Last Post 07 Nov 2015 12:47 PM by  Leo Lorenz
Panning Basin?
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Christopher Stewart
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16 Apr 2015 09:52 AM
    Being in Arizona, it seems like it'd be beneficial to have a basin to pan in, both to bring on-site up north for cleanups while camping, and for processing samples and whatnot at home. But a visit to the local hardware didn't turn up a suitable container. Any suggestions of specific products or a better store to look at than Lowes? What do you use for your panning basin? Main priority is something that my pan will fit well enough inside of that I can shake the pan around without banging up my knuckles.

    Thanks!

    (p.s.: I've found a couple of storage bins that could work, I'd just rather not have to lug around a 50 gallon crate from one campsite to another, not to mention having to fill it up enough to submerge a pan)
    Paul Straub
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    16 Apr 2015 10:17 AM
    Look in the construction section where they keep the bags of concrete and get a mortar tub. They come in a couple of sizes, they're cheap and durable and the best thing is they have rounded corners so they're easy to rinse out. These are pretty much universally used in prospecting.

    Here's a link to the ones Home depot carry http://www.homedepot.com/s/mortar+tub?NCNI-5

    Paul
    Christopher Stewart
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    16 Apr 2015 06:05 PM
    Thanks, man! I'll take a look.
    ALTON OAKES
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    09 Jun 2015 10:29 AM
    If you find the mortar tubs are too big, try a farm and ranch supply like Big R.  They have round plastic pans about 20" in dia by 4-5" deep.  I found them in the area with animal feed buckets.  I use them to classify and final pan concentrates.
    robert walker
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    09 Jun 2015 09:20 PM
    Those black plastic mortar tubs are decent. About $5 for the small one, $10 or so for the big one... Jeff Williams of AskJeffWilliams.com Youtube fame... His
    tub that he always uses is the small mortar tub that you can get at Lowes or Home Depot or any hardware store. They are a little fragile, and they will die
    eventually.

    I've also got a bunch of the grey table bussing bins.. Restaurant supply store, $3.99 and they are made pretty darn well (for plastic).

    Feed stores have the big rubber bowls... The small one is 5 gallons.. I recently grabbed a 15 gallon for $30.... I've had a 5 gallon for about 10 years.. Dogs
    water bowl... 10 years of sunlight, its been chewed, beaten, played with, crushed, and used to haul dirt when I ran out of buckets, and its beat, but it still holds water
    after 10 years of desert sun.

    I also have a little plastic guy that I grabbed at a prospector shop in CO, about 20 inches in diameter, about 4" high.. It sits on the end of my kitchen counter, I use it
    mainly to do clean ups after it gets dark out, or its really windy out... It was $3. How can you go wrong...

    I've also used some of the larger storage containers from the dollar store...

    And to get my water... Not for processing, but just sampling out to the claim, I just fill up some 5 gallon buckets half full... They may slosh quite a bit, and you will lose a little, but
    even on the roughest of desert roads, they don't lose much... And then the bucket is heavy and you can put it in your panning tub so it doesn't fly away driving down the highway..

    Rob Gallagher
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    01 Nov 2015 09:24 AM
    If you are looking for perhaps something smaller - try a "bus tub" like they use to clear dishes etc in restaurants. It's a decent size and very heavy plastic. I got mine from Sam's Club and they were two for $12-$13.

    Also works well for catching the cons from my Gold Cube.

    Rob
    JERE CLEMENTS
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    03 Nov 2015 08:54 AM
    The guys down on the east fork San Gabriel use a plastic 55 gallon barrel cut in half. You have to put a rock or pile of dirt under it to keep it from rocking like a cradle but the real advantage of using them is if you put a loop of rope on them you can put all of your gear in it and pull it like a sled down the trail to your "spot".
    Leo Lorenz
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    07 Nov 2015 12:47 PM
    I found what I think are the perfect tubs.....go to ChinaMart....and in the toy section they have these big 2 foot high barrel shaped tubs for parents to throw the kids toys into. They are super strong with big lip around the top and they have heavy poly rope for handles on each side.  
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