Diy Small Pan Size Classifier

[Skookum]

Have you ever wished for a smaller classifier that fits your small pan for remote, hiking and sampling purposes?  Here’s something that may work at least until any manufacturer decides that small pans deserve matching classifiers, too.
 

1.  Select a pan that nests inside the one you want to use. 
2.  Download and print a steel perforating template. 
3.  Use some water soluble glue to affix the template to the bottom of your extra pan. 
4.  Once the glue is dry, drill small pilot holes through the center of each circle on the template.  I used a 3/32 inch for the pilot hole.
5. Next, use a larger drill bit to match the size of the holes on your template. I used 5/16 inch holes. Advance the bit carefully so as to not bite to quickly and crack your pan (like I did).
6. Afterwards, soak and rinse off the template and glue. 

The picture below is a 10” black pan nested inside a 10” blue pan.

[rexhavoc]

Genius. The 12" Jobe et al classifiers work great in 5 gallon pails, but leave a nasty scar in any pan large enough to accommodate them. This arrangement will compact nicely for transport as well. You could even nest more of these these, doubling the mesh size until you're in the zone. 

[2Valen]

Great idea as I am tired of using some double layer hardware cloth to do that. The wire always gets bent out of shape and I have on occasion lost a piece of gold because of it.

Thanks again.

[GB_Amateur]

I like your (and everyone else's) ingenuity when it comes to these garage mods.  Having said that, the market isn't devoid of solutions although this one may be a bit small for some applications compared to yours:

https://www.pioneermining.com/cart/stackable_screen

 

[rexhavoc]

I like the nested pan idea for it's compactness; good for quick testing. As for other solutions  when I'm somewhere in between test-panning and highbanking, I made a set of bucket classifiers. Mesh sizes of #1.4, #4, #10, #20. The bottom one in this pic #40 and proves to be impractical out in the field, even though  I opened it up drastically around the sides as well:

 

[Skookum]

Awesome. They look handy. What’s in the bottom of the largest diameter one? Is that a Garrett classifier?

[rexhavoc]

Good eye :) That classifier gave its life for the cause lol.

You want to cut up buckets that are slightly smaller than your typical 5 gallon so they will sit deeper in a 5 gal full of water. I often stack 3 sizes at a time and "jig" them with a shovel or two of bank run in the top. Another tip is you might want to put a small "collar" under the bottom lip of each screen pail so they don't nest tightly into each other.  

[2Valen]

5 hours ago, rexhavoc said:

I made a set of bucket classifiers.

I have a set almost like that also that I made, try to place a slot almost to  the top with a screen so that you can set it in the running water and I think you will like it. I stack 2 or 3 inside the main bucket hold the handle and dunk it into the moving water so that I can shake it back and forth. The smaller gold settles into the bottom of the bucket which I made sure there is 2 inches of depth to hold the gold securely.

Just a thought for you to try. I will try to dig it out and show some pictures.

[kac]

Would these work? Plastic and thinking you could use them so they don't react with your detector or pinpointer.

https://contenti.com/molded-separating-screens

[2Valen]

12 hours ago, kac said:

Would these work?

The last time I used those I had problems with them and decided to make my own. I know mine are not the best looking, but they work for me and my situation when I am running a sluice.

There have been a lot of nice things posted here on this thread.