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Remote Prospecting?
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Jim_Alaska
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Re: Remote Prospecting?
Good post Chuck, and right on the money (excuse the pun)
The only thing I can think of to add is that the method of flotation you outlined is valid and useful, but it may only be useful in relation to quantity. In other words, you need a fairly large operation to take advantage of floatation methods. Most small scale miners don't have enough micron gold to even worry about, especially placer miners. Hardrock is where floatation shines, and even then the hardrock will probably be mostly rock interspersed with the micron gold trapped within it.
It's still a good post and thanks for it, it reminded me of my limited hardrock experiences, working for a guy that had no clue about micron gold recovery. He knew it all, but in the practical realm couldn't make it work. He had more gold in his discharge water pond than he recovered and I had to prove it to him. Even then he couldn't be convinced that the way he was doing it just didn't work. He even had floatation equipment bought and sitting unused because he was convinced that gravity separation would work, which it didn't. It was frustrating to be on the working end of a situation like that.
The only thing I can think of to add is that the method of flotation you outlined is valid and useful, but it may only be useful in relation to quantity. In other words, you need a fairly large operation to take advantage of floatation methods. Most small scale miners don't have enough micron gold to even worry about, especially placer miners. Hardrock is where floatation shines, and even then the hardrock will probably be mostly rock interspersed with the micron gold trapped within it.
It's still a good post and thanks for it, it reminded me of my limited hardrock experiences, working for a guy that had no clue about micron gold recovery. He knew it all, but in the practical realm couldn't make it work. He had more gold in his discharge water pond than he recovered and I had to prove it to him. Even then he couldn't be convinced that the way he was doing it just didn't work. He even had floatation equipment bought and sitting unused because he was convinced that gravity separation would work, which it didn't. It was frustrating to be on the working end of a situation like that.
Jim_Alaska
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