Prospecting progression

[brendomac]

I'm interested to hear how you guys progressed in your alluvial prospecting hobby (I haven't hit the detectors yet).

Was it pan then sluice then highbanker or .. ?

I'm asking because I'm a year into this hobby now. I've started with pan, tried to build a sluice (failed) bought an angus mackirk sluice and having some fun. Now I'm thinking i need more material to get more gold. Exactly the same as what they say on the gold shows when they have a million dollar investment and want to process more!

I guess I'm enjoying what I do, it's good exercise and awesome being in the bush, so that's the main thing. But I wonder how others have progressed. I'm sorta thinking there is no end, we'll always be building and tweaking this or that.

 

[7.62marksman]

hi mate
well i started with a dream of richness
then settled with a river sluice small pick and shovel and a few pans
then got my grandfathers Goldseeker 12000
next came the highbanker with a two stroke pump 170lt min (loud little bugger)
got a 3kva generator and electric pump (270lt min)
now a minelab FT16000
built a trommel (one man lift) 240v to run off the generator found out they are illegal in nsw so now sitting under cover in the back yard (for now hehehe)
from there you build things as you go to what you want to do
the main thing to remember is that what ever you have you will or may have to carry it in if you can't drive to where you are digging
i try to drive to where i am digging Hate the thought of carrying all that gear 200 300m or more
i am a scrooge when it comes to spending money so i do a lot of looking around before i pay
check the local salvo's or vinnies stores they do have things that can be used or converted to do a job
the salvo's here sells anything from cars, motor bikes, trailers, ride on mowers you name it they may have it or know where you can get it the manager it a brilliant bloke and has very good bunch of people work there (don't tell any one i am the manager lol)

 

[blisters]

Pan sluice highbanker then tweaking the highbanker. It's a natural progression
Jon

 

[brendomac]

Thanks markman and blisters.

Markman, that is a massive history, thanks mate much appreciated. I've had my mini history of a lot of different stuff. Today i only just left oallen and was thinking what can i do to get more in the same time! Highbanker was the obvious answer, but I want to stay mobile. That's the main reason i haven't got a banker yet.

 

[7.62marksman]

try a sluice i have the plans and photos of one i built under "Today i built" might help you to make one
you don't have to make it as big as mine but when you look at it its not that heavy

 

[Occasional_panner]

I tried sluicing as a teenager, never had much luck and it was more fun to drink amber stuff.
25 years later I got a pan and had a go in some creeks while out 4wd'ing, I got interested and skipped the sluice and got a highbanker.
With a sluice you need to find somewhere good to set it up, get the bloody thing set up level in the creek, with the right height and flow bla bla bla....AND you need to classify..... tooo hard.
So jump forward a step and get a banker you can throw shovels at the mongrel!!!!
Set the legs level get your pump set up and bam bam away you go.
I still like a peaceful surround so I use a 3700gph bilge which is silent.
BTW I'm about 6 months into it now.

 

[Eldorado]

I started out panning with an old wok then bought a couple of proper pans,built a river sluice out of a Bbq lid but like Occasional Panner found it too much work setting up and classifying etc.So ended up building a highbanker,buying a pump,hoses and camlocks etc.Took about 6 months to get the materials together for the banker and get the funds for the pump etc but got there in the end and am loving it.From wok to highbanker in about 18 months.

 

[Eric2017]

I am only about a month into this hobby.

I have a pan and classifier. After my last two outings I have come to the conclusion I need to invest in a highbanker. It will be way more efficient.

Having said that in some areas it would be pan only due to remoteness.

 

[goldtruck59]

I have a mini High banker set up in my back yard. When I am out metal detecting and see a likely area I bring home a few small buckets and run it through.
That way I can sit there and have a few sherbets and relax while having a bit of fun.
I take the spent dirt back out next time I go. It adds a bit of fun and another dimension to my prospecting.
Generally I run the dirt when I am stuck at home and cant get out detecting for a while.
That reminds me I have a few buckets from a trip to Amherst a year ago I must check out !!

