Dan, years ago I corresponded with Dr. Ken Williams from Georgia (US) who lived until the end of his life in Costa Rica. He described how a Batea pan is made and used there, and from memory here is that description: Start with an entire (cut from just inside the top rim) of a steel oil drum. (55 gal US, 45 gal Imperial). Then build a roaring fire, get the wood worked down to coals and thoroughly heat the cut out drum top in the fire. While doing that, dig a hole to the final, conical shape you want. Next move the red hot drum lid to the hole and skillfully and carefully beat it into submission, gradually forming the steel circle into a final cone - *with one exception* . At the very center a deeper dimple shaped depression is formed to allow the heaviest things in the slurry to drop and be retained in that 'drop dimple'. When finished, the overall profile shape is the same as your locally spun one - although starting out with a full cut out drum top makes for a *substantially* larger and much heavier pan. In use, the panner walks into the stream and floats the pan (like an unstable boat) while putting gravels of all sizes into the pan. Partially, briefly, submerging one side of the pan admits water and the circular /swirling / rocking movement of the slurry allows the now fluidized slurry to pass over the drop dimple, allowing the Gold to drop down into that dimple. Dross is slipped over the rim in in that same circular /swirling / rocking motion. Pans full of slurry are 80 -90% panned away and then the floating pan is refilled, a number of times. "Repeat as Needed" as it were. The large Batea is simply a concentrator for bank run material - and the weight of the pan and slurry is borne by the floating action of the very large pan. Afterwords the highly concentrated drop dimple material is transferred into a much smaller Batea pan (similar in size to yours) for final processing. Costa Rican placer panners were, it seems, known for the strength of their arms. A well done series! Joe S (AK)
I like that and the flat pan. I'd like to see some more time spent refining your skill with them two pans. I bet you can nail down 99% capture with some experience
Definitely interesting seeing this type of pan as it's not used much here in north America. With this test series over it would be interesting to see a video comparing high banker/ sluice capture systems; dream mat, hog mat, vortex mat, miners moss with expanded metal, carpet with expanded metal, etc.
I've watched the locals in Central and South America use basically the same thing. And always wondered how well it worked compared to something like the Garrett. Thank you for your time!
Seems clear to me as a novice in North America that the Super Sluice is the clear winner based on effectiveness, price, availability, and convenience. That convenience includes that it has a flat bottom for stability while loading it with material and flipping it over for a relatively comfortable seat if need be. There were a couple others, including the steel pan, that looked good but only if I were more into the hobby.
Great review Dan! Really enjoyed this series! I still really like the Garrett Super sluice! I feel it is more practical and just easier in more then on way to use and it's a lot cheapier! Fantastic breakdown on all the pans! Thank you for sharing and have a great day!👍😎😁
Thank you Dan for this series. It was very informative , not as entertaining as your normal videos, but I do appreciate the effort you put in to them to help us. Dan you are the man.
great series , unbiased testing and very informative. as you say ,most pans are designed for certain situations ( type of soil,water supply etc) and I think you have shown the strengths and weaknesses of these pans very well. I think the garret wins out for a prospecting pan as it will handle most if not all materials and seems quite forgiving as far as technique goes as well. thanks Dan.
With all the expensive gear available back in the Gold Rush Days, I'll bet my last dollar there were more than a few Chinese prospectors using their woks and with decent success! Woks rock! Campers kitchen panning might make a good video and inspire folks to get wet...Thanks for this quality comparison sir!
If I remember correctly, the pans with ridges are a recent invention. During the North American gold rushes of the 1800's they only really had metal smooth pans. It wouldnt surprise me if they even used old cast frying pans or woks, or anything else that has a similar shape.
❤just. purchased mine in plastic now have to find tub big enough to use it loving the speed thus far recirculation of all materials and water 😊 thanks Dan you helped me start out😊
Hi Dan, Hubby and I enjoy your videos so much. They're very informative and the scenery you provide along the way it's breathtaking!. We have not actually gone panning for gold, as life has gotten in the way. However, we can appreciate the hard work and excitement that goes along with it from watching your videos. Thank you again!!🙂
great review Dan, just a suggestion maybe redo both the pyramid pan and the gold claw in your backyard tub that has enough room for better movement, but it is just a suggestion, loved this series of videos and can't wait till the final review cheers
I hope he takes your advice. That would make this series a lot better. If someone wants to see it used properly they can look here ; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xzg8YFFkUgI.html or they can watch the guys answer to the use of his pan in this series because he made this video ; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Epj8oZVJBPU.html
@DanHodgins WOW! do you realize RU-vid is my Business and what leaving hundreds of negative comments on my RU-vid channel might do to my buisness. And please go back and actually listen to my ole video, the tone and the offer of a retest I gave. I am not being unfair. Also I show in the last video the actual proper use of the pan and still has big losses.
