Random household items for use in sifting

[Phil8303]

Okay, so recently I found that my bait sieve (same as this one: https://www.anacondastores.com/fish...wilson-bait-pump-sieve-40cm/BP90169669-black) works very well for prospecting as well.

I also heard from a bloke at a pub, maybe after he had too many drinks :beer: :lol: , that swore he had used a kitchen salad spinner to separate the heavier sands from rocks in an early step before processing. While it was good for a laugh, he also reckoned the spinning mop buckets work a treat, at which point I told the bartender to stop serving him.

So my question is has anyone ever used a random household item when prospecting, perhaps out if desperation? If so what was the item and more importantly, did it work?

 

[Mackka]

Sounds Legit.
Mackka

 

[brendomac]

a bread crate (The big red/brown ones) that bread is delivered to the store. I used it over a tub to separate the bigger rocks so I had a smaller size to then manually feed my sluice.

It worked pretty well, there is a pic somewhere on the forum. Although my preference now is the bucket sieve I built.

Although not technically a household item.

For household, I had three-pronged garden trowel. I ground off the two side ones and kept the center. Works great as a crevicing tool.

 

[limpalot]

Plastic garden scoops at Bunnings, $1.50, great for the detector, so can have them everywhere.

 

[Nightjar]

Flour sieve used to separate the flour gold we often got when dryblowing.

 

[Phil8303]

a bread crate (The big red/brown ones) that bread is delivered to the store. I used it over a tub to separate the bigger rocks so I had a smaller size to then manually feed my sluice.

It worked pretty well, there is a pic somewhere on the forum. Although my preference now is the bucket sieve I built.

Although not technically a household item.

For household, I had three-pronged garden trowel. I ground off the two side ones and kept the center. Works great as a crevicing tool.

Love the garden trowel idea, champ. Might steal the Mrs one and grind it down. erfect:

 

[Phil8303]

Thanks Limpalot and NJ. All great suggestions. :Y:

 

[Eldorado]

Here is my young bloke the first time we ever went prospecting.We didnt have a pan so we used an old wok.Worked a treat,found a few specks which then gave us the gold fever enough to go and buy some proper gear.

 

[Whisp]

Garden sieve from the big green shed, it has deep sides is about 400mm diameter.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/icon-plastics-395mm-garden-sieve-with-hand-grips_p2961023

 

[Dave79]

The first gold I panned was in a Tupperware container.....but don't tell the wife!

 

[XLOOX]

If you have to carry in water, a standard 200 mm sieve fits well in 300mm cake containers.
The 300mm size gives JUST enough room to swish sieve around. Sands can then be panned with patience in same container with small plastic 200mm pan. Can get through quite a bit of material this way for a small amount of water but SLOW.
But I would only backpack in 5 litres of water & 2 of that is for me so the minimum water needed for sieving/panning is important.

Also

If you go down Sunday markets / op shops you can score old stainless bread knives & pruning saws.
Grind down edge/ points & carefully grind in a strong hook at tip.
Very strong & flexible & gets into thinnest cracks.
Pruning saw can go down 300mm to loosen up stuff.

Soft clear PVC tube make good cover.

DO NOT try with carbon steel knife as will snap and shards might get you.

 

[sand surfer]

old steel colander for fine sand and clay removal for gold (have the proper sieves now so it has been retired)

a plastic one for the first rinse when washing the gem stones from the tumbler, before the final scrub between grits