Mini dredge

[Bryan V]

I picked up a Honda WX10 pump off craigslist to use around the cabin.
I started thinking I might be able to make a mini dredge for cleaning out crevices..
would this little pump run a 1 1/2" suction nozzle for short periods of time.
Maybe set it up with a spray nozzle too for blasting out cracks.
I have never ran a dredge. I usually metal detect and just run a sluice so I'm pretty
clueless about dredging.
What do you think?
Any ideas for an ultralight setup?
i like simple and light.

 

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[omnicron]

37gpm. I don't know... seems a little small.
I can tell you that you'll end up being much further ahead if you buy a used dredge off craigslist. By the time you buy all the needed parts you'll have spent between 500 and 1000 bucks PLUS your time to build and test, tweak it, further test and so on. Plus the lost gold, fuel spent and frustration. Also if your married, then you'll have the wife saying "Your spending more money" even though in your mind you justify the expense...oh wait maybe that my wife lol, but you get my point.


Sorry if this is not what you want to hear but I've been there, done that, learned from my mistakes, spent more money trying to cobble something together then I would of just buying a used one. This was my first year of course. I did of course build my current dredge (6") and I've saved $1000's over a used one but when you start increasing in size the price also seems to double to triple even on used ones.

Check out this thread:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/dredging-hi-banking/409455-dredge-newbies.html

I see your in WA so you need to first verify that where you want to work is open to dredging.

 

[Hoser John]

That pump will make a good underwater blaster. Just jump in the cool water,float that thang and be cool in the heat a summer and get it on. John

 

[Bryan V]

37gpm. I don't know... seems a little small.
I can tell you that you'll end up being much further ahead if you buy a used dredge off craigslist. By the time you buy all the needed parts you'll have spent between 500 and 1000 bucks PLUS your time to build and test, tweak it, further test and so on. Plus the lost gold, fuel spent and frustration. Also if your married, then you'll have the wife saying "Your spending more money" even though in your mind you justify the expense...oh wait maybe that my wife lol, but you get my point.


Sorry if this is not what you want to hear but I've been there, done that, learned from my mistakes, spent more money trying to cobble something together then I would of just buying a used one. This was my first year of course. I did of course build my current dredge (6") and I've saved $1000's over a used one but when you start increasing in size the price also seems to double to triple even on used ones.

Check out this thread:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/dredging-hi-banking/409455-dredge-newbies.html

I see your in WA so you need to first verify that where you want to work is open to dredging.

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying. I probably wasn't very clear about what I want because I really don't know exactly what I want.
I don't want a full dredge setup. I'm trying to stay real light and mobile. I just want to be able to run a
spray nozzle and be able to suck up small areas sometimes.
Even if I'm just running it in to a bucket for a short time. (If that is even possible) Mostly I will be just shoveling bank material in to an ultra light sluice. When I get down to the bedrock I want to be able to spray some water in to the area and suck it out. I'm always reaching in with my hands trying to scoop it out and I know I'm leaving gold..
I just wasn't sure if that little honda can create any suction with a 1 1/2" nozzle.
I do my prospecting in N Idaho and am able to run a small dredge where I go.

 

[mxer47]

John has the answer in his post, use the pump to blow out the crevices directly into a bucket, pan etc. under water.

 

[Kruzman]

It will run a 1.5 and remove your fingers, or 2 in if your not lifting more than a few inches, but you need to use a tri or quad jet at least

 

[Reed Lukens]

Forget the small dredge idea because you can shovel 10 times faster than any small dredge 2½" and smaller. Like John said, use it as a blaster or hydraulic mine with it if it's legal where you are. You can't beat the speed of water

 

[Timberdoodle]

Like Kruzman says. It's definitely possible to run a 1 1/2 from a wx10 . I run a 2" on a wx10 using a quad jet. This jet only uses 20gpm at 25psi with 80gpm suction. There aren't any 1 1/2" jet's that I am aware of on the market that use less than 30-40gpm so you would have to build your own jet whether that be tri, quad, infinity etc.. I would probably go with a 1 1/2" jet , 18" of hose in front of the jet for some flexibility and reach and 5 feet of hose after the jet dumping into a 5g bucket. Connect a splitter to the jet and a hose for a blaster and you would have a nice light sniping setup which is what I think your looking for based on your post. A 1 1/2 would be best to run both the jet and blaster simultaneously for that size pump even with the best jet.

 

[Bryan V]

Like Kruzman says. It's definitely possible to run a 1 1/2 from a wx10 . I run a 2" on a wx10 using a quad jet. This jet only uses 20gpm at 25psi with 80gpm suction. There aren't any 1 1/2" jet's that I am aware of on the market that use less than 30-40gpm so you would have to build your own jet whether that be tri, quad, infinity etc.. I would probably go with a 1 1/2" jet , 18" of hose in front of the jet for some flexibility and reach and 5 feet of hose after the jet dumping into a 5g bucket. Connect a splitter to the jet and a hose for a blaster and you would have a nice light sniping setup which is what I think your looking for based on your post. A 1 1/2 would be best to run both the jet and blaster simultaneously for that size pump even with the best jet.

