Catching gold in Russian wooden lotoks

World Placer Journal - 2006 - Volume 6, pages 22-35. Gold recovery in lotoks in Russia - the term 'lotoking'. Robin Grayson¹ (1) General Director of Eco-Minex International
The lotok recovers gold, platinum, tin (cassiterite), diamonds and gems. It may be better than a pan - tracer tests are needed...		ABSTRACT The lotok is distinctive in being a unique combination of 2 inclined trays joined together in a gentle v-shape. The article sets out to clarify the special character of a lotok and why it remains so popular among geologists, mining engineers and placer mining companies inside the former Soviet Union and Mongolia, and why the lotok has been so comprehensively rejected by nearly all of Mongolia’s artisanal miners. The operation of the lotok is distinctive and indicates the device is related to thin-film separators such as tables, shaking tables, belts and vanners. The term ‘lotoking’ introduced to distinguish the operation from pans. The lotok has remain little changed for more than 70 years and continues to play a central role in placer mines, gold rooms, placer drilling sites and heavy mineral prospecting throughout the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. The continuing success of the lotok is attributed to it being ideal for industrial scale upgrading of concentrate in combination with a water bath. No technical account of the lotok appears to have been published. The author is unaware of any scientific tests on the percentage gold recovery of lotoks in any language. It remains unclear if the lotok is more efficient at recovering fine gold and flat gold than is a pan, batea, dulang, ninja bowl, trinity bowl, grizzly pan, mat, bucket or any other sort of hand-driven gravitational device. DOWNLOAD ARTICLE GO TO NEXT ARTICLE
	HEWN FROM WOOD.. the lotok can be made wherever trees exist. Small gold nuggets in a lotok in a placer mine in Mongolia.
	WATER BATHS.. the lotok requires calm static water to operate, making a water bath virtually essential.
	PROSPECTING WITH LOTOK... A water bath is still essential, encouraging the lotok to become narrower to fit snugly in the narrowest possible water bath. This seems more comfortable than panning.
	A METAL LOTOK... Innovation with the lotok is desirable, one advance being making them from metal, but wood is cheaper and the rough grain helps to trap the gold.