Sheepskin for gold prospecting

[sam_f]

Does anyone know a source for an untreated sheepskin preferably in the Northwest UK - straight off the beast without any of the oils processed out of the wool?

Do our masters in the health and safety still permit the sale of this sort of thing or would I have to know someone

So the theory goes, one sluices stream-bottom silt over the fleece a number of times, and any gold particles become trapped in the oily wool fibres. You then wash the fleece into a bucket and pan the 'concentrate', in the hope of finding the odd miniscule fleck of the metal.

Alternatively you burn the fleece, then sift the ash..

Apparrently you need a 'fresh' fleece, often they are sripped of oils and bleached etc before sale as hearth rugs or whatever. Plus they then become prohibitively expensive.

I'm more interested in exploring the skill itself than setting up a commercial enterprise.. looking at one or two guys on a one or two day trip - nothing large-scale

If anyone has any info surrounding the subject it'd be interesting. Permissions needed etc. Thanks

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Use any old carpet remnants they will work just as well, burn them when through
just a thought

 

[OldJimbo]

It's a neat idea and it really is the way that things were done in the distant past. I guess it's where the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece started.
Wherever gold is found around running water, though, it's sunk into cracks in bedrock, so failing suction devices you need a shovel, a stiff broom, and a very strong back. If you hope to get more than a few grains, then you'll need a rocker box with baffles and sacking or carpet liner.
There are still places around here with alluvial gold concentrations of a couple of ounces/ton. The point is that first you have to dig down to that rich stuff....

 

[Doc]

Various parts of the UK have gold bearing streams: Perthshire, Wanlockhead/Mennock/StMary's Loch, Ochill hills, Kildonan (site of a 19th Century gold rush!) North/mid wales, devon and Cornwall.

You need landowners permission. At Kildonan panning is free subject to certain conditions. Licence vailable from landowner at Mennock.

Minimum equipment is:

Pan (plastic is preferable, with moulded riffles)
Shovel
Quarter inch grid (from gardening shop)
Film container or similar to hold the gold.
Henderson Gold Pump - home made, all components available in B&Q, look on the web.

A sluice is nice but not allowed some places.

Never tried a fleece!

 

[R-Bowskill]

I don't know if it's essential to have a fresh fleece, it's as much a case of the fibers trapping the gold as anything to do with the oils, that might make a difference with diamonds which are carbon so stick to grease. On commercial sluice boxes made by companies like Keene engineering in the US they use a carpet a bit like astroturf to trap the fine gold. It also gets trapped in the moss on rocks in the same way.

The obvious source for a fresh fleece is a dead sheep but then it's 'what did it die of? What's it going to smell like and so on.

I usually go to the wamlockhead area panning although I've panned gold in Devon and Cornwall, Wales and a few other places. There is free camping along the mennock pass, you get a license from the museum of lead mining at wanlockhead and it's fairly easy to get a few flakes to prove there is some there.

 

[tomtom]

im told nearly all the gold seams in the UK run on or near to the 4 degree longitude line..

 

[rapidboy]

I was watching a programme on Gold Prospecting in Ireland last night ,very interesting.
Anyone any links to site's with more info. ?

 

[match]

Does anyone know a source for an untreated sheepskin preferably in the Northwest UK - straight off the beast without any of the oils processed out of the wool?

Closest place I know to you is http://www.threshingbarn.com - based in Staffordshire - sells spinning and weaving equipment and fleeces 'straight off the beast' for hand-spinning. Cost between 6-10 quid per fleece - I think they do mailorder, but an unwashed fleece probably ways about 3-4kg with all the oils in it...

Otherwise, a local sheepfarmer is your next best bet - assuming you're not wanting any particular quality of wool, a lot of the wool from lambing ewes is of too poor quality for clothing and they're often of no value to the farmer.

 

[bothyman]

Try this website for info on the "Gold Pump" and other stuff.

>>
http://miningold.com/suck.html
.

 

[sam_f]

Guys this is great info - thanks very much for your responses! If I can get one fleck of the yellow stuff in a test tube I'll be happy. On the 4-degree line? That's intruiging..

Is this general area good for the activity?

mapquest link

 

[Doc]

Never panned in Wales so I really don't know any specifics. There is much to be said for just testing. If the country rock is metamorphic or metasedimentary it is certainly worth a go. If there is white quartz around that is the traditional 'home of gold' according to old timer wisdom. Old lead silver or tin mines also indicate mineralisation and possible gold.

If you are getting black sand in your pan (actually ilmenite and magnetite: oxides of iron and titanium) then that is a reasonable indicator of satisfactory technique. Round here you will also find almandite garnets and spent lead shot in the bottom of the pan.

 

[Spacemonkey]

If there is white quartz around that is the traditional 'home of gold' according to old timer wisdom. .

Is that right? My farmland is covered in the stuff... Not a stream in sight though, but it does have it's own little year round spring.