New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

Finally doing my 1st trip

newgoldy		Posted : Sunday, 1 February 2015 8:10:02 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 1/02/2015(UTC) Posts: 1 Location: christchurch		Long time gold show enthusiast, so now me and my partner have finally planned a little trip over to Hokotika for the long weekend. Gold pans sorted as well as a small sluice. Was wondering if anyone had any tips as this is our first outing hunting down some flickers of gold :)

Jacko		Posted : Sunday, 1 February 2015 11:51:37 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 18/01/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Cromwell Thanks: 38 times Was thanked: 7 time(s) in 4 post(s)		Dont be afraid to do some spade work :D haha, also, take buckets, im a novice, but have found taking buckets from good spots to the sluice, and sitting beside my sluice with a beer and casually using a trowel (i jsut have a wee sluice) to feed it, works well, abit of digging, then some "relax" work, quiet therapeutic. And with 2 of you if you have a couple good size buckets (make sure u can carry them when filled up some tho!) you can alternate the digging/crevicing job with the sluice feeder job, makes it nice and easy on the body :) Just what i've worked out as a rookie haaha (only been out about 5 times now :D) but it didnt take me long to work out a few easier tricks! Cheers, Vin

Darren		Posted : Monday, 2 February 2015 6:15:34 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 6/01/2014(UTC) Posts: 24 Location: Blenheim Thanks: 28 times Was thanked: 40 time(s) in 19 post(s)		Originally Posted by: newgoldy Long time gold show enthusiast, so now me and my partner have finally planned a little trip over to Hokotika for the long weekend. Gold pans sorted as well as a small sluice. Was wondering if anyone had any tips as this is our first outing hunting down some flickers of gold :) Leave the pans at home and take a couple of buckets and a number 2 mesh, or number 4 mesh classifier, a spade (round, not a square shovel), and a small scoop for feeding the sluice. When picking a place to dig, where the valley is narrow is better then where it is wide, inside bends are better than outside bends, the bottom of rapids are better than the top of rapids. Don't be afraid to dig deep, you should periodically see gold as you feed your sluice, especially if it has a black v-rib mat leading into it (like keene's and others do), gold is heavy so as the light pulverised quartz and schist sands are blown away by the water flow the gold will stand fast. Keep digging deeper until you hit bedrock, then widen the hole. When you have had enough sun and sandfly bites, and your back feels like it will never be the same, clean your sluice into one of the buckets and take that 'concentrate' home, I like to pan in a big fish bin in warm water with a squirt of soap to break the surface tension. Any gold that may make its way out of your pan sits safely in the bottom of the fishbin, with the rest of the 'concentrate', which after I have finished I dry out over the next few nights which makes it easier to classify it down to number 20 mesh and have another quick pan usually picking up another couple of few missed fines and a bit of flour.

kiwijw		Posted : Monday, 2 February 2015 8:03:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Darren Originally Posted by: newgoldy Long time gold show enthusiast, so now me and my partner have finally planned a little trip over to Hokotika for the long weekend. Gold pans sorted as well as a small sluice. Was wondering if anyone had any tips as this is our first outing hunting down some flickers of gold :) Leave the pans at home and take a couple of buckets and a number 2 mesh, or number 4 mesh classifier, a spade (round, not a square shovel), and a small scoop for feeding the sluice. When picking a place to dig, where the valley is narrow is better then where it is wide, inside bends are better than outside bends, the bottom of rapids are better than the top of rapids. Don't be afraid to dig deep, you should periodically see gold as you feed your sluice, especially if it has a black v-rib mat leading into it (like keene's and others do), gold is heavy so as the light pulverised quartz and schist sands are blown away by the water flow the gold will stand fast. Keep digging deeper until you hit bedrock, then widen the hole. When you have had enough sun and sandfly bites, and your back feels like it will never be the same, clean your sluice into one of the buckets and take that 'concentrate' home, I like to pan in a big fish bin in warm water with a squirt of soap to break the surface tension. Any gold that may make its way out of your pan sits safely in the bottom of the fishbin, with the rest of the 'concentrate', which after I have finished I dry out over the next few nights which makes it easier to classify it down to number 20 mesh and have another quick pan usually picking up another couple of few missed fines and a bit of flour. Just to continue on from what Darren has told you. Still take a gold pan as I know you will want to clean up your concentrates there & then to see what you have won. To add a bit more about buckets......make yourself a sieve bucket as opposed to classifier screens. This way you will be taking a bucket load of more concentrated material to put down your sluice box & it wont have any big stones or rocks in it taking up valuable or wasted space & un-neccesary carrying of heavy shit that you are just going to chuck out any way. So may as well just cart more gold bering material to your box. Also the smaller material will go down your box a lot easier & you wont have to be raking out the bigger rocks & stones. The box will run better & more efficent. You wont need a great velocity of water going down the box as there will be no big stones to wash on through & so with a gentler flow you will get a much better fine gold recovery instead of blowing the finer gold right through & out the box with the bigger stones if you have a faster more aggresive water flow. I will let the photo's do the talking. Gold showing in the ribbed rubber mat at the head of the sluice box Clean up time Good luck out there JW :)