@@Danhurd i did Dan and wish i had seen it first before making my comment because i should have known better that you were going to do that and once again loved the series of videos and i agree that the garrett is the best way to go cheers
@@Danhurd Negative reviews and comments breed negative comments. Happens on all channels. One of my favorite channels made negative reviews of other channels. After about a year, they went after him. Yeah, he is gone. The gold shows on tv survive on drama. This might even get you more views and subs. I wonder about the effect on the guys that own the PPP, ater all it is THEIR business, right. Luckily they have been around ten years and can probably take the heat ( or a few less sales ) anyway. You know in the series you said over and over that one of the people told you that you did not HAVE to classify and you turned that into them telling you to pan rocks. We all know who you were talking about. I knew right away. That was negativity and it brought negativity to your channel. Here is another tip because I think you are a prospector that makes you tube videos but really does't pay much attention to what is actually going on on you tube. RU-vidrs hate fake news. I mean really, really despise fake news. If you do anything even PERCEIVED as twisting things up get prepared for the fallout. Anyway, good luck. I bet this was a real learning experience. :) I hope all the PPP owners make a video review of their pan. I want to see them!
Great review! No wonder the this is the most used type of pan everywhere but North America. The room and water depth makes it impractical for me personally. So there was no train and no Sasquatch in this video, but at 11:37 a hand appears on the right side playing with a a stick in the dirt. I put my money on Evan being the video bomber! Good job Evan! Made me smile.
You should try the pyramid pan in your tub. Submerged, moved side to side vigorously and never tilted on its side, you will be pleasantly surprised. Best used with unclassified material, or I go 1/2 inch .
I remember your video with the maker. This one is supposed to remain under the water at all times. And you have a strong tendency to keep lifting it out of the water and working it out of the water.
Yes habit. And with the muddy water I have to lift it out and drain water to see where I am at. Also for the video sake. the actual work of removing material was all done under water.
I think the message to be gleaned from your videos and those of others is that if you understand the dynamics in the pan, you can capture gold with just about anything. Dan, I swear, you could catch gold with a cake pan. In fact, I'd like to see you do that!
Thinking about it and a sheet of aluminium (for light weight material) I would consider making my own, but we will see in the final analysis of all of the pans. Thanks again Dan for your very interesting video and sharing your skills👍😁
Dan today is the first time I looked at your reviews of equipment. I must say you are - except for sometimes Doc from gold hog - the only reviewer that actually checks his tails to determine the effectiveness on the equipment under test. For this reason I am going to suscribe. Good work.
I dredged in Chile a few years back and this type of pan was widely used there. Easy type of pan to make. There was even a wooden one that floated down stream to the claim.
I may have to get one of these someday. Most of the sooke river where I pan would be difficult to use that pan, but there are some areas that could work.
Am sorry but u can capture more gold if u go a littel slow mr dan .... I used this pan before in 2011 in sudan Its really great and almost theres not to much gold left over .... 15% is really too much if u use it right ...
Good stuff! There was a pan that looked like a baking cake pan with nubs in the flat and one side was leaned in for a big riffle. I can’t find the pan anymore but I used it to pretty good effect for speed. I would’ve loved to see the same test. Love vids like this!
These pans originated and are still used in warm climates for gold and diamonds as the pan is held in the water to work with it. Yukon prospectors would be hard pressed to use it in the waters of the Mackenzie Mountains. The "conventional" gold pan is used as you don't keep your hands in the water. These pans had a surge of popularity in western Canada in the 1980s when they had a run in geochemistry in making panned concentrates that were sent to the lab for analysis. A geologist named Mike Milner gave a series of talks on how consistent these pans can be to aid in the comparison of results between hundreds of creeks sampled by multiple crews from exploration companies. We often referred to them as Milner pans. They work well. But bring rubber gloves if you're in the cold zone.
Never heard of this pan...when I saw the upload, I thought you were using a cymbal! I have to say, I’ve watched your videos on and off, but I’ve watched this entire series! Subscribed yesterday! Why hasn’t someone done this before?
Thanks Dan for this video! Again I'm watching it right now as I'm sitting here panning some more Home Depot Sand! 😁 cant get enough! Thanks! Z-Man- From Virginia, USA
Yea I am panning Home depot Sand for 3 reasons, lol. #1 I am currently waiting on my paydirt to get here. #2 I am not near any areas that are known for having gold (I'm near the Atlantic) and #3 I watched a video of Shane Klesh panning Home Depot dirt and thought I'd give it a go since I'm chomping at the bit to pan some gold. Just having fun ya know.
Another great video Dan. I'm a little surprised at the results of this one but after the other pans tested I'm not shocked. I do however like the theory of this the most. Can't wait to see final results side by side tomorrow.
Dan, unfortunately where I am in Boston there isn't much gold to find. I am still absolutely riveted by watching you, Pioneer Pauly and Klesh Guitar's! Thanks for all the hard work and information!
Peter, you'd be surprised... If you ever get the chance to check out southern Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Just make certain you're sampling alluvially concentrated Black sands from near bedrock. And learn before hand exactly what you are looking for/ will be looking at when you find it. These videos are good for that haha, but sometimes every shiny rock looks like gold when your eyes get wide as a novice. I'm not familiar with Boston area geology at all, but there very well may be a rocky stream that flows on bedrock in places somewhere on the perimeter of Cambridge, with some luck you might even find a glacial micro flake or speck even if there is no local gold in situ. You want quartz, quartzites, and schists, with lots of sulfides and iron staining (orange rocks). And remember the 49ers, some of them earned their living with cook pot lids 😜.
