Swampstomper Al

-- continued:

Two possible solutions / suggestions -- one more along the lines of a johnedoe approach, pre all of Doc's many new matting designs, tried and shown workable; the second following along with delnorter and his usage of doc's new mat designs..

I ended up ripping out that T-mat and going with a conveyor-belt type mat / design, which at that time was extreme as far as traps and/or trapping areas were concerned but with no scientific testing proof-of-concept to back it up.. The one thing I found I needed to do to achieve the best gold recovery was further classification and not running 20+ and larger through due to this matting's depth / shallowness.. It was the disparity of weight between the fine gold and larger black sands together that was causing gold loss both after it had been captured and also due to flowing over already loaded up traps..

The second is basically the use of Doc's new high flow rate matting designs, and/or in delnorter's case the use of Doc's new river sluice and its matting combination / pattern..

The second isn't what you're after though.. I think " a " solution is as simple as no need for the punch plate, a different mat design and further classification due to the black sands volume.. The stacking of screens + dry material = hardly any add'l time in order to get to both a higher capture return and clearing rate..

Swamp
 

NOTE: Posting this reply incomplete to show johnedoe & I are following the same train of thought as far as a possible solution posting time-wise.. Remainder to follow.. Swamp

Question: Is that V-mat or U-mat..? I blew the photo up as large as I could and still can't really tell.. Reason I ask is cos one time I'd ordered some V-mat and what was sent was this extreme U-mat, closer to a T-mat really.. The stuff was basically unusable (at my water-flow rate at least) for exactly the same reason and under the same condition(s) you describe.. No punch plate involved either..
 

I always considered the LeTrap a good Au catcher as designed..
If the gold is as fine as you're indicating however, I can understand the probability of increased
recovery in the form of less loss by having a slick plate plus punch plate over matting prior to the riffles..
What's your initial-testing classification aim-point..?

Swamp
 

On 8/23/2017 at 10:27 AM, MontAmmie said:

...Maybe the new AT Max?
PS.  The Infinium has already paid for itself!  

I think you just name-checked your answer / solution..

I have absolutely no complaints about my AT Pro on the beach; it works great everywhere from the cross-overs to knee-deep surf & beyond (along with working well in parks etc. too..) Based on its proven performance to me, if I didn't already have it I'd get a Max.. Still may, some day..

If I know I'm going to be working wet only I'll use the Infinium.. Ditto everywhere following a major storm thrashing, especially down along the Treasure Coast.. For general beach wanderings these days though, except for add'l depth hits I doubt I've missed very much if anything with the AT at half the weight of the Infinium.. Even when wearing the control box that bad boy gets heavy after a couple hours..

Swamp
 

Looks like a diamond to meee.. Doesn't look all that bad color-wise from here either.. Of course...

Dang, the price of testers sure has come down..! Paid a bit over $100 about 20 years ago for basically the same unit..

Here's the thing about that type of tester though: They're really not designed to work on un-cut stones.. They're designed to measure the refractivity / refractiveness in/of cut stones.. If you watched the vid you'll notice how the LEDs were bouncing back-n-forth along the length of the readout between the red and yellow.. That tester held to a cut diamond would have shot all the way toward the tip and held steady on a green LED.. Held against paste it would have moved maybe one or two notches at most, if at all..

The same holds true with rough (as shown in the vid) but to a much lesser degree, seldom making it to the green yet reacting enough to confirm an ID.. That was about as good a reaction as it gets on uncut rough (actually much faster than on ours, which I'll attribute to newer circuitry -- never have seen "bouncing" that fast before,) with non-diamond barely moving.. They work well enough I'd rather have one than not, especially for under twenty bucks..

* NOTE: Testing of our unit performed at Crater Of Diamonds, including on stones Diamond James would carry with him in a film canister back when he was still alive to hawk to tourists who absolutely couldn't go home empty handed..

Swamp

On 8/2/2017 at 5:40 PM, mn90403 said:

Lu found a pick on one of our outings to Quartzsite.  We are trying to do a little research on it...

Kewl find, Lu..! 

Swamp

11 hours ago, strick said:

If this '42 is a "D", check it for D over horiz D.. $$$s.. 

Swamp

Sometimes it really is more about the count than it is the amount..
I'd say you just proved why the GM1K will easily win this year's:
"I'm-new-to-gold-detecting-which-detector-should-I-get?" award..

Swamp

11 hours ago, strick said:

Very entertaining as usual...and I love his videos....

strick

I like his vids too.. Have watched a bunch of 'em over time.. Funny thing is he initially came to my attention due to one of his coin finds.. He's made a few fairly amazing coin finds -- an '01-S Barber quarter & 1914-D penny both in good enough shape to sell numismatically with the Q bringing nearly six large, gold Stater when he was across the pond a couple years ago.. I find unreadable V nickles lol..

Swamp

4 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

 

Thanks -- that's the answer I needed.. And interestingly, Chuck would have been a focal point in an extended answer/reply if you were, ermmm, diving head-first into going after gold in your state.. Personally I don't see how anyone can possibly hope for any sort of decent recovery there without inclusion of a HydroForce nossle on-board..

Swamp

On 8/1/2017 at 7:46 PM, GB_Amateur said:

Thanks to all of you for your help and advice.  I should have known this but based upon what you've said and linked, I realize that there aren't simple answers here as far as which classifiers are best.  Similar to detecting, it depends upon your intended targets, your ground, and especially on the nature of the treasure in your location.  I go forward with new appreciation.  As usual, if it were easy it wouldn't be worth doing.

