Stolen from Steve Herschbach - Gold Pans, Everything you need to know!

[Terry Soloman]

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313562132_Gold_recovery_in_Gold_Pans_-the_term_'Panning'

 

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[OreCart]

I am not arguing in one way or the other as I am not convinced I properly pan, but Keith Bowen of the YouTube Channel Hard Rock University has just done a video on panning ultra fine gold that I found very informative. Because he does hard rock mining, he was going down to -500 mesh.

I think it is against the rules to put up a link, but a search will get you there, if anyone is interested.

Interestingly, he recently did test panning of different detergents that debunked a few long standing myths regarding many of them too.

 

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[Capt Nemo]

Doesn't sound like you have tried panning for beach gold, its ALL fine black sand it takes on a weird soupy state its slow to stratify, the black sand in your photos are boulders in comparison.

On Superior beach sand, it will stop the stratifying process about 3/8"-9/16" down, and the lights won't move through it. But your gold is still high in the pan when washing down. That's where you loose it. Once all the garnet is out, then you have a 1/4 pan to go to get to your gold. Then it becomes a matter of proportional force as the gold is as small or smaller as the black sand, but much flatter. The black sand can actually push the gold upward. That is what makes it so dammed hard to pan.

Normally, I pan it down to get the bulk gold out, remove and clean the magnetite, then pan it again to get the remaining scraps. I made a small bucket of those scraps, and had to pan it 9 times to get the gold back out. It's so nasty it does not want to stay in a pan. The only thing worse is trying to pan gold leaf, as it floats over the black sand like mica flakes in a pan. That was so maddening, I threw the pan out!

 

[KevinInColorado]

On Superior beach sand, it will stop the stratifying process about 3/8"-9/16" down, and the lights won't move through it. But your gold is still high in the pan when washing down. That's where you loose it. Once all the garnet is out, then you have a 1/4 pan to go to get to your gold. Then it becomes a matter of proportional force as the gold is as small or smaller as the black sand, but much flatter. The black sand can actually push the gold upward. That is what makes it so dammed hard to pan.

Normally, I pan it down to get the bulk gold out, remove and clean the magnetite, then pan it again to get the remaining scraps. I made a small bucket of those scraps, and had to pan it 9 times to get the gold back out. It's so nasty it does not want to stay in a pan. The only thing worse is trying to pan gold leaf, as it floats over the black sand like mica flakes in a pan. That was so maddening, I threw the pan out!

This is the best description I’ve seen yet of the beach sand situation. Well done!

PS gold leaf and fine electrum are the times when I get out the mercury. (Yes, I handle it safely and keep it out of the environment)

 

[alaskaseeker]

Friends and Hunting

Don't think Steve would care, he's languishing at his home in Reno...

Steve, myself Todd Orth resting at Ganes Cr..digesting our lunch. Did manage to find another Celtic on the trip-that Steve and Todd came with..that I'll post another time. That's me at Moore Creek with a nice find...That was a sorrowful time for me, my mate had just passed away after a terrible struggle with Pancreatic cancer..In a way Moore Creek was a lifesaver for me.. I told Steve and Dudley that years later....Friends help...