Another great review. My only critique is you didn't rinse your Pay Dirt bucket. But I think the percentage of losses would have been relatively the same depending on what was in the bucket they might be 90% capture rate. Thanks again Dan for reviewing these pans for us to see there are two pans I would love to see you review. The gold hog concentrator which looks like the flow pan. And the Turbo pan
Sorry to bring this up so late in the series, but your calculation is incorrect. If you lost 20 pieces and caught 133, there where 153 pieces in total. Loss is then 20/153 x100% = 13% and capture is 133/153 x100% = 87%
Looks like a great pan to produce a lot of concentrates quickly. I think the limitation here is more the human factor. This really isn't the pan to use if you have a bad back or shoulders near as I can tell.
Good morning. Thank you for making these videos. If possible can you show some of the antique pans that was used in the past.. I remember some Chinese wooded pans from the past. I also seeing some square wooded pans used in Calif... It may become a hobbie for you.
Seeing the different pans..some look to be too cumbersome to be very practical out in a creek or river, while others may take some time to get the finesse of operation down. The super sluice looks like the one for me. Thanks for the test Dan!
Great video Dan. I recently just heard aboot this Batea Pan through Vo-Gus Prospecting on Flash in your pan Live Stream. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Dan great little series, I did notice the flat pan bucket was the only one I notice you washed out and that could be why it was the best pan. Or did I miss something
Thank you Dan always a pleasure to watch the kids in your class are very lucky to have you for a teacher keep the awesome videos coming can't wait to get my sucker bottle holder👍 you are very fair on your ratings of these pans
Thank you sir.👍Excellent video again🤗 - The only setback for this gold pan is that you have to bring a (hot) tub to the river that you want to prospect.🤪 Stay strong and healthy Dan!!
I use the batea pan to get 100 buckets down to half of a pan. I have tested my tailings 3 times with a 98+% capture rate. After that I stopped testning my tailings. The gold I capture is down to 600 mesh
Thanks for using the Batea pan. I saw you tilting the the pan during stratification and think that’s when you lost the gold. Try to keep it level. Overall, it’s a good pan.
Hi Dan, I have enjoyed this series of your videos and the scientific approach you used to verify "apples to apples" comparisons. I was disappointed in the Flow Pan evaluation though. Since you have that big tub you worked with on the Batea and this pan, could you redo the flow pan eval in the large tub using the techniques Doc sets out for proper use of that pan. I know it might take a little time but since the flow pan tipped once and lost some material, as well as not having room to rotate the flow pan to settle the material first before side rocking I think the results were skewed. I do not have a flow pan but in my experience, Doc's products are well thought out and tested before it ever goes on the market, so the abysmal results during that eval just seem to be in error. Then I think the evals would be all on an accurate par. I have all Gold Hog matting in my dredges and sluices and have caught more gold than ever before with them. Of all the equipment I have used from Gold Hog never had any catch rates that low. Thanks again for this series though...
Another great video Dan. Love your panning tub set up. Even though I know you said this is the last one you're testing but really would love to see you test the banjo pan from gold cube. I have one and like to see how it stacks up against all the others.
Nice Job** Nice Movie over Instruktion and the Batea Pan is a fantastic Pan ...i like this Pan * she is really very fast ** Greetings from the Bavarian Forest 😃👍👋
i think with this pan and the flat pan, if you put just a little less in the pan and took the remaining time up to the 5min mark, i dont think they would lose as much as they have when youre working at a faster pace.. like the guy who makes these said in your previous video, its the ONLY pan.. i like this one.,.,as it doubles as a wok.. and triples as a hat if you need to plant or pick rice..
LIKE TO SEE YOU GET SOME HIGH BANK DIRT WHERE YOU FOUND THE GOLD ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND USE THAT PAN TO PROCESS IT. MAYBE PUT THE CREATOR OF THE PAN TO WORK AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HE GETS FROM UP HIGH. JUST SOME THOUGHTS. NICE JOB DAN.
I have worked in Guyana for years. My grandfather taught me to pan Yukon concentrates with a North American style pan when I was 6 years old. I have tried the batea several times as it is the most widely used pan in the world and super fast at concentrating material but I can't get my mind at swirling. taught at a young age no swirling hahahahaha.
That is a very fascinating pan too. Such a simple design. Fantastic series. Thank you for all your effort in putting it together. Funny thing, but found myself wondering if you have made enough boo-boos in the past to do an "outtake" video. That would be fun. 😏😋
It kind of seems like the same panning motion is used for the flat pan and the batea pan. I am also guessing that the only pan you could use for dry panning would be the Garrett super sluice.
You keep I flat for the bulk of the panning, and tip it at the very end to do the cleanup. I’ve seen videos where someone very familiar with this pan was able to quickly clean gold up in the pan without a problem.
