least not much. He looks down on plastic pans. I am trying to defend them, saying once they are "seasoned" scuffed up they work great.
He had his notions reinforced by the person they had running the panning for the tourists, he swears by rusty metal pans, says the rust traps the fine gold.

Before I go to the mat with him, I wanted to see what people had to say. My personal feeling is that plastic is lighter and with the riffles does a better job for newbie or old timer. After all if they didn't work well you would see more steel pans for sale rather than plastic.

In the first couple trips to NH I haven't found any gold yet but seem to have hit it for Garnets (and some pyrite) the biggest garnet is 3.8 carats.

 

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[Rawhide]

I may have to get a Metal pan and adjust my technique. I feel lucky with the different types of medium I have to work with. I just picked up some Jet Dry also. As a noob, I would really like to hear more about the property's of crushed hard rock mining and coarse gold in a pan. If it helps me, Im all for it. I didnt think I would like the 15" garret pan, but dont see me getting rid of it any time soon.

 

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[kuger]

I will see if I can Dave to chime in,to my defense.
The hard rock gold is extremely rough with sharp little edges,and as you agitate the pan.....the gold doesnt lay flat like flakes,and "walks",on ya.You really have to go slow and watch it.It doesnt seem to do it as bad with a metal pan.

There are some guys I know that have been at this for over 60 years and will stomp yer azz with a metal pan.....Dave Wiseman is one of em(he hasnt been at it for quite 60 years though)

 

[Rawhide]

Definitely good info Kruger, I will keep watch for any other comments about the rough gold. I woudnt be hard to beat as Im fairly new to this. But would love to work with some old hands. Not a lot of interest in my area it seems.

 

[Oakview2]

Kuger

Not questioning the use of metal pan, still have some, just had never noticed the walking gold until you mentioned it, and then thought back to my recent tailings pile cons..... and remember that we did find some small coarse pieces when going through the +30's... Thought that walking gold might be a great excuse to use on the wife, when I don't find as much as I had planned for....Good health and good hunting...

 

[dave wiseman]

First off most people don't do hard rock sampling or even have a clue how it's done.It's best to use a homemade metal classifying pan on top of your basic seasoned metal pan.If your panning some crushed gold quartz species,obviously the smalls fall through the holes of your classifier.When you rub these round and round and round etc. in your metal pan there is little chance of scratching your pan..quite the opposite of a plastic/rubberized pan.Usually on crushed species the gold will be in/or stuck to the smallest bit or grain of quartz.With slow panning or fast those little rough fellows will work themselves out/riflled pan or not.Those who have found even a small quartz gold enrichment know enough to pan into another pan or small clear water tub to be gone over again after the bigger stuff has been recovered.It's a difficult thing to explain and one should try both ways if ther're lucky enough to have that quartz gold to pan out.Plastic pans are cheaper to make,but lighter.Each has a use.All of the newer people in mining have mostly seen plastic pans used for various forms of mining so that's what they use....a link for those thinking of hardrock,where there is very little competition.http://www.goldplacer.com/hardrockgold.htm

 

[kuger]

The expert has spoken....................Thanks Dave.......you Tourist!!!!

 

[placertogo]

I've done a lot of panning, mostly fine gold because that's what we have mostly here in the northeast. I have seen gold float due to surface tension or because the gold itself has been contaminated with a film of oil. I have also seen find gold retained in the upper layers of black sand because the magnetic attraction of black sand particles to one another is stronger that the tendency of gravity to let the gold settle to the bottom. I have never seen gold "walk out" of a pan.

 

[dave wiseman]

Well Mr.Kuger,I'm really not an expert.Just do what I was shown by my late mining partners who put in almost 70 years each at the mining game.If anyone out there is ever lucky enough to have several pans full of gold species they'll savy the situation rather quickly.When you have an ounce or two of small rough quartz gold in your pan,see how long it takes to clean it up...not including the amount of time one spends hyper ventilating,ha,ha.

