Loaming for Gold information and questions

[rc62burke]

Hey Wal
I hear the train mate choo choo

cheers
Lee

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Has anyone tried loaming with an XRF analyzer? Would it be possible?
I looked into hiring one but a Niton XL3t950+ is $10k a mth

 

[WalnLiz]

Village your knowledge is amazing! I have some other rocks with interesting things about them that I'd love to have identified but it would have to be under a rock identification topic. I don't want to go off topic. Is there one on here? I couldn't find it.

There's a section on the forum under Gemstones and Minerals. Would be a great place to post them, as there's quite a few on here who specialize on minerals and unusual rock types.

Cheers Wal.

 

[HeadsUp]

Has anyone tried loaming with an XRF analyzer? Would it be possible?
I looked into hiring one but a Niton XL3t950+ is $10k a mth

wow

lol

good thought

i have never used a portable XRF analyzer but i have used portable spectroscopes for field testing metallurgy on engineering jobs

I love that idea

you really dont need to keep the sample that way , just record as you go

whats the consumable costs with those things ? do you know what they cost to run per 100 shots ?

http://www.portableas.com/index.php/products/niton-xl3t-950-goldd/

that thing is half the size of portable spectroscopes i have used

with the GPS and memory you could send a monkey out in the bush with it ( or an untrained junior ) as long as he kept pulling the trigger . lol

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Thanks Wal

 

[HeadsUp]

Has anyone tried loaming with an XRF analyzer? Would it be possible?
I looked into hiring one but a Niton XL3t950+ is $10k a mth

http://www.portableas.com/index.php/products/niton-xl3t-950-goldd/

that thing is half the size of portable spectroscopes i have used

with the GPS and memory you could send a monkey out in the bush with it ( or an untrained junior ) as long as he kept pulling the trigger . lol

$ 28,000 USD and you can buy one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermo-Scie...976?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a861e9398

 

[Hare_Twigga]

I don't know a lot about them. They sound like the ultimate prospecting tool though! You can test quartz veins and get an instant read out for almost anything it could contain.The woman I spoke to told me the 950 is the best one for the job.

 

[Highway1]

Hi Guys, this would have to be one of the most informative threads on this forum. I would like to thank everyone for there contribution and I sincerely hope it continues on. Cheers Max

 

[SWright]

G'Day Hare_Twigga

The photograph is not all that good, however your description of "Heavy metallic Flakes" is informative. Suphide minerals are common in quartz veins and in some mines can be a indicator of gold. Quartz veins with Galena (lead sulphide) and Sphalerite (zinc sulphide) are particularly indicative of gold bearing veins. Both of these minerals can when crushed appear to be bright and silvery depending on the type of impurities in the minerals. Galena will generally break into small cubes while sphalerite can be anything from silvery to redish-metallic.

Bright silvery flakes sounds like the mineral Molybdenite - a sulphide of the metal molybdenum and can also occur in gold bearing veins particularly within or nearby to granites and related intrusives. Molybdenite forms as heavy metallic flakes. It often appears to be greasy and is easily scratched to produce a black streak. The slipperyness is a result of it forming like mica. So much so that is is the main ingredient in dry grease. I think it is unlikely to be reibeckite. This is a relatively rare mineral largley but not exclusively associated with the banded iron sedimentary formations in the Pilbara of WA.

Araluen

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Hi Araluen thanks for your help. There is a diorite dyke nearby so maybe the silver flakes could be Molybdenite.

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Where do people get samples assayed and how should a sample be prepared before mailing it?

 

[Village]

Where do people get samples assayed and how should a sample be prepared before mailing it?

Expensive process mate to be honest, and at this level I wouldn't even consider it. Drop the molybdenite, you know if you had it, imagine grease, the difference between say axle and light duty, well molybdenite, is like imagine graphite but denser. What your chasing is the gold and I know your not colour blind, wow, imagine a colour blind gold prospector.

You will need to brush up on your hard rock mining skills, best tip until you ascertain that you have a good reserve, if you have a battery hammer drill, take that with. Still a hand tool, not complex, you put the bit in the chuck, and pull the trigger, so being that simple has to be allowed under law. Drill the rock not the quartz, so drill directly adjunct to the vein, either side, couple holes in line to a consistent depth, try to angle inward a little, then with a chisel fracture the quartz out. Estwing rock chisel no 8 and No 12 should do the job for you nicely, if you don't have a crack hammer take a look at the estwing, and find the same in bunnings, long handles work a treat on rock.

You have your dolly pot, crush and process your samples, make it pay for itself before you going spending bucks.

 

[Hare_Twigga]

I hear what your saying Village. The quartz vein is still in clay or decomposed rock at 2.5 mtrs so I have no trouble taking samples from it I know the best indicator for gold is gold it's self but I am fascinated by the different thing's I find in them when I crush them. Check out the rock identification topic I started,any light you could shed on them would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Hare_Twigga]

On the topic of loaming or more finding gold bearing ore has anyone tried using a ph tester to locate the ore?
I have done some research and there is some information that seems to relate CO2 rich acid sulfate water to ore bodies and changes in the ph in surrounding soil.

 

[rc62burke]

On the topic of loaming or more finding gold bearing ore has anyone tried using a ph tester to locate the ore?
I have done some research and there is some information that seems to relate CO2 rich acid sulfate water to ore bodies and changes in the ph in surrounding soil.

Hare

Their are a number of methods that can be used to identify mineral "Halo's" in a specific area, those being "Geochemical Prospecting" which is used on a large scale very similar to that of which Village described, ph testing can also identify anomalies to follow up further, the use of an XRF device IMHO should not be considered as a "Prospecting" tool as the cost alone is Prohibitive & there are some questionable reports on its accuracy in sampling ore.

In "Loaming" there is no substitute for the humble "Gold Pan" remember you are using a tried & proven method developed along time ago & should be using the tools that it was designed to use, nothing saying it cant be improved with modern tech, but fundamentally the "pan" is king for "Loaming", in some way it is paying homage to the old boy's & something we should try to preserve as a part of our culture, IMHO.
cheers
Lee

 

[SWright]

Where do people get samples assayed and how should a sample be prepared before mailing it?

Hare_Twigga

there is no special prep work needed to be undertaken for assays. The labs will prepare the sample for you and it is a systematic technique. Rock chip samples are common and all you need to do is put the samples in a bag and have them well labled. It is not necessarily a cheap process. Let us know where you are located and I can tell you where your nearest assay lab is. They are generally located in most capital cities (except Canberra) and in all regional towns where prospecting or mining activities are.

Araluen

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Hi Lee, The reason I mention other techniques is because I believe there's gold deposits within reach of the amateur prospector that can't be found by the loaming process. Reasons being large amounts of clay capping and covering reefs,float,gravels. Around this area there's a lot of areas that if you go loaming you will only be panning clay with virtually no gravel or sand at all but if you dig 2 or 3 ft down you find float gravel etc. Any ideas about this?

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Thanks Araluen, I'm in Victoria so somewhere in Melbourne would be good! I don't mind spending a few bucks here and there on my hobby and you never know it might pay off. I have read that quartzite can be rich in invisible size gold and the old timers couldn't see it.

 

[Village]

Thanks Araluen, I'm in Victoria so somewhere in Melbourne would be good! I don't mind spending a few bucks here and there on my hobby and you never know it might pay off. I have read that quartzite can be rich in invisible size gold and the old timers couldn't see it.

Well make sure your in a comfortable chair when you get the quote.

 

[Hare_Twigga]

That bad is it!