Why doesn’t the micro fine gold separate from my black sand?

[Foulwind]

Lately I’ve been struggling to get all the micro fine flour gold to separate out of the black sand my local beach has. After I pan down to the blacks I’ll tap the cons at the top of pan then gently rock pan side to side while slowly tilting the pan down to move the blacks down and away from color. I’ll snuffer out the color then re tap the cons at top again and redo the side to side and tilting and I always have gold remaining. Have not figured out why yet. Can anyone explain this? I sometimes spend 1/2 hr to 40 min continuing to search the blacks for specks which seem to keep appearing long after my initial exposure. I realize this micro fine gold does float so I do use Jet-Dry in my pan tub. When I start a pan of my concentrates I agitate them for at least 30sec and during the agitation I rotate the cons and picture in my head any gold settling to bottom of pan. I rinse out very little amounts then continue agitation and repeat until time to expose the color. Each of the pans I do will expose anywhere from 50 to 200+ colors at initial exposure. Maybe another 20-40 colors will appear after many taps, side to sides and tilting. Any thoughts or Ideas of why all the gold is not concentrated for the initial exposure will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

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[russau]

I wish I had that kinda problem's !

 

[russau]

AND Specific gravity "might" also cause this.

 

[arizau]

Lately I’ve been struggling to get all the micro fine flour gold to separate out of the black sand my local beach has. After I pan down to the blacks I’ll tap the cons at the top of pan then gently rock pan side to side while slowly tilting the pan down to move the blacks down and away from color. I’ll snuffer out the color then re tap the cons at top again and redo the side to side and tilting and I always have gold remaining. Have not figured out why yet. Can anyone explain this? I sometimes spend 1/2 hr to 40 min continuing to search the blacks for specks which seem to keep appearing long after my initial exposure. I realize this micro fine gold does float so I do use Jet-Dry in my pan tub. When I start a pan of my concentrates I agitate them for at least 30sec and during the agitation I rotate the cons and picture in my head any gold settling to bottom of pan. I rinse out very little amounts then continue agitation and repeat until time to expose the color. Each of the pans I do will expose anywhere from 50 to 200+ colors at initial exposure. Maybe another 20-40 colors will appear after many taps, side to sides and tilting. Any thoughts or Ideas of why all the gold is not concentrated for the initial exposur will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Ah, the frustration of trying to recover the gold contained in beach sand concentrates....especially from Oregon and Washington.
Lack of physical space is the problem. That sand and the gold are, virtually, all less than 100 mesh and when tightly spread in a single layer or stacked they leave virtually no voids between them. That and the fact that about 5 of them together weigh about the same as a single piece of gold of the same size. Picture one piece of gold in a teaspoonful of concentrates. That teaspoon must then have thousands or tens of thousands of grains of black sand to bully the piece of gold.
My suggestions: Do what you can to concentrate your concentrates then only pan the "super concentrates" in small quantities. A tablespoonful is not too small.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[Foulwind]

Ah, the frustration of trying to recover the gold contained in beach sand concentrates....especially from Oregon and Washington.
Lack of physical space is the problem. That sand and the gold are, virtually, all less than 100 mesh and when tightly spread in a single layer or stacked they leave virtually no voids between them. That and the fact that about 5 of them together weigh about the same as a single piece of gold of the same size. Picture one piece of gold in a teaspoonful of concentrates. That teaspoon must then have thousands or tens of thousands of grains of black sand to bully the piece of gold.
My suggestions: Do what you can to concentrate your concentrates then only pan the "super concentrates" in small quantities. A tablespoonful is not too small.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Ok that makes sense. Also somewhat explains why, when I thin out the blacks across my big pans floor gold gets exposed. I’ve been panning in small pan, when I get down to just a little blonde remaining I transfer the material to my big pan then start working to expose (Uncover colors) not sure how to “Concentrate the concentrates” Can you explain this please?

 

[arizau]

Ok that makes sense. Also somewhat explains why, when I thin out the blacks across my big pans floor gold gets exposed. I’ve been panning in small pan, when I get down to just a little blonde remaining I transfer the material to my big pan then start working to expose (Uncover colors) not sure how to “Concentrate the concentrates” Can you explain this please?

I'm guessing you are mining ocean beach sand(?).

Rerunning your concentrates through a cleanup sluice is the easiest way to upgrade or concentrate your concentrates. Jury rigging a water system to run a small sluice with ribbed mat installed on top of your high banker would probably work if you dont have one.
Production panning method is kind of described below.
Much time is burned if you pan each pan load to the gold recovery stage. If you eliminate about a third to half of a pan load then refill to the original level then keep repeating you will end up with what I call super cons. For this method I would not start with a full pan load! Two or three cups in a large pan with a broad bottom will give the gold a better chance to settle through the dense slurry of beach (minus 100 mesh) black sands.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.

PS Test your tailings and rerun if you have losses....and patience.lol

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

Though I’ve not worked with any of the super fine black beach sands I do have super fine gold in a ton of black sand here locally. For me to help speed my recovery’s I classify classify classify. By size and by magnetics.

Run it through every mesh that’s available. Once I know the materials I dealing with are the same size I pan of in small scoops. I also suck up each bit with my snuffer as it’s uncovered. You can waste a pile of time trying to avoid washing away multiple bits that have already shown themselves while working away more black sands.