 

[kuger]

Yea,I guess Chris(youngest mine foreman in the motherlode) and Guy(both lengendary hard rock miners in the riches mines in Calif.),didnt know what they were doing....tourists!Maybe if they had gone to a school,they would have known better?
Thanks for the valid info Dave

 

[dave wiseman]

I've done a lot of panning, mostly fine gold because that's what we have mostly here in the northeast. I have seen gold float due to surface tension or because the gold itself has been contaminated with a film of oil. I have also seen find gold retained in the upper layers of black sand because the magnetic attraction of black sand particles to one another is stronger that the tendency of gravity to let the gold settle to the bottom. I have never seen gold "walk out" of a pan.

Well man,when you have a nice bunch of small rough gold,whether attached to quartz or not..it'll walk but likely you won't see it walk.Now I'm talking rough rough gold the the yellow that sticks into your fingertips.Your yellow is likely smooth glacial placer gold,correct?Truth be,if one hasn't been there and done that lot's of times one dosen't know...do they?...This is not to say one loses alot of gold this way.May the glaciers be kind to you.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I will tell you point blank, that metal pans are for tourists. Today's plastic pans - and the riffles in them, beat the crappola out of the old heavy, non-fiffled metal pans. They are faster and hold more gold.

x 2

 

[kuger]

x 2

Talk about need help!!!
How is the dredging you advertise?Can I expect $400 a day?
Guess you dont teach hard rock.....or do ya?

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I've done a lot of panning, mostly fine gold because that's what we have mostly here in the northeast. I have seen gold float due to surface tension or because the gold itself has been contaminated with a film of oil. I have also seen find gold retained in the upper layers of black sand because the magnetic attraction of black sand particles to one another is stronger that the tendency of gravity to let the gold settle to the bottom. I have never seen gold "walk out" of a pan.

I was up the Kanc last week and brought some dirt back, I saw a couple fine flakes floating and thought it was mica, probably was, but now I am not sure. I am going to back through the 5 gallons of dirt to look for garnets and sapphires anyway so will try crushes each of the flakes as if it is gold it should just bend not shatter, right?

 

[kuger]

I find it hilarious that Terry is the only one that always agrees with himself!!!!

 

[kuger]

I was up the Kanc last week and brought some dirt back, I saw a couple fine flakes floating and thought it was mica, probably was, but now I am not sure. I am going to back through the 5 gallons of dirt to look for garnets and sapphires anyway so will try crushes each of the flakes as if it is gold it should just bend not shatter, right?

Flake gold will not float

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I was thinking it would be like fines. I know when I put a couple fines into my jar it floated until I broke the surface tension of the water and it sank like gold. This is more like flour gold, very hard to get into the vial. But every time I try to crush it, it does so it must be mica.

 

[Rawhide]

Thank you Kruger and Dave. Also to Terry. Now I will be spending my idle time thinking about how to capture the coarse gold with my plastic pan.

 

[kuger]

Thank you Kruger and Dave. Also to Terry. Now I will be spending my idle time thinking about how to capture the coarse gold with my plastic pan.

Dont worry unless you are getting it straight from the rock, bud

 

[nickmarch]

If you know how to pan, you can pan with just about any pan, even a frying pan.

Both plastic and metal pans can be purchased with riffles. The material a pan is made of is not as important as the angle and depth of the pan.

 

[TAKODA]

I've never used a metal pan myself so I can't speak from experience with
one . I remember reading awhile back how some of the early California
miners would beat dents into their metal pans .
I've only used plastic , and only one other of those than the Trinity
pan and it was a round pan as well . I've looked at and seen demos for all
kinds of shapes and sizes , and I choose to use the Trinity for several
reasons . I don't " THINK " it will hold all gold you can see with your
eyes ...... I " KNOW " it will ........ as long as the guy using it does
it right . I'm sure the same can be said for more than a few other pans .
I think some guys overload their pan's as well , especially when they
have screened down what they are washing .