Pans

[danielkrupski]

Hi everyone. Looking to buy a pan and classifier. What's the best one to get for a beginner. Thanks

[bazron]

hey i got my first pans on eBay for a about $30 something like this

www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-Pack-Blue-Gold-Panning-Pans-10-and-14-Gold-Pan-Gold-Nuggets-Sleucing-/150782885618?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231b5c3ef2

[jeffu]

Hi Daniel.

Depends entirely who you talk to. Everyone has their own personal favorite.
I have 3 types, all are good, easiest to use is the Garret Super Sluice pan, you have to be doing something very wrong to throw gold out of it.
My favorite pan is an old rusty steel one that I have had for 40 years, it has a single groove just below the lip. Using one like that will certainly encourage you to be very careful, in the hands of an in-experienced panner it's not difficult lose your gold.
Jeff

[elbowgrease]

I got a couple of plastic 14" pans and a 10" pan from my local Lyall Eales store cost about $12 each for the bigger ones and $9 for the small one.

I bought my classifiers from Aussie Disposals $45 for a twin set which has a 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch sieve which is by far the cheapest I've found.

One bit of advice that most people will probably agree on is use plastic pans. I don't think many people are using metal pans these days as they are a lot heavier and over time will rust. Most metal pans also tend to only have 1 riffle where as plastic pans tend to have 3 or more.

[AG MAN]

+1 for Aussie disposals.

I got my twin set of classifiers(5mm square holes & 2mm square holes in mine), one large black plastic pan & one small one from Aussies too.
The other day I got a large metal pan from there aswell.

The black pans do the job. Although I tried a Garrett pan recently & they're are much quicker to use, so will be investing in one of them.

Metal pans can be used to dry off your black sands over a fire & also the metal pans have a nice big bottom. I was told "big bottoms are the best"
for panning off the finest of your concentrates.

As for rust - dry them after use & a bit of surface rust isn't going to affect it at all - apparently it can be helpful to have some anyhow...

[bonza]

everyone has their preferences, but I much prefer a large 16" steel pan. I have three of them and they tend to last for a few years with lots of use.

whats important is that the groove that's located about 1" below the lip is deep and sharp. I have a pan I bought from sovereign hill and it is the worse pan I have ever had. the groove is shallow, so if you swirl a bit too quick the gold just spins out without getting caught in the groove and it is made from too light a gauge steel; just for show to sell to tourists

the best pan I have bought from an army disposals, good heavier gauge and a deep sharp groove that has caught many specks and pieces size of a match head when I have swirled too quick. the other pan is from southern cross metal spinners, good heavy gauge metal and the groove is deep but not sharp enough and therefore useless

so with my three pans. the one with the deep sharp groove I can pan a lot of dirt very efficiently and quickly, whereas the other two I have to pan a lot slower resulting in less dirt processed otherwise risk losing specks

when I buy a new pan, first thing is to burn them with kero or something similar in order to remove all traces of protective grease and to blacken and blue the pan. then leave it exposed to the elements so it becomes slightly pitted and roughend. rough it up with rocks and pebbles during use to also scour up the surface and this helps the specks of gold become caught on the pan surface. a new pan is smooth, you need the surface to be rough

[backcreek]

Hi Daniel,
Have a look at the following thread, you can easily build a nest of classifiers with minimal tools at minimal cost like these.
alluvialgprospectors.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=eqipmake&action=display&thread=3222

Cheers
Mick

[Djpearson]

Hi Daniel,

order yourself a "Garrett Deluxe Panning kit" its got:
1 x 10" cleanup pan w/ 3x riffles
1 x 14" pro pan with 3x riffles and a 4th indented bottom section that is great as an extra riffle.
1 x 15" garrett Super Sluice pan, 2x Very deep riffles and nice outer ledges for hand grips.
1 x 15" classifier, at 1/2 inch
1 x snuffer bottle
2 x vials
& some assorted books & guides & a dvd.
i bought mine for about $100, but i've since seen them on AUS web stores for about $85

add to all this:
a few 20l buckets, for collection, classification and bringing home paydirt. $8-9 @ bunnings
garden hand tools, i got a pointed hand shovel & a cupped one for about $2.50 each at bunnings
rounded blade shovel, not straight blade, helps to get through & around rocks in creeks - $20 @ bunnings
a 20mesh classifier, otherwise known as a pasta strainer, i got one at the $2 shop about 13" - VERY handy if your in a fine gold area, saves you having to pan gravel, a half days work at the creek for me gets me about 3-4 inches of just classified sands, that i take home to pan. always check your strainer though...

Other bits n pieces your gonna collect along the way, pry bars, chisels, crevacing tools, pliers & allsorts of tools.

then, keep an eye on the forums for ideas to suit your sytle & location, armchair prospect on youtube, i've built a siphon cup i saw on youtube last week, cost about $8 to make.

cheers n goodluck! - Another Daniel.

[aushunter]

Hey fellas,
I certainly like the Garret Super Sluice pans, as previously stated, it is hard to loose any gold with that baby, just got 2 from the states @$40 in total, too scared to use them, soo nice and clean,untouched and smooth, not Gunnar get any gold in that state.
And the old metal pans seem to hold out pretty well but a bit more skill involve in getting gold, can lose a bit if not careful.
As DJ suggested check out fleabay.
Cheers and HH
Brad.....

[someday]

I'l third the Garret Super Sluice gold pan
Originally bought it for clean ups, now it's the main pan man ;D
Takes a bit of getten use to with those huge riffles! well worth the effort

Cheers
Chris.

[fingermark]

I saw the "Gold Rush Pro" pan on the net and decided to buy one. There is a 'how to use' video on USProspector.com I put a tub of water in the backyard and I have to admit it took some time and practice to learn to the stage where I was reclaiming all the tiny lead pieces I put in the wash. I tried it out in the river and it gets the yellow stuff also. I find it's pretty fast. I also have a Garret super sluice which is excellent. I use both pans and the only drawback on the Gold Rush Pro is a smaller diameter.........Regards Ron

[joedigs]

Did see the green pan from “Marks M & D Super Sluices - Seven Hills” in action by Hereskip at Tuena today. It virtually took few seconds to pan I think it was 17” pan size. Wow must get one of them.

[cairns27]

Mate you don't need a classifier if your just panning.

That's new chum stuff.

bye

[hereskip]

I first seen the quanta speed pan when out with goldrocs and I was hooked quick and easy all you need was a shovel bucket and speed pan and you can process crazy amounts of dirt in a short time and it holds really fine gold ( oallen fine gold ), I used just the speed pan for two days at in a spot getting a highbanker to was hard, and I had set up a stream sluice and tossed it aside and just worked the pan it was that good. Its not for everyone and its costly but I now have 2 things I think are the best buy gold hog mats and a speed pan.
Cheers
Skip

[bicter]

Hi Skip,
Just tried to quickly find info on the quanta speed pan and couldn't anything. Do you have a link or a supplier?

Thanks
Terry