Late to the thread I am, GB_A.. Before I dive in though, and/or to what extent, I need to know a couple of things -- welll, one for sure: Have you already committed to yourself about going after Indiana gold, or are you in the investigative stage still trying to determine if doing so is worth your time, effort and additional monitary investment..?

While there is Au in Indiana, due to its typical sizing along with most of your bedrock's type/nature, the gold there isn't the easiest to recover.. Ergo, if you're wanting to do some placer-type recovery while starting from scratch equipment-wise it's fairly easy to drop a couple - few hundred and still not even have all the unpowered basics much less any situation-specific specialty harvesting tools/aids..

As long as those early $$s have been figured into the start-up budget, there is no problem.. Some people get taken by surprise though.. I don't figure you as one to get caught out like that.. But you are talking classifiers, which tend to be leading..

So yeah, I am curious as to where your head is with this possible addition...

Swamp

X2 on the above posts.. Your general location could prove helpful also.. The possibility of coins being a better secondary objective, as well as detector recommendations, exists -- dependent on where one calls home..

Swamp

Nice finds.. Good start to a new site too..
There is glacial gold to be found in Indiana..

Swamp

pdf2jpeg dot net is presently a domain name for sale only..
Merely mentioning...

Swamp

On 7/28/2017 at 3:49 AM, madtuna said:

...dug out all signals to down passed detector depth and filled back in and made it look like natural ground...

Smartest. Move. Ever!

I know you say you're far off any sort of beaten path and away from prying eyes, but doing backfill-and-grooming as you go along given total area, amount present and timetable for removal just makes good solid sense to me..
Anyone else picking up a Lost Dutchman's Mine kinda vibe from this..?

Swamp

16 hours ago, Rod K said:

Anyone know...

Believe it or not, check vape shops (or their suppliers..)

Don't really recall seeing any 1.8 AAs with bigtime mah tho, so thinking, still for the moment at least, it's reidman's -- or now too CAGH build..

Swamp

Nice score for you & big up's @ Whites too..!

Couple more years n you'll be able to put Antique plates on the GM2 if you want,
but then you'll only be allowed to detect like 5K miles a year with it or somethin'..? 

Swamp

Very nice hard-won score, Lunk..!

My thought exactly, Mitchel.. Well water-worn..

Swamp

On 7/24/2017 at 10:27 AM, mn90403 said:

...That is interesting ground you were hunting...

Something we'll never know but I'd love to see the cabbing slices.. Both directions..
Major points for gifting to your lady too, btw..

Swamp

Nice finds and super-nice find re the hanger, Clark..! I'm certain your wife will love it..
It's great when ya find a nug that has "wear me" stamped right on it..!

Swamp

PS: Don't get discouraged in your search for a new patch.. A read of Steve's
most recent post on the subject is all the confirmation one needs..

Y'all don't recognize Mitchel when ya see him..? Sheeessshhhhh...     

Swamp

16 hours ago, Mark Gillespie said:

Several years ago I counted the pull tabs dug compared to the gold rings and the number was around 100 to 1. 

You are extremely fortunate, Mark.. Around here I'd say it's easily over 500 to 1 (including bottle caps) for silver anything much less gold rings, which is in the four-figure ratio, possibly beginning with a " 2 "..

One would think especially on the beaches Au would be popping all the time.. But it hasn't been, especially in recent years.. Closest beaches to me are what I call "working man" beaches.. Tungsten and the like far outweigh gold rings these days, and junk jewelry far outweighs silver..

Swamp

Nice..! Hopefully that's the Au jewelry ice breaker for all of us..

Swamp

20 hours ago, MontAmmie said:

Al. your mono coils want to come hang out at the beach all day with me and my Infinium. 

I never got a mono.. For down here beachin' I didn't see the necessity.. There have been times I wish I had one, but truth be told that's mostly only after the power coil starts getting heavy..

If living in a different part of the country though...

Swamp

14 hours ago, rod-pa said:

 

I fashion my coin picks from wood(s).. Constantly re-sharpening, but that's the price one pays for no scratches.. There are some hardwoods I believe would work well but have never tried because they are expensive to the point there is never any scrap; all unusable bits get turned into slivers, chips, coarse and fine sawdust to be used as filler..

A product I've found that works great (and fast) as far as removing between-the-numbers-and-letters crud from having been in circulation (not out of the ground) wheat & memorial 'copper' pennies only without creating other problems or rectifying other situations is Goo Gone Xtreme.. Can't see why it wouldn't work just as well on Indian Heads.. Have no idea how it works on / reacts with other coin types.. Do they even still mfg this solvent though..? Rinse in distilled demineralized water..

Presently have no hands-free magnification setup.. If I need to be futzing with a coin under magnification I find those that attach to eyewear or using a visor-type to be better suited.. They allow for quicker more nimble motion in non extended-time (multi-day) situations..

Swamp

EDIT: It should be noted that if I'm going to be picking dirt out of letters, numbers etc., before doing so I lift some oil from around my nose or forehead, rub it 'into' the coin then let sit a couple days.. It's amazing how well this both loosens the dirt and causes it to clump, thereby eliminating possible scratching that could be caused by sands and other solids in the dirt proper if worked at while dry..