Puddling?

NortheastGold · Mar 15, 2017

Hi guys, I,m doing a fair bit of panning in Northeast Vic and usually pick up a fair bit of clay in the gravel. It goes straight from the bucket to classifyer and pan with everything else without much thought. I,m thinking I could be losing gold. Is it sufficient to stir the concentrates or is this not enough? Cheers

ballarat_gold · Mar 15, 2017

Break the clay up dude, clay in your pan be bad.

ProspectorPete · Mar 15, 2017

Must break it up, if I'm getting enough clay where I'm getting gold I'll put it aside and take it home in a bucket, when home I fill bucket about 1/4 - 1/3 clay and fill the rest with water, get a paint stirrer that attaches to a drill and it makes light work of it, all clay dissolved in about 5-10 mins then you can pan it out at home, simple :Y:

aussiefarmer · Mar 15, 2017

Clay balls roll around your pan and pick gold up like a lamington if theres enough gravel material the balls will breack down but if your discarding clay balls theres a good chance your loosing gold

casper · Mar 15, 2017

Some curse the clay, but I love puddling clay paydirt simply because in a paying possy more effort equals more gold

aussiefarmer · Mar 15, 2017

Clay seems to give better shaped gold imo

IsThisGold? · Mar 16, 2017

i take a cordless drill woth a paint stirrer and pour the resulting slop down my highbanker

Jemba · Mar 17, 2017

This may help. cheers Jemba

Getting gold : an ABC of prospecting in Australia explaining in simple, non-technical language, the methods of getting gold by means of panning, cradling, puddling, dollying, sluicing, etc. / by Fossicker.

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/156878

NortheastGold · Mar 30, 2017

Thanks for the advice, everyone. The only thing that concerns me is the practicality of separating the clay from everything else in the bucket.

ballarat_gold · Mar 30, 2017

What IsThisGold said ... Paint stirrer on a drill and just mush it up. Just keep adding more water and throwing the silt an crap down the banker or sluice. Takes no extra effort.

Puddling?

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