Things you do BEFORE you process an ore

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As Nick said - and to add to that:

An assay will not only tell you what you've got but it also helps you to decide HOW you are going to recover the gold, and the precise method depends upon the other other metals and compounds present.
 
anachronism said:
As Nick said - and to add to that:

An assay will not only tell you what you've got but it also helps you to decide HOW you are going to recover the gold, and the precise method depends upon the other other metals and compounds present.
Click to expand...

I never said I didn't want to hear about assays.

What I don't want to be told is to "get an assay done".

What I'm looking for is learning how to do the testing myself which includes assaying methods.
 
MadScientistProspect said:
anachronism said:
As Nick said - and to add to that:

An assay will not only tell you what you've got but it also helps you to decide HOW you are going to recover the gold, and the precise method depends upon the other other metals and compounds present.
Click to expand...

I never said I didn't want to hear about assays.

What I don't want to be told is to "get an assay done".

What I'm looking for is learning how to do the testing myself which includes assaying methods.
Click to expand...


No disrespect but you will need very deep pockets to perform the assays for all the elements that could be present, I applaud your desire to learn more to help you in your quest and learning how to test for certain elements will be a great asset but you have to be realistic and accept that you will struggle to do all the work yourself or any cheaper than a lab set up to do exactly what you are proposing.
I think we all wish you well and would love to hear of your successes in the future as we seem to have very few of them from our mining members, whether that’s because they are just keeping a low profile or because they failed I don’t know.
 
The field tests that Dave pointed to will tell you if you have any gold to bother with before embarking on learning how to assay. Even though it's a single link, it is a compilation of many years of skilled professionals on this forum. Just like the tutorial section. Very few of us home/hobbyists have the knowledge or experience to add to those links. So when some one points you to them, you can bank on it being one of, (if not the), best places for you to start anywhere on the internet.

Can save you more than a little time and money.

Another option is to see if you can get a job or internship with a local company that does assay's. Then you can learn literally everything about assays with someone else's equipment and get paid for doing it too. Who knows there may even be an old timer near you that will take you under their wing and teach you.
 
Actually, I wasn't saying anything about arsenic other than the fact in the end this individual got it. I was agreeing about the people's or persons that get fever so bad they'll invest the time and effort to take 10 tons of crap rock without knowledge of whats in it. (Whether they lose money, or give away money.) Hence why an assay(s) is important.

I understand you would like the first hand of how to do certain testing with the criteria of assays yourself. I saw someone point out there is a lot of money in just the start of that. True. Also another said maybe an internship or something similar. Also true, but good luck. Why? People forget this isn't just science and chemistry. Its an art form. (Not everyone can be an artist)I'm not saying this as a discouragment or to be a jerk, but just a fact and different perspective of looking at things.

I work for an underground assay lab for the largest producing sulphide/telluride gold mine in Colorado. Internship was not there but when I first started with trucks to climb the ladder. I was lucky and befriended an old timer. Quite a few I've come acrossed in the general field usually have their own setup at home. There's an old saying "artists never stop never stopping."

Dave's link is spot on.

Since arsenic is already on the table, and I haven't seen anything about it yet. This mine's specific lab hiring contract requires extensive bloodwork testing twice a year. Just another thing to think about in processing ore. Its not cheap and to be honest I hate it. Its not just a flu shot.

Good luck on the venture,
Andrew
 
Update on my progress.

I've found some assays from the local area and a bunch of other information.

That has pointed me at some low hanging fruit.

A bunch of relatively recent sedimentary layers with around 0.100 to 0.250mg/kg in the screened material <100um (ie with the large gravel and sand fractions removed.).

Pros:
1. no arsenic or sulphides.
2. free gold just very very fine
3. screening can be done while processing for larger free gold with gravity separation.

Con:
1. Masses and mass and masses of iron.
2. Gold is in the recirculating slurry and handling that material without loss is tricky.
 

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