GT

 

[bend]

Detector (sd2000), got half an ounce in a couple of weeks (one piece lucky me, and I've only managed to pick up about eight nuggets detecting since) then didn't get bugger all for six months. Moved over to panning, built a couple of custom high bankers and sluices, the performance of which greatly improved after picking up a mackirk sluice and figuring out what made them work so well. Built a couple of different cradles along the way, never been completely happy with them, but I have a pretty good idea of what I need to change at this point, mostly material choices and joining methods. Recently ( a couple of weeks ago) bought a small dryblower for working dry creeks and mullock. Ripper of a thing that is, I've only run it about four hours figuring out setup and already half a gram.

Other than that a couple of forays into rock crushing via various methods, a jack hammer with a custom bit works well there for crushing samples ( can't use it for digging though, which sucks). If you don't have access to that it's worth looking a how the old timers setup with the hammer on a spring, a sapling in their case a tripod with a trampoline spring in my case.

Only been doing this a few years mind, I'm sure the gear collection will get bigger soon. I've already got a couple of trommels which don't see nearly enough use and I'm pretty sure that I've got an effective four head stamper figured out, If I can figure out a way to dig enough stone without power tools anyway.

 

[brendomac]

Wow, there are certainly some gear combinations out there.

A definite common theme is a high banker. I guess it is just a matter of time before I end up with one. No classifying sounds so good!

 

[NeilM]

hey guys
i bought the sdc 2300 first up.
never panned or fossicked.
have fallen in love with getting out, however minimum gold as yet.

question
i want to get a river sluice and pans ect.
is it viable to get the river sluice, then when i have a bit more experience - convert/modify river sluice to highbanker
or
start with the sluice and then buy highbanker later.

Either way would suit, however I would like to have a go at modifying something myself as well.

Thoughts?
Neil

 

[7.62marksman]

my first river sluice was converted to a highbanker and then that was also used on my trommel so it was duel purpose
i have now got a new highbanker with a few mods done to it
then in my wisdom made a river sluice because i did not have one when i needed it just don't figure does it
my point is if you have it you will use it so if you can afford it get or make both

 

[Swinging & digging]

I started out panning with an old wok then bought a couple of proper pans,built a river sluice out of a Bbq lid but like Occasional Panner found it too much work setting up and classifying etc.So ended up building a highbanker,buying a pump,hoses and camlocks etc.Took about 6 months to get the materials together for the banker and get the funds for the pump etc but got there in the end and am loving it.From wok to highbanker in about 18 months.

WOK??

Wow thats improvising with equipment, one of my mates got shown how to gold pan with an Old HR Holden hub cap back in the 1970s by his Father who grew up in a small Gold Mining town South of Ballarat, my mates Grandfather was Mine Manager at the Kangaroo Gold Mine in Berringa.

 

[maxwell4]

I have just upgraded from the dogs bowl to a proper pan.

Ps I dont have a dog anymore

Lmao

 

[bend]

Wow, there are certainly some gear combinations out there.

A definite common theme is a high banker. I guess it is just a matter of time before I end up with one. No classifying sounds so good!

A bankers always a good bet, when you do make sure to include the pumps and hoses in the weight/size with regards to carrying the thing. I didn't with the first one I built and it was a bloody pain hauling the banker into place then going back and collecting them. Also worth chucking a gate at the back of the hopper if you're working with clay a lot.

 

[brendomac]

Thanks for the tip bend. I've got a pump and hoses. So that's sorted. Re the gate, I've seen those on a few videos, they seem to work well too.

I don't have a hub cap, wok or dog bowl though, might skip adding those to the collection.

 

[Mungoman]

Started out as a young'un with an old steel pan that needed bluing, and no classifying - Dads rules were, 'Bung it in', and, 'You can never have too much in your pan'.

Converted to a plastic pan and metal sieves.

Bought a sd2200 and started playing.

Bought a Walbanker.

Have gone back to a pan.

(^^^this covers sixty years, or so.)

 

[brendomac]

Looks like you have gone the full circle Mungoman...

 

[madhatter]

Hi all,
First time for me was panning and shovel!!
Quickly upgraded to a highbanker and pump and love it!!!!!!
Also ,
Made a miller table :lol:

Invested in a gpz and couldn't be happier with my set-up