As you’ve surly learned it’s a long process.

I did notice the fella from Washington beach mining would always use a finishing pan. I don’t know if that would be of any help to you. Possibly a miller table? I have used a blue bowl but like most guys mine is gathering dust somewhere.

 

[arizau]

Though I’ve not worked with any of the super fine black beach sands I do have super fine gold in a ton of black sand here locally. For me to help speed my recovery’s I classify classify classify. By size and by magnetics.

Run it through every mesh that’s available. Once I know the materials I dealing with are the same size I pan of in small scoops. I also suck up each bit with my snuffer as it’s uncovered. You can waste a pile of time trying to avoid washing away multiple bits that have already shown themselves while working away more black sands.

As you’ve surly learned it’s a long process.

I did notice the fella from Washington beach mining would always use a finishing pan. I don’t know if that would be of any help to you. Possibly a miller table? I have used a blue bowl but like most guys mine is gathering dust somewhere.

I was going to mention classifiers and magnets but ocean beach black sands are a whole different animal...tougher to deal with than an Alaskan brown bear with little to gain. The finishing pan is very broad bottomed and fairly big.

 

[Foulwind]

I'm guessing you are mining ocean beach sand(?).

Rerunning your concentrates through a cleanup sluice is the easiest way to upgrade or concentrate your concentrates. Jury rigging a water system to run a small sluice with ribbed mat installed on top of your high banker would probably work if you dont have one.
Production panning method is kind of described below.
Much time is burned if you pan each pan load to the gold recovery stage. If you eliminate about a third to half of a pan load then refill to the original level then keep repeating you will end up with what I call super cons. For this method I would not start with a full pan load! Two or three cups in a large pan with a broad bottom will give the gold a better chance to settle through the dense slurry of beach (minus 100 mesh) black sands.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.

PS Test your tailings and rerun if you have losses....and patience.lol

Thanks. I did make a clean up sluice from a gutter section, lined it with V matting. It’s 5’ long and maybe 3.5” where the V mating is. I started with a 12vdc 200 GPH pump but I think 200 gps is not enough water. I could not get sand to clear from the channel. Tried raising the angle of the gutter, full flow from pump, moving angle up & down, and sand would remain in the V mat so I decided 200 GPH pump is too small. I have not got a larger flow pump yet. Right now, panning is working for me. I’m panning through each regular pan of sand multiple times to get all the color I can see until I se no more then put those tailings in a bucket. One day when I get larger flow pump I run them again.

 

[Foulwind]

Thanks. I did make a clean up sluice from a gutter section, lined it with V matting. It’s 5’ long and maybe 3.5” where the V mating is. I started with a 12vdc 200 GPH pump but I think 200 gps is not enough water. I could not get sand to clear from the channel. Tried raising the angle of the gutter, full flow from pump, moving angle up & down, and sand would remain in the V mat so I decided 200 GPH pump is too small. I have not got a larger flow pump yet. Right now, panning is working for me. I’m panning through each regular pan of sand multiple times to get all the color I can see until I see no more then put those tailings in a bucket. One day when I get larger flow pump I run them again.

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

View attachment 2167164

I’m pretty sure Walmart sells them in the boat section. They were pretty reasonable as I remember.

 

[russau]

Try using a couple of small drop's of Dawn dish soap BUT not to much ! Try not to put in so much that you get a lot bubbles in your tub or worse yet in your sluice ! Bubbles / foam will pick up micro gold and float it into your tub

 

[Foulwind]

Try using a couple of small drop's of Dawn dish soap BUT not to much ! Try not to put in so much that you get a lot bubbles in your tub or worse yet in your sluice ! Bubbles / foam will pick up micro gold and float it into your tub

Already using Jet dry

 

[Foulwind]

I’m pretty sure Walmart sells them in the boat section. They were pretty reasonable as I remember.

Our local Wal mart doesn’t have a boating section. Only a minimal sporting goods section.

 

[russau]

Google it , it's probley cheaper on-line anyway!

 

[et1955]

I admire your determination; I have mined at Cape Disappointment here in Washington state, never again for me it is a waste of time. The gold is so thin compared to what I find up on our rivers, it would take thousands of beach flakes to equal one course 1/16-inch flake. If you are finally able to extract that beach gold you will be the master at doing the final extracting gold from black sands. Good Luck

 

[KevinInColorado]

1. Classify first: wet, sizes 70, 100, 125 mesh at least. I also do 200 sometimes. Use in-between sizes too if any given portion is too much to pan.
2. Remove iron sands with a cheap magnet - wave it an inch above the material to draw the sands up through the water in the pan.
3. Pan in a LARGE bottomed, smooth pan, with a little jet dry of course.

 

[Southern Creek]

If you have a large magnet, you can use it at the bottom of the Pan. To move the black sand.

 

[dinx]

Try using a couple of small drop's of Dawn dish soap BUT not to much ! Try not to put in so much that you get a lot bubbles in your tub or worse yet in your sluice ! Bubbles / foam will pick up micro gold and float it into your tub

THIS ! Although I heard it as to use one or two very small drops of the JETDRY or whatever dish stuff dryer equivalent you have.

 

[ticndig]

STOP swirling