Search found 29 matches

by PickaxeCA
Sun Mar 03, 2024 4:58 am
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Properties of punch plate (or Jarvine Riffle) for improving gold capture
Replies: 16
Views: 3186

Re: Properties of punch plate (or Jarvine Riffle) for improving gold capture

@Joe - with something as simple as some miner's moss +/- punch plate +/- Jarvie Riffle, there is a lot going on in terms of physics and hydrodynamics that aid in gold capture. I like the analogy of a 3D gauntlet that once gold enters it cannot escape. Slowing the water 'just enough' seems to be a co...
by PickaxeCA
Fri Mar 01, 2024 7:33 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Properties of punch plate (or Jarvine Riffle) for improving gold capture
Replies: 16
Views: 3186

Properties of punch plate (or Jarvine Riffle) for improving gold capture

There are plenty of people (Doc from Gold Hog, Vo Gus, etc) who claim that the majority of their gold is caught in the pooling area where water falls into the top end of a highbanker. I have heard some claims of 80-90%+ being caught up there. With this in mind, what are all the magical properties of...
by PickaxeCA
Fri Mar 01, 2024 12:06 am
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Prospecting opportunities in dry areas (but not drywashing or detecting)
Replies: 4
Views: 893

Re: Prospecting opportunities in dry areas (but not drywashing or detecting)

I agree Joe, the diggings would have to be worth the hassle of transporting water in. I have done this by foot a few times (hiked in 2 gallons / 8 litres of water recently on a 15 minute hike). It was certainly worth it for test panning hard rock vein material as I got a small golden smile in the pa...
by PickaxeCA
Thu Feb 29, 2024 5:45 am
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Prospecting opportunities in dry areas (but not drywashing or detecting)
Replies: 4
Views: 893

Prospecting opportunities in dry areas (but not drywashing or detecting)

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts or stories about prospecting in areas with no water, where you have to transport it in, or better yet, hike it in. The goal would be to do sampling (e.g. panning soil samples in a small wet tub aka loaming) or run a low production recirculating sluice or rocke...
by PickaxeCA
Tue Feb 27, 2024 6:42 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: The Golden Fleece - 5oz of beach gold on a blanket sluice
Replies: 2
Views: 624

The Golden Fleece - 5oz of beach gold on a blanket sluice

Here is what 5 oz of NZ beach gold looks like in a blanket sluice. Source: https://community.paydirt.co.nz/t/history-of-the-gold-cube/3683/11 ​This was posted by a guy named KiwiGold whose boiler box setup inspired Mike Pung to invent the Gold Cube. In the photo, every square inch has a ton of gold ...
by PickaxeCA
Mon Feb 26, 2024 8:51 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4957

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

@Geowizard - to your extra long Nome wash tables I would add the following: On the Snake River in Idaho (known for very fine gold), they used very wide 'wash tables' covered with burlap cloth. Same thing - low angle, low turbulence, low profile matting. I have read that old stamp mills used a beach-...
by PickaxeCA
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:18 am
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4957

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

Yes ChickenMiner, there is more information and tools available then ever on the topic of fine gold capture. This is great for placer miners today of all scales. I think people get caught up in matting opinion wars far too often rather than focusing on operating parameters that could work with nearl...
by PickaxeCA
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:12 am
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4957

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

@geowizard - I appreciate hearing your stories from experience. As a recreational miner I wish there was more info like this out there--- real battles with fine / flour gold, at an industrial scale. Just wanted to look at the following statement you made: "Given a 12 inch sluice with a water pump ru...
by PickaxeCA
Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:44 pm
Forum: Gold Prospecting Forum
Topic: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'
Replies: 25
Views: 4957

Re: Lets Talk About Fine Gold --'

Hello all, Here are my thoughts plus a framework for discussing fine gold recovery. It's worth mentioning that hard rock gold can be chunkier than placer pieces that have been hammered flat. Therefore, it may be easier to catch smaller hard rock gold with light to moderate feed, flow, angle, and ver...