Introduction

[SRM]

Not saying there isn't any, but there is nothing that I can identify as sponge gold in your pics.

 

[MCB0513]

Not saying there isn't any, but there is nothing that I can identify as sponge gold in your pics.

Ok thanks

 

[justprofessor49]

If there are blue and green rocks, along with the history of natives mining there suggests copper. Natives have been mining copper in north America for almost 10,000 years. A lidar report that I saw a few years ago suggested over 3000 copper mines in the Michigan area alone. There were also some known mines in the Appalachian mountains and a few other areas. It's known as the "old copper complex", no doubt the eastern woodland natives looked for copper everywhere.

I found a copper arrow head. I assumed it was fashioned out of some scrap European copper, however the site and area has history going all the way back to the eastern woodland natives so it could very well be much older.

There are various types of gold smelting flux available on the market. Beyond just gold smelting, flux is also used in other areas of metallurgy and metal joining. Below are some types of flux that are in use generally:

• Borax
• Silica
• Hydrochloric acid
• Ammonium Chloride
• Sodium nitrate
• Sodium Carbonate
• Zinc Chloride

Black Sand Samples (Basis: 20g of Ore sample)

As recommended here, a good recipe for ores sourced from Black sand will include 30g litharge, 30g Sodium Carbonate, 25g borax, 5g flour, 8g fluorspar, 30g silica and 20g ore sample. Again, it is important to note that these are just starting points and not hard and fast rules.

You have to make appropriate adjustments for differences in weight. Also, ensure that you carry out tests to determine the optimal flux combination for your specific ore sample. This is because even black sand gold ores may have slight differences in characteristics, differing from one location to the other.

Chapman Flux Recipe

This is another common recipe that is used not only for Gold, but also as Silver smelting flux or in a combination of both. The recipe contains 40% Borax, 20% each of Soda Ash, Manganese Dioxide, and Silica. (As offered for sale here)

There are a lot of factors to consider in choosing the right recipe for combining Gold smelting flux. These include: Source of the ore, level of purity, impure metals present in the concentrate, etc.

Generally, experience is often the most important guiding element in selecting a flux recipe. If you don’t have much experience yourself, you can always take advantage of previous work done by other people. Using the points listed here as a starting point, ask questions and make findings from a variety of sources.

More importantly, run a test smelting process on any recipe you wish to try out. This should be done before applying it on a large scale to the whole body of precious metal concentrates. So as to avoid wastes and loss of precious metal.

 

[justprofessor49]

Yes I can't remember to be exact I don't have the paper in front of me right at the moment but all were above 30 percent. Do you have any idea what the lime green mineral is that's black on the inside that I am having to chip threw to get to the quartz? Is that ore. I will send better pics when I get to the house maybe that will help.

I

 

[justprofessor49]

Here is a set of USGS resources that may help out:

North Carolina's mineral commodity​

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/mineral-industry-north-carolina​

Flux Info:
https://www.superbmelt.com/how-to-choose-gold-smelting-flux/

 

[Yggdrasil]

There are various types of gold smelting flux available on the market. Beyond just gold smelting, flux is also used in other areas of metallurgy and metal joining. Below are some types of flux that are in use generally:

• Borax
• Silica
• Hydrochloric acid
• Ammonium Chloride
• Sodium nitrate
• Sodium Carbonate
• Zinc Chloride

Black Sand Samples (Basis: 20g of Ore sample)

As recommended here, a good recipe for ores sourced from Black sand will include 30g litharge, 30g Sodium Carbonate, 25g borax, 5g flour, 8g fluorspar, 30g silica and 20g ore sample. Again, it is important to note that these are just starting points and not hard and fast rules.

You have to make appropriate adjustments for differences in weight. Also, ensure that you carry out tests to determine the optimal flux combination for your specific ore sample. This is because even black sand gold ores may have slight differences in characteristics, differing from one location to the other.

Chapman Flux Recipe

This is another common recipe that is used not only for Gold, but also as Silver smelting flux or in a combination of both. The recipe contains 40% Borax, 20% each of Soda Ash, Manganese Dioxide, and Silica. (As offered for sale here)

There are a lot of factors to consider in choosing the right recipe for combining Gold smelting flux. These include: Source of the ore, level of purity, impure metals present in the concentrate, etc.

Generally, experience is often the most important guiding element in selecting a flux recipe. If you don’t have much experience yourself, you can always take advantage of previous work done by other people. Using the points listed here as a starting point, ask questions and make findings from a variety of sources.

More importantly, run a test smelting process on any recipe you wish to try out. This should be done before applying it on a large scale to the whole body of precious metal concentrates. So as to avoid wastes and loss of precious metal.

I doubt Hydrochloric acid is a flux.
It is a gas sometimes dissolved in water.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Here is a set of USGS resources that may help out:

North Carolina's mineral commodity ​

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/mineral-industry-north-carolina​

Flux Info:
https://www.superbmelt.com/how-to-choose-gold-smelting-flux/

Anyway he was given a permanent vacation due to foul language.

 

[justprofessor49]

Thanks, I really enjoy it I am finding all kinds of interesting things. Alot of Indian tools and workings also. I wish you the best also brother. Hopefully I will have a bar to show in a couple of days it's been a working progress I have been diging and walking since October been hard at it because I am not released to go back to work yet. I hope that this can be my work good Lord willing.

I doubt Hydrochloric acid is a flux.
It is a gas sometimes dissolved in water.

Yes, you are correct, I have to thank Windoze for including it in my cut and paste as It somehow came from a page in my spreadsheet. I rebooted and now thankfully don't see mixed copies when using that spreadsheet.

 

[justprofessor49]

I doubt Hydrochloric acid is a flux.
It is a gas sometimes dissolved in water.

Here is where that particular reference originated:
A solution of zinc chloride in hydrochloric acid is a common flux for stainless steels