Steel Gold Pans vs.
Plastic Gold Pans

Remember that the tools you use for prospecting need to be kept in good shape and clean after use and gold pans are no exception to this no matter what material they are made out of. Gold pans can either be made out of plastic or steel and they need to be kept clean. If you have a steel gold pan you will need to “burn” it or blue the surface of the steel. This can be done by exposing it to heat or placing it over a flame. This is done in order to get rid of the oil that these pans naturally have on the surface. Nitric acid is sometimes used to get rid of the magnetic iron from the concentrates but it cannot be used when using a steel pan because the acid will immediately dissolve the iron. Magnets are also used to remove black sand from the concentrates but it is not convenient to use with a steel pan because magnets have a tendency of sticking to the pan. If you use mercury to gather the fine gold which can be found in placer operations, it sometimes get “lost” or coated on the surface of steel pans. Using plastic pans on the other hand eliminates all of the problems associated with acid, magnet and mercury for a person that is prospecting.

Plastic pans do not have to be “burned” because they are usually made with a type of sandblasted finish and this gets rid of the sick surface steel pans have even though some plastic pans look like they have a shiny slick surface to them and look like they are greasy. Plastic pans have an advantage because the mercury will not coat it and it will not get lost on it either. These are some of the most evident advantages of plastic pans and it is recommended to use them especially if you are a beginner at prospecting. Another advantage that plastic gold pans have is that they are much lighter and easier to hold than the steel ones. Remember that after hours of working this is something that will be to your advantage and will allow you to work more hours since your arm will not get as tired.