Whether you are a new to mining or a seasoned pro the odds are one of your first purchases will be a classifier. A classifier helps sift material down in size. For example, if you have a bucket of material and want to remove anything bigger than ½ inch then you would get a ½ inch classifier, sometimes called a ½ minus. The minus means anything smaller than ½ inch will go through openings in the classifier.
So why use a classifier? Speed and efficiency. Anyone who has ever had a shovel full of large rocks immediately begins to appreciate a pan full of smaller material. Some people are worried they may throw out gold along with the big rocks. Let’s be honest, if you have a two ounce nugget in a classifier, your going to notice it, pure and simple. Especially if the material is wet.
In prospecting classifiers are everywhere and given different names. A grizzly is a classifier put on highbankers and drywashers. It’s usually a series of metal bars at a specified distance so anything smaller falls through but the larger material falls without ever going through the unit. A screen on a dredge or even some sluices has holes in it that allow the smaller material to fall through while the heavier and larger material goes out the back of the sluice. No matter the name, classifiers are designed to remove larger, unwanted material from the prospecting process.
But the most common form of classifier that you’d first be purchasing is a bucket mounted classifier. These classifiers sit on the top of the bucket where you would shovel material in. Once you shovel in your dirt, sand, mud or whatever, you rotate the classifier back and forth where the smaller pieces drop into the bucket, once you look over the remaining rocks and debris for large pieces of precious metal (you optimist), you simply discard the contents of the classifier and begin again.
There are some great tips in successfully using a bucket mounted classifier that will help you get the longest life and most out of your classifier.
First of all, look at craftsmanship. Ask yourself how sturdy the overall unit is. True we may appreciate lightweight more as we are hauling all of our gear to our favorite place, but with rocks, glass, and metal being loaded into the classifier how long do you think a flimsy model would hold up to such abuse. Next look at the classifier screen itself. Is it a one piece injected unit or is the screen a metal mesh separately mounted? If it’s a single piece, take note of the thickness of the plastic screen. If it is too flimsy the unit isn’t going to last anywhere near as long as you need it to. If it’s a metal mesh with plastic walls take note of how the screen is mounted to the walls. Are they cheaply glued into the sides or are they securely mounted? There is little worse than shoveling a load of rock into a classifier only to have it break through and fall into a half full bucket.
Next, really decide what size or sizes you need. Most classifiers will mount into themselves allowing for a finer degree of control of the material that falls through. If you know that most of the gold in your area is fine or flour gold then you will want a smaller classifier. However, don’t just go buy a micro mesh classifier and load shovels full of material on it. That is a good way to shorten the life of your classifier drastically. Your better option would be to buy two classifiers, one that can handle the abuse of the heavier material. Then the smaller one beneath it will be able to do the final classification.
Finally, know this. Water is your friend. Filling the bucket with water will create a mess, this it true. However you will dry off. In the meantime, the water allows the finer material to fall through quicker, breaks gold and clay away from rock easier, and prolongs the overall life of your classifiers since less friction will be needed to produce the same results.
So pick your classifier carefully, and you will save time, get more material, and save your muscles all at the same time.
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