Gold pans come in many shapes and sizes. All are designed to do the same task. When selecting a gold pan, you should
consider where it will be used and how it fits in your hand. Shallow pans work well in small streams and are easy to pack into
remote locations. The larger pans work well in places that have deeper water and can classify more material at one time. Pans that are uncomfortable to hold will cause fatigue and you will not be able to pan as much material before you get tired.
After you have selected the correct pan for your needs, you can start to pan your material.
(1) Find a place to pan. The water should have almost no current and deep enough to completely submerge the pan you are using.
(2) Place a catch pan under the place you plan to pan.
(3) Fill the bottom of your pan with about one inch of your material.
(4) Add water until your material is completely covered.
(5) Stir the material with your hand and break up any clumps you may find.
(6) Place the pan in the water over your catch pan and submerge it until the material is lightly covered with water.
(7) Holding the pan at a slight angle, shake it hard enough to make the material look liquid. This will allow the heavier
pieces of gold to settle to the bottom of your pan. The longer you shake your pan, the better the chances of getting all of the gold
to the bottom of the pan.
(8) Hold the pan still and let the material settle.
(9) Holding the pan at a slight angle, move the pan side to side with your wrist and gently wash the top layer of lighter
material off.
(10) Pull the pan back and repeat step (7) through (9) until you only have a only a very small amount of material left in
your pan.
(11) Lift the pan out of the water. Now you are ready to do what is called fanning. This is done by having a small amount
of water in the pan and gently washing the last of sands away from the gold.
(12) Use tweezers or a suction bottle to remove your gold and store it in a safe place.
(13) Repeat steps three through twelve as needed.
At the end of your gold panning day, pick up the catch pan from the water and follow steps three through twelve. If you've
done a good job of shaking the gold to the bottom of your gold pan, you shouldn't find much gold in your catch pan.
Gold panning is as much art as it is science. With practice you will gain confidence and speed. Good luck and may the bottom of your pan always be golden.
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