REDNECK ORE SAMPLING -RESULTS (PART 1)

[bahabully]

Need some help / guidance regarding furnace and melting stuff. Took all the precipitate from ore sampling and combined. Washed with water 4-5 times. Then washed with nitric 3 times. First two nitric baths turned blue, the third stayed mostly clear with only a slight blue tinge. Then washed with water again 2-3 times. Then poured off as much water as I could and put the rest of the wet goo into the crucible. Put crucible into furnace and lit it up at 3 psi. Went back furnace to take a look at the goo was boiling over, and went from boiling to dry in seconds before my eyes.... so probably lost a bit of goo in the boil over. Went back and set furnace to 5 psi, closed lid and gave it 5-10 min.. .checked it and nada, just black stuff on bottom. Turned up to 10 psi, rinse and repeat on time and results. Well crap I thought, Ive managed to precipitate coal. Turned up to 20 psi and AGAIN, same results, didn't see anything gold puddle. Turned off, huffed, took out crucible and allowed to cool,,,, as it cooled I did see some shiny beads on the bottom. ..
Took out skillet and dumped it, fully prepared to toss the back charcoal into toilet along with all my gold hobby materials. BUT, and what the hell is up with the waffles that came out of the crucible.. I didn't order waffles.... There is no Waffle House on my property !
Then under a microscope.. WTF. So on to my question:

Q. - What psi do i need to turn the furnace on to ensure any PM's in my black waffles dog gone MELT !! It goes up to 35 psi..... Where do i need to set the thing and for how long do I need to let it cook ? It is the same furnace the Chris Ralph, or Nevada Chris, has used on his Utube. Please advise and I'll give this ONE more try.

Q - Are my waffles gold ? doesn't look like it to me right now, but under magnification I see gold,... at least some... I think. ???

 

[bahabully]

Now on to "preliminary" results.

If full weight of material turns out to be GOLD !
... mind you the more experienced in the forum said all stannous tests were negative for gold... and I was doubtful about the tests as well as they only turned the slightest tinge of purple after I put the stannous in... and then quickly turned back to clear.

Anyway, figure 300 grams of ore were sampled.
.9 grams of goo precipitated via SMB and copper cementing the waste.
.003g gold per gram of sample ore
917184 gram per ton
.003 * 917184 = 2721g per ton (sample ore from creek)
85oz per ton (all microscopic gold)

Q. - My math right ?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Now on to "preliminary" results.

If full weight of material turns out to be GOLD !
... mind you the more experienced in the forum said all stannous tests were negative for gold... and I was doubtful about the tests as well as they only turned the slightest tinge of purple after I put the stannous in... and then quickly turned back to clear.

Anyway, figure 300 grams of ore were sampled.
.9 grams of goo precipitated via SMB and copper cementing the waste.
.003g gold per gram of sample ore
917184 gram per ton
.003 * 917184 = 2721g per ton (sample ore from creek)
85oz per ton (all microscopic gold)

Q. - My math right ?

Where do you get the number 0.003g?
Your math may be right but your numbers do not add up.
Unless you have the "richest" ore in the world almost 3 kg per ton, highly unlikely.

 

[bahabully]

Where do you get the number 0.003g?
Your math may be right but your numbers do not add up.
Unless you have the "richest" ore in the world almost 3 kg per ton, highly unlikely.

.9g of precipitate (not yet melted, and could be radon as far as I know,... you see the pics so you tell me)
~300g of ore sampled in the REDNECK series of samples.
.9g (precip) / 300g (ore) = .003g (precip) per gram of ore.

maybe Ponce De' Leon stashed a big pile in the creek on his way through, who knows.... but it is what it is. I have ZERO motive to BS anyone, and even if it turns out I have a rich creek... it AIN'T for sale, I got nuff.... and the creek will remain "no gold creek", for playing around in.

 

[bahabully]

Now, anyone in the forum ... how should I set up my furnace for the melt. PSI and length of time please. Cheers !

 

[Yggdrasil]

.9g of precipitate (not yet melted, and could be radon as far as I know,... you see the pics so you tell me)
~300g of ore sampled in the REDNECK series of samples.
.9g (precip) / 300g (ore) = .003g (precip) per gram of ore.

maybe Ponce De' Leon stashed a big pile in the creek on his way through, who knows.... but it is what it is. I have ZERO motive to BS anyone, and even if it turns out I have a rich creek... it AIN'T for sale, I got nuff.... and the creek will remain "no gold creek", for playing around in.

Once again, not Radon. It is a gas and react with noting.
Your math might be Ok, but you method of deduction is not even close.

 

[bahabully]

So decided to use full blast method, 30psi for a half hour... .with a half tsp of borax mixed in. The bead now weights 2 grams with borax added.

 

[bahabully]

Can anyone advise on a good assay lab to use. Curious to know what it is.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Can anyone advise on a good assay lab to use. Curious to know what it is.

Since this now is metallic, it should be reasonably accurate with a XRF.

 

[goldshark]

Hey Bahaha, you didn't state what fluxes you used. The furnace temp isn't so much reliant on gas psi, but more on the proper gas/air ratio. Furnace needs to reach 2000 F, long enough to melt all components into a fluid. The time will be dependent on flux and crucible size. The book in the library section on assaying will help you understand how the smelting process works relative to fluxes, and what each component does. Your last photo does look like a chunk of Au, and since it is now in a metallic state, find a pawn shop with an XRF, and have them hit it. Glad to see what looks like metal for you.
There are some cheap pyrometers off eBay. They look like a multimeter and a thermo couple. Drill a hole in furnace (1/8") and stick thermo couple in. A great way to find if furnace is up to temp for $30.

 

[Alondro]

With a bead that yellow after smelting twice, it must be at least 80% gold.

 

[SRM]

So decided to use full blast method, 30psi for a half hour... .with a half tsp of borax mixed in. The bead now weights 2 grams with borax added.

Hmmm....the borax should have formed a glass on the top of the bead and that glass is easily broken from the bead when the bead is cooled.

A reputable jeweler may give a more honest appraisal.

Any idea of the density?

Good luck!

 

[bahabully]

Borax did form a glass bead, the image is of the bottom. Borax glass bead is on the other side. No idea regarding density. Having fun, thanks

 

[Southfork]

Thats where my melted Borax ends up on the bottom.

 

[goldshark]

Just wondering how Borax, with an S.G. of 2 ish, can end up in a melt with Au with an S.G. of 19 ish, under neath it. Only way this is possible is in a zero G atmosphere. At least that is how I was taught. I could be wrong.

 

[bahabully]

Just wondering how Borax, with an S.G. of 2 ish, can end up in a melt with Au with an S.G. of 19 ish, under neath it. Only way this is possible is in a zero G atmosphere. At least that is how I was taught. I could be wrong.

The image is of the "bottom", the borax is on the top of the bead, not imaged.