Testing Highbanker tailings for gold loss!

I don't normally double post, but I think this one needs it!

Seems the forums are becoming more and more commercial! I don't mind people advertising but when they come out with cr@p to sell a product it pis#es me off!

So I'l just say this simply.
When your testing your tailings for loss, Don't shove a gold pan at the end, and expect to find any bad results!
If all the obstructions in your sluice couldn't stop the gold, why would you possibly think a gold pan in a major mass of sh#t at the end of your sluice can do any better, It can't!

The only way to get any worthwhile results is to sample pan by taking a shovel full of wash directly from the tailings at the end of your sluice outlet, then pan it out! you may think it's the same thing but it ain't, sand don't have a nice smooth bottom it don't repel water and it's completely porous, so gold won't travel it will sink!

Like I said on a different forum, different areas, different sized/shaped gold, require a check of your tailings every so often, once your set up and happy with the way things are running, every hour after that is a basic check time for me., to use a pan at the end, is like using a sieve, worthless!
If your finding any quantity of gold in your tailings, there's 4 possibility's for the problem, too much angle, too much water, too much material being fed too quick, dodgy design!

G'day someday!

I've just purchased a small high banker which has not as yet arrived. However, it is designed to also be used as a recirculating system. So do I understand you correctly here? I would then be best off using my end catch bucket to finally do a panning run? ,,, thus requiring me to utilize 2 catch buckets ... to then alternate the buckets in order to continue my 'mini sluice' whilst I am checking my tailings?

Crikies Kate, that just confused the bergeevers outu me

Hard call when your recirculating, nevu done it!
The idea is to take a sample after a dozen or so shovel full's through the sluice, any loss, do some tweeken!
Re-check, re-check in the same order, then your good for an hour or so of full bore shovelen, before you'l take another test sample!

The fact that your tailings aren't goin anywhere, a scoop from the depths should suffice for a test pan!
The other way would be to chuck a gram of gold in your dirt, then run it through your sluice, if you end up with 3 grams after a clean up, your on a good spot

You'l need some way of knowing the angle of your sluice so you can replicate for next time, same for water flow if there's a tap involved!

Good luck

Cheers
Chris.

Thanks Chris ... very much appreciated.

Got to agree with someday, a pan will only give you an indication that your banker is shedding gold. I run a river sluice at times on the end of my banker. This gives me a better idea of just how much gold loss i have if any. D.

I agree with Chris. Plonking a pan under the end will not do. Your way is the best & that's how I do it.

someday wrote:So I'l just say this simply.When your testing your tailings for loss, Don't shove a gold pan at the end, and expect to find any bad results!
If all the obstructions in your sluice couldn't stop the gold, why would you possibly think a gold pan in a major mass of sh#t at the end of your sluice can do any better, It can't!

Correct a river sluice is the way to do it.
Whiskers