Gold Particles

Some factors can avoid the rag plant from working properly. First is the pitch, or angle of the rag plant. The pitch is firm by the amount of fine sand in the place being worked. The more fine sand there is the steeper the rag plant should be. The pitch is frequently among one and one half inch and two inch per foot. If the rag plant is not sharp sufficient it will “sand up”, or accumulate on the base of the rag plant. These circumstances obstruct witch the sand production of the plant. The pitch would have to be distorted or more water would have to be added to the sand flow to guarantee its movement. A condition more apt to deter a gold recovery operation, still though it would not hinder the sand production, is when the black sand is “sanding up” on the rag plant base.

The lighter sand moves correctly, but the pitch is not sharp enough to take the heavier black sand. In this situation the holes in the punch plates soon stuff witch black sand, leaving not place for the gold to assemble. The gold is then removed off the rag plant. To accurate this condition the pitch of the rag plant must be amplified, made steeper, or more water added to the sand.

Equally, if the pitch of rag plant is too steep, the gold may not be able to stay in the carpet, or be able to remain on the carpet after it has reached it. This situation may occasionally be corrected by using less water.  If not the pitch must be reduce slightly. It can simply be seen that water involve the operation of the rag plant much the same as does the pitch. If it is probable to regulate one or both of these cause, most problems in gold division on the rag plant can be resolve. If instruction of only one cause is possible explanation to problems are still possible but frequently more difficult.  If the base of the rag plant is irregular, the plates may not pull down strongly on the carpets. This is adverse, for the gold that mends in spots and may move down the rag plant and be lost.

Since all the particles are moving down the rag plant are not the same size, several iron and quartz particles may stay on and become me trapped in the carpet and riffling.  Similarly some of the very small gold particles will not be jammed, and will be lost. The carpets need to be changed only once a week on most rag plants. After weeks time there should be spots of carpet performance in the square holes of the punch plate. The carpet must not be left on the rag plant long enough for the holes to be filled witch gold; for some gold would be lost.  Heavier increase should constantly be found at the upper end. Gold at the upper end should be coarser. The sum of gold should reduce and become finer as one moves down the rag plant. If there is a lot of gold on the lower half of the rag plant as there is on the upper half, the rag plant is not working correctly. This condition frequently happens if the rag plant is not long enough. If possible the rag plant should then be extended to guarantee all of the gold a chance to gather on the floor an not be washed off the rag plant.