Randy's Cons Panning Recommendations

Hey Gold Adventurers...

FWIW, I normally recommend panners, when panning out cons:

1).  Screen cons into 3 separate sizes and pan each size separately for best gold recovery.  I personally use a 1/8th inch and 20 mesh set of screens.  Always quickly re-pan the smallest size at least once...

2).  Always pan small amounts of cons at one time for the best recovery.  Less really is "more".  With mixed gravel/black sand cons I do 1/4 cup or less at a time.  With mostly pure black sand cons 1 tablespoon at a time.

3).  Always have a good "glug" of Jet Dry rinse aid in your panning water to break the surface tension of the water and prevent very fine gold float & loss.  Tiny flat flakes, especially below 30 mesh can and will float, especially on hard water....get lost.

4).  Never throw away your old "panned out" cons.  Save them in the garage in a 5-gal plastic bucket for the day you can run them thru a Gold Cube (or other good fine gold recovery tool)....you'll be surprised the "extra" gold you might get back...

5).  I really scratch the sides (but not the bottom anymore) of my plastic 10 inch finishing pan with really coarse sandpaper, like 30-grit or 40-grit, to create a nice "crosshatch" pattern of scratches for the tiny/fine gold to "grab" onto and not wash out. Make it fuzzy even.  Won't ruin your pan.

I attached 4 older pics of my sanded in scratches FYI.  Ignore the scratches on the bottom of the pan.  I DON'T do that anymore as it makes it harder during "backwash & tap" than it needs to be.  A smooth bottom works best.






6).  I personally love the 10 inch Garrett's gravity Trap finishing pan, not for the traps, never use the things, BUT for the very small bottom and very LONG sides.  It's the long sides that let you get the finest gold with the right panning technique:

http://www.garrett.com/hobbysite/1650100_10in_backpacker_en.aspx

7).  I recommend the "backwash & tap" panning method, all the time, but especially for getting fine gold up & out of heavy black sand cons:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cbiiohp5bQ

When you're down to the very last bit of black sand & gold, hold the material in the pan now 180 degrees out/away from you, raise the pan nose high about 15 degrees where the black sand/gold is at, start a very slow and controlled straight up and back washing (NOT a fanning or swirling motion with the water) and simultaneously "Tap"....sometime real hard, on the edge of the pan towards you, where the black sand/gold's at as you back wash off the black sand.  This "tapping" motion drives the gold down thru the black sand and the up to the "smile" or rim of the pan.

8.  Have a snuffer bottle, suck up all your gold, use a magnet ONLY at the very, very last cleanup.  A magnet can "clump" up too much magnetite & hematite and take fine gold with it AND some gold still has enough host rock/iron attached that it will pull up with a strong rare earth magnet.

9).  Having a good panning tub "setup" REALLY helps!  I have a adjustable bright light, pan indoors, can stand up and not squat down.  Makes ALL the difference in comfort, enjoyment & recovery!

https://c17a.forumotion.com/t6-randy-s-indoor-panning-setup

HTH...

Cheers,

Randy Witham  "C-17A"         www.goldadventures.biz        Buena Vista, Colorado