If You're a Newbie - Something to Know

[Joe S (AK)]

I stumbled on this product and thought that there might be a 'Newbie' who could learn something from my 'take' on it. My response (to 'comments' to the video on youtube) is more from a practical standpoint - and simply points to some 'stuff' which is highly glossed over.

https://youtu.be/tYhW8EtVZT0
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" The big question here is "Are you mining for Magnetite (and Hematite) or Gold?

Sluice boxes, when tuned properly, wash all inputted gravel of all sizes, (frequently classifying out grossly larger sizes) and then pass everything through to the catchment field to be processed. The undersized gravel, the quartz sands and the black sands then are hydraulically worked. Specific gravity and water flow, combined with the hydraulic pressure of the water hitting the undersized gravel is an effective sorting system to allow the heaviest materials (say Gold @ SG 19+-) to stay behind while gravel, Hematite and Magnetite (@ SG of 5+), Quartz sands (@ SG 3) and other light minerals to pass through the system. THAT is what all new miners are taught on day 1 in the first few minutes.

You are showing very well classified Iron minerals being caught before the water has any sorting effect on them. It seems you are "protecting" the riffles from processing the iron minerals and that is not practical. In a clean-up sluice with poor gross sorting abilities that might be OK - but in over 60 years of experience that is seldom to never needed in a well running stream sluice.

Gold, physically caught in the black sand piles is quite effectively trapped before it hits the first riffle- meaning that the same 'Magnetic Sorting" could be more effectively done after "shaking down" sluice box concentrates in a bucket to put the Gold on the very bottom. Using your large, 'dropping magnet' to pick up any magnetics from the upper areas of the bucket would provide the same results.

How do you recommend cleaning the inevitable build up of magnetics that work their way to the magnets under the plastic top sheet?

There are some new miners who are intimidated by panning black sands. That is merely a lack of experience and after having been trained in panning it is not a problem from then on.

May I suggest you travel to Nome and beach mine there. ALL (yes, 100%) material being shoveled into the equipment is Black Sand and that situation would instantly show that magnets and black sands are a tough way to go."

[waveaction]

Watched the video. Good job commenting on that Joe.