REDNECK ORE SAMPLING (SHALE WITH CALCITE/QUARTZ MIX)
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Taking a bath (HCL). Will leave this for a day and then move into AR.
Dealing with small amounts.
Everything outside.
Waste to be processed, I am learning here. Generally only have a half mason jar of solution to process per ore sample, and half of it, or more, is water.
Very red.
Dealing with small amounts.
Everything outside.
Waste to be processed, I am learning here. Generally only have a half mason jar of solution to process per ore sample, and half of it, or more, is water.
Very red.
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Not seeing much in the way of Sulfides, the main reason for roasting. But then photos never really do a specimen justice. You really need to get a furnace capable of assaying, my friend. Much more useful information then you will get from generating a bunch of hazmat. More fun also! Unfortunately the cost will be higher than what you are doing now. Be safe.
I have a furnace, crucibles, cupels, thermal thermometer,,,, 50lbs chapmans flux, 50lbs litharge, 20lbs white flux, molds, etc... Ready to go. I just don't want to spend 1 tank of propane per ore sample, nor would I know how to interpret results. I guess if I can cupel a gold bead out of the ore it's good to go ? But we are dealing with very small amounts of gold I think, so I would think it have good chances of being lost. That said, if there is another way to fire assay for small amounts in small batches that process easily and don't create a giant lead ball that has to cupel for over an hour, then I'm game. After I get through this acid sampling I'll probably go through a fire assay of each ore type too... just for fun if anything else. Start with the ore that presents the best acid results and move through them. I think I may have more silver than gold here.... so might need help assaying the silver without burning it off to gas. Kinda hard to control the temperature of the propane furnace.... but it can make stuff glow white. Think it's the same kind that Chris Ralph uses... they look identical.
First and foremost. The fire assays are not a recovery method but an analytic step to find out what is in there.
So it is done from time to time to check for valuables in the ore.
Have you read the book on torch assays?
Gas furnaces are not suited for cupeling, too hard to control.
Proper cupelling will not burn off Silver.
Southfork
Well-known member
By placing the cupel or melting dish inside of a crucible the gas furnace will work. It keeps the furnace from blowing your sample out of the cupel. adjusting the gas pressure regulator along with a gas valve will help with the temperature. But an electric furnace would be nice.
A lot of things work, it does not mean it works well or even well enough.
For proper cupelling one needs stable heat and sufficient access to Oxygen.
Southfork
Well-known member
I watched a video on this one seemed to work great for cupelling. And no electricity needed. Cupellation Furnace
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Southfork
Well-known member
Sorry no link to video here's the site www.911metallurgist.com/blog/cupellation
There are many things that are doable, that don't mean it is recommended to do it that way.
If you lack temperature control there are risks of losses and what not.
Even cupelling by torch might be more controllable than a gas furnace.
So if it is possible to chose, it is certainly best to use an electric kiln/furnace.
Filtered, tested, and SMB added.. will let precipitate a couple days and then see what we got.. probably more dust 
Attached a short video of adding the stannous.. I swear it goes slightly purple for a second, faint but there.. then goes clear with only a slight darkness to it. Old eyes, maybe playing tricks on me... such small samples and "at best" very low quality ore... Maybe we will try to find silver next... or play with fire... something fun.
Two more ore types of interest to me after these two...
* quarts,, little round creek worn smooth pebbles. Not many of these, but they are there. Takes a day or two to collect enough to sample, but I'll try to find a day and get em'.
* Calcite, at least I think it is. white rocks, often light.. lightest ore in the creek usually but sometimes you can find a heavier one. These often have shinny bits of stuff laced in them.. like glitter... but SMALL. There is also soap stone in there, which is greasy to the touch and you can break up by hand. I guess the ol boys who were here before any white boy , and the older boys who were here before them, kept a stash by the creek...
Attached a short video of adding the stannous.. I swear it goes slightly purple for a second, faint but there.. then goes clear with only a slight darkness to it. Old eyes, maybe playing tricks on me... such small samples and "at best" very low quality ore... Maybe we will try to find silver next... or play with fire... something fun.
Two more ore types of interest to me after these two...
* quarts,, little round creek worn smooth pebbles. Not many of these, but they are there. Takes a day or two to collect enough to sample, but I'll try to find a day and get em'.
* Calcite, at least I think it is. white rocks, often light.. lightest ore in the creek usually but sometimes you can find a heavier one. These often have shinny bits of stuff laced in them.. like glitter... but SMALL. There is also soap stone in there, which is greasy to the touch and you can break up by hand. I guess the ol boys who were here before any white boy , and the older boys who were here before them, kept a stash by the creek...
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I'm pot committed now, haha. May as well get an electric cupelling furnace to go with my propane furnace. I'll get one ordered after we run through these gold and maybe silver chem tests.
Mostly fine white precipitate with some dark dust in it. After the poor precip I tossed a copper penny in it to begin the detox process and it turned black, but no major change in amount of precip.. just a black penny.
On to Quartz creek pebbles and white rocks (which I am thinking is calcite)... need to collect some next nice weekend. These two will be my last.. then will attempt to smelt the precipitate from all of them and see what comes out.
On to Quartz creek pebbles and white rocks (which I am thinking is calcite)... need to collect some next nice weekend. These two will be my last.. then will attempt to smelt the precipitate from all of them and see what comes out.
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You say "copper" penny. What year?
Pre-1982
Ok, so it could be pgms or perhaps a rare earth.
I believe selenium or tellurium could do that also.
I believe selenium or tellurium could do that also.
