|
|
Post by rolley on Mar 12, 2013 14:33:29 GMT 10
Hey peeps, Does anyone use a sluice box for gemstones? I've got one I use when I go looking for gold, but I'm heading to the gemfields (Rubyvale/Sapphire Qld) in a few weeks and I'd like to try it out.. never looked for gems before, ever! I think you can use the sluice though right? Anyone found it to be a good tool? Need to change it at all when going from gold to gems, as in should I just use the same matting and mesh and riffles and all the same principles?  excited! R! |
|
|
|
Post by hunting the yellow on Mar 12, 2013 23:41:59 GMT 10
hi m8 i think it would work really well but just incase it dosen't do you have sives so you can sive out the gems
p.s sapphires will be where you find gold behind big boulders in creeks and behind old logss in the creek
|
|
|
|
Post by rolley on Mar 14, 2013 9:35:26 GMT 10
OHHHh thanks mate, okay, I'm getting a bit excited now and my kids are super keen for our trip! I hope we find something! I'll take the sluice, and I'll buy a couple more sieves of different screen sizes hehe I'll repost after Easter with results and pics!  |
|
|
|
Post by razorback on Mar 16, 2013 9:58:07 GMT 10
A couple of the creeks I work have both fine gold and sapphires. Basically I put a set of classifying trays at both ends of the sluice (goldhog mini)and clean em out as they fill. Works pretty well.
|
|
|
|
Post by Flying Scott on Mar 16, 2013 22:16:31 GMT 10
rolley!
when at Rubyvale / sapphire, you will find there isn't enough water for slucing, you need to have a few 60 ltr drums and take the water with you to where you will be working, there used to be water tanks where you could get the water from last time I was there. Few years ago now.
ask the locals where the professional were open cut mining.
the land on the right side of the road between sapphire and rubyvale has been open mined and re vegetated, you would never know it has been touched.
I suggest you use a dry tumbler, then wash what you get there, or just sieve and wash your concentrate
water is scarce up there.
you need special license to operate a mechanical device to find gemstones. best to check that at Emerald before you go to the gem fields.
Flying Scott
|
|
|
|
Post by donnybrook on Mar 16, 2013 23:37:58 GMT 10
Rolley, One of the machines used is a Willoughby. I have only ever seen one of these. Its a home made device using sieves and a rubber tube which pulsates up and down like a wet jigger. Try and find Australian Gem Fossicking under google where a reference is made to this device and how to build one. I don't believe they have commercially made ones. Hope it helps donny
|
|
|
|
Post by rolley on Mar 17, 2013 21:20:21 GMT 10
Now we're talking! Thanks for the awesome advice Scott, Donny, Razor, Simon. Scott you know the area well.. here I am all naive thinking it'd be little flowing creeks everywhere, how wrong was I.. Mum has been heaps and loves the place, filled me in all about it on the weekend and said much the same as what you told me here. It's a dry parched landscape out there huh!? haha. I was thinking of going to Graves Hill, have you been to that area? The best I'll probably be able to do, and this is pretty lame.. is take a couple of 25L buckets with water in one of them.. I won't have room for any more and even that might be too much - see I'll have all three kids plus a car full of camping gear with me HAHA. I hope that I can pour water from one bucket to the next with a whole set of sieves at the top (or maybe just 2, a 1/4" one and a 1/8" one).. I'm talking mega basic here. Ya catch my drift though? Like a poor mans (how true this is haha) set up.. one bucket of water, just keep tipping it in to the empty bucket and swap the screens, till all the fines are in a bucket of dirty water (which I can drain and bring home to check for any gold by panning), and hopefully any gems will be in one of the tier'd sieves. HOWZAT!!!?? |
|
|
|
Post by rolley on Mar 17, 2013 21:21:53 GMT 10
ohhhh, and Donny, I can't rig up any machinery I'm heading out within a fortnight haha, gotta work too much over the next week and a half sounds cooooool though Definitely can't afford any machinery like dry blowers either. Simple old cheap means for me, hope I find something, at least for the kid's sake cuz they're excited.. :/ hah |
|
|
|
Post by donnybrook on Mar 18, 2013 15:33:50 GMT 10
Rolley, yes the Willoughby is a good device. You do need water. My mate up at Emerald and Sapphire had to cart water. He set it up over some large drums. What it basically does is jig the heavies to the bottom (gemstones etc.) You then turn the sieve upside down on a sheet or board if you think you have gone far enough to put all to the bottom and pick out the gems. Did not know how set up you were or how far you would go. Keep it in mind. Enjoy the time away with your family.
donny
|
|
|
|
Post by rolley on Apr 2, 2013 9:55:40 GMT 10
Hey everyone Had a nice day out, in the dry heat of the Qld gemfields haha! Definitely no water as Scott said, the place is as dry as a ..? hehe.. I didn't even bother taking the sluice, and I found that my sieves and gold pans and stuff weren't really ideal for the task.. carting in water was a bit difficult.. and my sons got sick of it after a few hours which is to be expected haha! Anyway, all I found were four tiny Zircon.. HAHA, what should I do with them? The funny thing is I wasn't sure what they were, there were heaps this size and I just started ignoring them incase they were worn glass/quartz or something. hehe. Failure! I'd like to head out that way again sometime, and have a proper go. Wanna find me a handful of pretty greens and blues!!!    |
|
exhail
Panner
chassing the gold out west from Townsville.
Posts: 24
|
Post by exhail on Jan 27, 2014 1:15:50 GMT 10
You should be able to hire all the gear you need at the Rubyvail and area and you can get water in town as well I have been down there a bit and a Willoughby and a double screened classifying through screen is the way to go. by using the through screen it will allow you to process 3 - 4 times the amount of dirt than by just hand sieving.
|
|
|
|
Post by nitrophoskablue on Feb 1, 2014 9:18:31 GMT 10
well if you watch gold rush I think they use to get gold and diamonds .gems are fairly heavy they should get trapped b 4 sand.
|
|
|
|
Post by Flying Scott on Feb 1, 2014 20:52:14 GMT 10
Hi, I have also fossicked for gemstones at Rubyvale and Sapphire.
I am too old and my sight isn't what it used to be, I very much doubt if I will ever do any more fossicking.
When I was active in fossicking I made myself a trommel, a very gaged down version of what they use in sand quarries.
I used it extensively in the QLD. gem fields and at mud tanks in NT. I could process 10 times more material than the guys with the traditional sives or williby I still have the device it is hand operated, but can be driven by a small electric motor such as a heavy duty 12 volt windscreen wiper motor, but one needs a licence to operate a mechanical device on the Gemfields, As I have no more use for the trommel I wouldn't hesitate selling if someone came knocking on my door.
Flying Scott
|
|
|
|
Post by Flying Scott on Feb 1, 2014 21:15:57 GMT 10
Further to my last post. I have used a sluce at Aget creek central north QLD. BUT it would be a miracle if you get there to find enough water to run a sluce. In the QLD gemfields water is as scarce as hens teeth, you can buy water at Sapphire. last time I was there water was 10 cents to fill a 44 gallon drum.
Most of the land arround sapphire has been open cut mined by huge machines and re landscaped. You would never know, but you can still pick up the odd gem that was missed.
Flying Scott
|
|
