Digger Tom's concentrate results

[Smithy42]

So after being lucky enough to win Digger Tom's competition, I've been very keen waiting to give some 'Paydirt' a go just too get some more practice done and see what I lose.

Put about a tablespoon full into my pan and started getting it all wet, just after a few swirls i noticed a nice flake already! which put a big grin on my face as I was getting ready too see some more appearing..

Working it down and that good stuff keeps appearing!

I knew these bags had a good reputation for getting good amount of color, but after working the spoon full good and still pulling bits out of my safety pan I'm personally pretty darn surprised!

Pretty keen too see what might come out of the whole bag! but in till then I'm trying too get every single bit down too the micro size and just getting my pan technique down too where I'm comfortable and efficient... Will keep updated!

And a big thanks again too Digger Tom for the competition and his work!

Cody

 

[cecc]

Good on ya Cody, nice color there mate.

 

[Smithy42]

Still feel a bit sketchy with my panning angle and speed but have minimal amount falling into my safety pan, just floating bits mostly.. So I know I'm doing okay with keeping with gold and not letting any get away from me

Think I also got a good scoop first that must of settled down a lot in the bag as I haven't found any in the last 3 spoon fulls.. Might all be just sitting on the bottom, but I will still go from top too bottom just so I'm going though it all properly and leave the best till last

Cody

 

[cecc]

Yeah you'll get it mate

 

[M3talmiliti4]

Hope you don't mind me posting this on here Smithy42 but thought i would share my diggertoms gold cons results aswell.

I just finished panning off 2 bags, it is all pretty fine stuff but managed to get one tiny little picker aswell, i had the same issue with floating gold as well so before panning off the second bag I left my pan out in the sun for a week and i also used warm water this time and i noticed a difference, there is still a little bit of black sand in with the gold but not too much so all up probably ended up with 0.6 of a gram and I know that there is still gold leftover in the safety pan so will dry it out and go for round 2.
I am also really happy with the results, the bags pretty much have paid for themsleves in gold

I'm tempted to pan off the 2 bags i got for the father in law for Christmas but i better not

Thanks,

M3

 

[Smithy42]

Your all good M3.. Nice clean up their! I have only gone through a 1/4 of my bag, so still got plenty too do myself My only problem is getting it out of them annoying black sands.. Using a trick yobskin showed me, but I'm still having problems with it staying in with the black. I might just need more practice!

Cody

 

[M3talmiliti4]

Thanks Smithy

I agree the black sands are a real pain for us beginners, these 2 bags are my first experience with panning for gold.
I panned off a quarter of the bag at a time and conentrated the gold even more making a little pile of gold and black sand, sucking it up and putting it all in a glass jar untill i had gone through each bag, i knew i was loseing gold but wasn't too worried coz i was panning into a small tub and i can retrieve later once i get better at the method i use. So once i had the highly concetrated gold to black sands i panned it all off again and was more careful and implemented the "back wash" technique and the "tap the pan" technique which takes time and patience with the heavy black sands but works.
I just played with it found what works for me and used those techniques

M3

 

[M3talmiliti4]

Once the gold ratio is higher to black sands, it makes it easier to get rid of the sand. And watching youtube videos helps.
Oh and the awesome advice everyone is willing to share on this forum as well

cecc has suggested some good vids to check out on YouTube to seperate gold from black sands.

M3

 

[Smithy42]

I've been panning for a couple of weeks now and got a bit of experience out on the field, so I'm starting too get the hang of getting my dirt out and keeping my gold in at a decent pace too, so I'm feeling confident with my pan... Just the separation is what I need to focus on next, I will check out a few different techniques and try see what I like best..

Slowly, but surely I will get better and more experience.. This forum truly is great for what it is, I wouldn't be progressing through this fast, learning the things I am or had the experiences if it wasn't for this place and the great people that are here. I thank those that have taken the time to help and guide me, I really do appreciate it.. Couldn't thank enough even!

Enough of me, think I'll go get some panning done now

Cody

 

[M3talmiliti4]

Practice makes perfect mate, that is what is so good about our hobby is that we will never stop learning and getting better and more knowledgeable

The forum is great, im also into gemstones and have had alot of things cleared up by knowledgeable forum members that i would have been left pondering for weeks/months, very greatful for being apart of this community.

I still have a thousand questions to ask about prospecting by the way so i ain't goin anywhere

M3

 

[Tater]

A smart miner once told me " panning starts at the sluice " what he meant was there is no use collecting 10 litres of concentrates for X amount of gold ! Set the riffle box up to do 80% of the panning ! much better to have 1litre of cons to the same X amount of gold! Also he was at pains to not rush in and strip out the box and get into the panning but just throttle the pump back a fraction as you have finished loading the top hopper so the flow can be just enough to move the blond sands and a SMALL amount of the black sands . I like to leave it about 20 minutes before I turn off and do a clean up . A Happy Winter Solstice to all the members !