what is the difference in si e between small gravel and gold and dirt that makes mud??

[1637]

because the dam ground is going to damp forever. i built a 12 volt sifter. it goes down to about 1/8. i can spread that out to dry.no reason to dry anything i can detect, so now i have dry 1/8 dirt. but the problem in the desert is keeping the water clean during clean ups, blue bowl or panning. i dont know much about mesh screens but there must be one that i can sift out that small dirt that makes a mess(mud) out of everything and just keep the small gravel that has the small gold you can see in a pan and pick up with a eyedropper. what mesh screen am i looking for.?? also i will post picture of my new sifter in a week or so. it pretty cool.thank you brad. iam not going to let this damp ground bet me!!!

 

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[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Geologically mud/clay is small particle size. First you need to decide what is the minimum size Au you are willing to work to recover. If you have any gold in a sample there is always smaller gold right down to suspended and soluble.

No such thing as too much water. Get some containers and run a cascade of settling ponds at very slow flow, even add some coagulant/Flocculant.

Fill your pan with clean water and dump into the first part of your clarification cascade.

About screens, after you decide the smallest you are willing to work at, screen away and there should be no muddy things left smaller than that.

In nature most gold is small. I'd proffer that more gold has slipped through the systems of collection ( non chemical) than has been captured, especially the non mining professionals.

 

[1637]

thanks for the in put,but they i said i dont know much about mesh screen si es.i looking to get one to start with. i ok with losing that really fine gold, just want the mud dirt to go away.any guesses what number i should try? thank

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

You need to think about it in terms of the numbers to pick a screen. The suspended solids that are interfering with your vision would wash away by hydraulic separation, no need for a screen. But go slow to retain the fine gold and use something like jet dry to keep it from floating away.

Consider that many folks capture and separate as far down as 400 mesh or smaller. Professional mining can pick up even solution gold chemically.

Here is a link to a mesh size chart. https://www.industrialspec.com/images/files/mesh-micron-sizes-chart-ebook-ism.pdf

common thought is: clay is less than 0.005 millimetre

Personally I'd use hydraulic forces to mix the particles clean by scrubbing for a while, then slowly blow off the suspended solids.

 

[1637]

cool chart, thanks

 

[xracer550]

Brad , You might want to make a recirculating unit if it won't dry out , Run it wet with flocculent & change out the water when it gets to thick . Here is what I made

I know it is not like Drywashing but it still Fun.

 

[arizau]

because the dam ground is going to damp forever. i built a 12 volt sifter. it goes down to about 1/8. i can spread that out to dry.no reason to dry anything i can detect, so now i have dry 1/8 dirt. but the problem in the desert is keeping the water clean during clean ups, blue bowl or panning. i dont know much about mesh screens but there must be one that i can sift out that small dirt that makes a mess(mud) out of everything and just keep the small gravel that has the small gold you can see in a pan and pick up with a eyedropper. what mesh screen am i looking for.?? also i will post picture of my new sifter in a week or so. it pretty cool.thank you brad. iam not going to let this damp ground bet me!!!

You might try doing some puddling. Put your concentrates in a bucket, add water then stir the heck out of them. As the water rotation slows, dump some of the dirty water off and repeat a few more times. That process should get rid of most of the muddy
fines.
Good luck.

 

[1637]

You might try doing some puddling. Put your concentrates in a bucket, add water then stir the heck out of them. As the water rotation slows, dump some of the dirty water off and repeat a few more times. That process should get rid of most of the muddy
fines.
Good luck.

thank you