And now to the “Gold Cube”. Back in those days I ran a Yahoo Groups Gold Forum. Most of the members were US based. On it I discussed in great detail the challenges of catching ultra fine gold. and how the Boil Box process enabled this to be achieved as long as the feed stock was basically taken down to sand size. The system would not handle straight gravel, so it had to be screened out by a grizzly or a mesh screen. I got a few interested in the process, esp those in Oregon where similar beaches as here in NZ existed, which carried ultra fine beach gold.
One day a US guy named Mike Pung was directed to the group. Mike had gone on a mission up to Lake Superior, I think it was. On the banks on the shore line, were layers of black sand which contained ultrsa fine gold. Now on an ocean beach the layers are built up by wave and tide action, layed down, then buried. And this process just keeps on repeating itself. As I have previously explained, some beaches here in NZ, have the pay layers going down to greater depths, and some aare only surface layers. There one day and gone the next. The deeper ground is normally stranded deposits further inland from the existing beach. But in the case of Tauranga Bay, because it was a Bay and somewhat protected, it was a deeper deposit.,Lower gold grade, but plenty of it. Down South Westland at Okarito etc Small, Bucket dredges were built to mine these un-cemented inland deposits. Similar occurred at Barrytown, but the Bucket Dredge there was somewhat larger.
Mike found that he was unable to catch the ultra fine Lake Superior gold, with conventional methods. And he was seeking a way to achieve it. I supplied him with my email address, and I set out to assist him. After all the process I was using was giving me a 98% recovery rate, I was always testing my tailings and input grade. a 150 spec shovel sample from the face. Resulted in a 2 spec shovel sample from the tailings. I was more than happy with that. That lousy 2 specs weren’t worth saving and I had no trouble letting them go.
So Mike made up a set up similar to mine, but on a smaller scale, Much the same size as a regular sluice box. Screened the imput material of course, and had a series of Boil Boxes built into the sluice system. Off he returned to Lake Superior and voila , he was able to finally capture that ultra fine gold. He was somewhat impressed to say the least.
Now Mike must have got thinking, there is a market for this in the US, and in fact world wide. Sure there were many varied systems for treating concentrates, and retaining the ultra fine gold. Some worked to a degree, some were useless. And the ones that actually worked well, like shaking tables etc were somewhat expensive and bulky to say the least. Mike was obviously thinking along the lines, that 1. This process could be used to deal with concentrates only, or could be utilized as a primary system. Or both processes. He rang me and asked if I had patented the process. I told him, No I hadn’t, And explained to him the history of it. The Shetland Islanders were the ones who came up with it. Not me. I refined it a bit, but the basic process was similar to a conventional sluice, and that certainly couldn’t be patented. As it is a principle that had been in use for eon’s.
The use of a gravitational column for sorting material by its specific gravity had also been around for eons. But used in different applications. Mike told me he was going to work on it, with a direction of making a version that he could market. And did I have a problem with that. I told him, "no, go for it, and wished him well. Mike’s occupation at the time was wood working, and making spiral wooden staircases etc. I had seen some of his work. And he was a true craftsman indeed. Mike said he would keep me up to play on how it was going.
Being inventive I guess he came up with the idea of making the process more compact. more lighter and produced in a format or design that actually could be patented. Mike made various prototypes, even one out of clear perspex so he could observed the actions of the water and the column etc. Many prototypes were made and put to one side. And this took a lot of money and time. .Finally Mike had it done. And he then had to spend a great deal of cash getting the molds made, And thus the “Gold Cube” was born., I like to think of it, “As Born in the USA”, but conceived at Tauranga Bay. Westport New Zealand. Of course then the hard part started, how to market it, and get the gold seeking public interested in it. It was a completely new concept to market… And breaking into an established market and getting people to think outside the box ain’t easy. Mike and his Partner Red Wilcox, attended many gold shows across the US. The 'Cube" hit the many Gold Forums going at the time. No FB back in those days. There was skepticism from some. But as they sold, and proved their worth and ability to catch ultra fine gold at a fraction of the cost of more expensive and bulky systems. The Cube became a world wide hit. And remains there today. Every time I see one being used on one of the Discovery Gold Programs. Well my head swells just a tad. Incidentally Mike sent out to me here in New Zealand a "Gold Cube with the high banker attachment for gratis. And yep he did a very fine job indeed. It was great to be associated with this invention. And see where it has got to, today.
And that Folks is “The End”. I finally located a pic of some beach gold from Tauranga Bay on my streaming down table. About 5 ozs there. I used to call it the golden fleece. That streaming was a long process, pity the Cube hadn’t been invented then eh.
Don’t worry about the gold going to the end. I ran the concentrates through again, after the mat was cleaned. And then what was left was taken back down the beach and thrown back onto the table. Nothing ever ascaped me.
Cheers Trev aka " Kiwigold" . . .