Jacko		Posted : Monday, 2 February 2015 8:46:43 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 18/01/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Cromwell Thanks: 38 times Was thanked: 7 time(s) in 4 post(s)		drool haha

newgoldy		Posted : Tuesday, 3 February 2015 7:22:06 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 1/02/2015(UTC) Posts: 1 Location: christchurch		Thanks for all the replies guys :) Really looking forward to this weekend !

5AMP		Posted : Tuesday, 3 February 2015 8:29:10 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 3/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 57 Location: wellington Thanks: 105 times Was thanked: 16 time(s) in 11 post(s)		Interesting photos and I like the look of your classifier bucket JW. I was watching the latest episode (15) of Gold rush and noticed Dave Turin sample testing a hole with a pan but he was also using a classifier above the pan. What is the advantage of using a classifier with a pan? All the large stuff is going out with the first few shakes even if there is no classification and with something like a garret super sluice pan you are not likely to lose gold.

Golddigger7		Posted : Tuesday, 3 February 2015 10:08:13 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 6/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 252 Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 46 time(s) in 35 post(s)		Nice Otago colours ur wearing and got in ur pan JW :-)

kiwijw		Posted : Tuesday, 3 February 2015 6:31:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: 5AMP Interesting photos and I like the look of your classifier bucket JW. I was watching the latest episode (15) of Gold rush and noticed Dave Turin sample testing a hole with a pan but he was also using a classifier above the pan. What is the advantage of using a classifier with a pan? All the large stuff is going out with the first few shakes even if there is no classification and with something like a garret super sluice pan you are not likely to lose gold. Hi there 5amp, Thanks mate. Pretty easy to make. Just get yourself a 10 litre paint bucket & sit in front of tv one night & drill a serious of 10mm holes all over the bottom & about 100mm up the sides. Works a treat. When shoveling material in to it dont put too much in at a time or it becomes a bit difficult to sieve & shake & rotate about & you will end up btreaking the bucket handle. Rule of thumb for me is about one shovel full at a time to classify. You need two buckets of course, the one you are classifying into that you carry to your sluice box. Just fill that bucket up with water, drop the classifyer bucket in to that one. Put in you shovel of material then as you rotate & shake the classifyer bucket slowly lift it & the water will pull through the material & holes in the classifyer bucket & help in the process. Here are few more pics I too use the Garrett Super sluice gold pan. Damb good pan. Also good for dry panning Even with a classifier over a pan you are still going to get more concentrated material in that one pan for sampling. Like Dave was doing. It may come down to the difference of that one classified pan being equivalent to 3 pans full of unclassified material. So instead of panning off three pans of material you are just doing the one for the same result of any gold present. You are getting rid of the bigger stones & rocks that are just taking up valuable space in your pan. So that space may as well be taken up with as much gold bearing concentrated material than worthless stones & rocks that you are just going to chuck away. Just the same as classifying with a sieve bucket to feed your sluice box. Quality of material as opposed to quantity. Also comes down to time & effort & the old numbers game. Why put 500 buckets of material down your box when you can classify it & put down just 100, & with a more gentle flow of water & get a better fine gold recovery. G'day Dave....good old Otago....blue & gold. Hey....you never got back to me with a % deal for me to play in your claim. :) Good luck out there JW :)

Golddigger7		Posted : Tuesday, 3 February 2015 7:04:59 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 6/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 252 Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 46 time(s) in 35 post(s)		LOL John, I was in Austria at the time and didnt want people to know the three bears were out and playing, now I'm back of course, so open to persuasion and bribery :-)

kiwijw		Posted : Wednesday, 4 February 2015 9:43:07 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Golddigger7 LOL John, I was in Austria at the time and didnt want people to know the three bears were out and playing, now I'm back of course, so open to persuasion and bribery :-) Austria!!!!.....You must be missing the snow & cold. LOL :) Welcome back. MMMmmm...persuasion & bribery....that can be arranged. I will give you a call. :) Cheers JW :)

Jacko		Posted : Wednesday, 4 February 2015 9:57:35 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 18/01/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Cromwell Thanks: 38 times Was thanked: 7 time(s) in 4 post(s)		Ive got myself a nice wee bucket from MEGA and i classify all my stuff through and into that, it came as a wee package from DANIDOR ( a good source of gear for new and interested people btw) with pan/classifyer/sniffer bottle. havent sniffed out anything worth while just yet, but i do have a bit of very fine (id assume flood gold) that i've sourced. Sometimes i fill my buckets up and take them back to camp to process through my wee sluice whilst enjoying some music and beer :D FINALLY managed to get a picture on there haha, this is back at camp sorting out my classified material. :) Edited by user Wednesday, 4 February 2015 10:07:21 AM(UTC) \| Reason: picture added FINALLY File Attachment(s): Smaller...jpg

5AMP		Posted : Wednesday, 11 February 2015 4:35:38 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 3/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 57 Location: wellington Thanks: 105 times Was thanked: 16 time(s) in 11 post(s)		Thanks JW for excellent explanations and illustrations re classifiers etc- you are always a "mine" of information

newgoldy		Posted : Wednesday, 11 February 2015 4:50:03 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 1/02/2015(UTC) Posts: 1 Location: christchurch		Well had a lot of fun on my first prospecting trip ! Spent 2 afternoons at Goldsborough, and one afternoon at Ross. Got one nice flake and a nice collection of specs, now I have the bug !!!!! Will upload a spic once I have cleaned out the blacksand from the gold. Planning next trip to Greymouth as I would like to check out Moonlight Creek.

nafcd		Posted : Wednesday, 11 February 2015 8:48:41 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 276 Location: ashburton Thanks: 8 times Was thanked: 46 time(s) in 34 post(s)		i went to Goldsborough last weekend. surprised you found anywhere to pan. lol. it was packed when I called in. how did you go at ross. been there a few times but got bugga all. I hope to get to moonlight soon to. at least before winter sets in.

kiwijw		Posted : Thursday, 12 February 2015 6:40:40 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Jacko Ive got myself a nice wee bucket from MEGA and i classify all my stuff through and into that, it came as a wee package from DANIDOR ( a good source of gear for new and interested people btw) with pan/classifyer/sniffer bottle. havent sniffed out anything worth while just yet, but i do have a bit of very fine (id assume flood gold) that i've sourced. Sometimes i fill my buckets up and take them back to camp to process through my wee sluice whilst enjoying some music and beer :D FINALLY managed to get a picture on there haha, this is back at camp sorting out my classified material. :) Hi there Jacko.....just looking at your pic.....your lawns could do with a mow. :) Looking also at your wee set up there....your sluice box is way too steep. Rule of thumb is 1" (25mm) fall of box for every 12" (300mm) length of box. I didnt notice any pics of what you recovered. :) Good luck out there JW :)

kiwijw		Posted : Thursday, 12 February 2015 6:45:03 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: 5AMP Thanks JW for excellent explanations and illustrations re classifiers etc- you are always a "mine" of information Hi there 5AMP, You are welcome & thanks. It is surprising what you learn & pick up on over the years. Things dont need to be costly or complicated. Just keep it simple. The gold wont know any different. :) Good luck out there JW :)

Jacko		Posted : Thursday, 12 February 2015 7:03:42 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 18/01/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Cromwell Thanks: 38 times Was thanked: 7 time(s) in 4 post(s)		I had to have a slighly steeper setup due to low water pressure. :) from what ii've read fall is directly proportional to your waterflow :) and I did get a couple of wee specks from it. My fone was flat wwhen I got them so no pic:/ its just at the camping ground haha not my lawns to mow!! Cheers Vin