Thanks Timberdoodle. You understand what I was trying to do. I'm a little impatient and after a few post to my thread
i sold my wx10 thinking it wouldn't work. I will just buy the wx15 with a good pump from Keene or Proline.
Hopefully I will be able to build a decent setup with that. It's a little heavier but close to triple the gpm.
i have a lot to learn about dredges and jets so I will do a little more research before I buy any parts.
I just know I want to stay light, portable, and simple.
Thanks

 

[Timberdoodle]

Glad to help Bryan, FYI An off the shelf wx15 is rated for 72gpm and would work to run a 1 1/2" off the shelf suction nozzle and blaster simultaneously. You could save a few bucks and priming of the pump is much easier. A Keene p90 pump combo is a great pump, easily step up to a 2" or 2.5" and have the future potential to run a highbanker etc..which you may find necessary moving more material quickly. It's a tough choice between lightweight and material movement. The bigger my equipment gets, the less places I want to drag it into to "check". Small and light has some very good points.

 

[Reed Lukens]

I have never ran a dredge. I usually metal detect and just run a sluice so I'm pretty
clueless about dredging.
What do you think?
Any ideas for an ultralight setup?
i like simple and light.

We know what you are thinking Brian and because we have dredged for decades with all different sizes of dredges from 1½ to 10". You're in Idaho where you have some really good gold areas. My partner Jim was designing a 4" dredge to run off of twin P100's for the weight. You have never dredged and we have told you what's up. A 1½" dredge isn't something that I would even start my 5 year old grand daughter with. A 2½ has merit as a sniping dredge but that is the smallest. You're thinking to small for Idaho, you want portable then go with a 4" submersible with a Keene P100 pump and just go for broke. Smaller isn't better when it comes to finding gold. How many 1" rocks will a 1½" dredge run in 3 seconds? How many 1" rocks can you shovel in that amount of time? Building a piece of machinery that is 20 times slower than a hand shovel makes about as much sense as taking a toy Tonka Tractor out there to dig with for a child's enjoyment. Even the Tonka Tractor will out produce a 1½" dredge. You're a lot better off with a sluice box and a shovel.

 

[Bryan V]

We know what you are thinking Brian and because we have dredged for decades with all different sizes of dredges from 1½ to 10". You're in Idaho where you have some really good gold areas. My partner Jim was designing a 4" dredge to run off of twin P100's for the weight. You have never dredged and we have told you what's up. A 1½" dredge isn't something that I would even start my 5 year old grand daughter with. A 2½ has merit as a sniping dredge but that is the smallest. You're thinking to small for Idaho, you want portable then go with a 4" submersible with a Keene P100 pump and just go for broke. Smaller isn't better when it comes to finding gold. How many 1" rocks will a 1½" dredge run in 3 seconds? How many 1" rocks can you shovel in that amount of time? Building a piece of machinery that is 20 times slower than a hand shovel makes about as much sense as taking a toy Tonka Tractor out there to dig with for a child's enjoyment. Even the Tonka Tractor will out produce a 1½" dredge. You're a lot better off with a sluice box and a shovel.

Thanks for your input Reed. This is a hobby for me. I'm not trying to make a living dredging gold.
I enjoy hiking around with light gear and just playing around.
Hauling in truck loads of equipment doesn't appeal to me.
Im trying to have fun. Sometimes when I find a little spot I want to work with my sluice I wish I had a little
mini dredge with me to help work the area.
I was thinking a small dredge might help me clean up some tight areas that are hard to get my shovel in to.
Like you said the small dredge just might be a total waste of time and energy.
I understand that the more material you move the more gold you get, and I have seen enough dredging operations both in Idaho and Alaska to know that I don't want to go that route myself.
I appreciate your input because you seem to have a lot experience for production dredging , but not everyone is trying to get rich prospecting. I might be sluicing one minute and picking huckleberries the next. Just enjoying the outdoors.
If I find a few pickers along the way it's just a bonus.
Maybe some day I will stumble in to some real hot ground and get more excited about moving some material.
For now I just want to stay light and simple. It gives me more freedom.
thanks

 

[okbasspro]

Just buy or build a hand dredge to work with your sluice nice and small light and cheap. Will let you clean the bedrock and cracks you can't get with the shovel.

 

[Reed Lukens]

I play around these days also because that's what works for us, panning, sluicing, using my hand dredge, (which is a wonderful piece of equipment) along with berry picking or wild fruit trees that could use some pruning. It's still all about fun and with a set up that small, you will use it for 5 minutes and then throw it on a shelf in the back of the garage, so I'm just saving you a step I'm glad that you sold the motor & ended that issue. I have carried dredges for miles in a wheelbarrow for this type of fun. As far as the WX15, we have 1 and used it a lot for highbanking but the weight wasn't a big deal with carrying or floating in a 5hp Proline HP350 so the WX15 is just used to run water to the shower. The HP350 at just above idle will run our highbanker for about 6 hours give or take on 1 tank of gas. I run light also and this is a lot of fun. We've been living in a tent at the river since May 28th now and having a blast. We have ran a bunch of different sluices, ran our South Yuba High Banker off of the WX15 on a test hole and then switched over to the Proline because it runs for hours over the WX15. Anyway, what I am saying is that smaller is great but there is a point where too small becomes boring or useless. When you put a lot of time into building something and then find out that you don't like it because it is too slow or whatever, you always say to yourself, "If I had known this before I built it, I would have done something else". And this is where you will find yourself with a 1½". I love our 2½'s and I can run a 4" sub off of the same motor, a Keene P100. It's small, light, portable, and runs in many different configurations. So my whole point here is just to save you that step of saying to yourself "If I had known this before I built it, I would have done something else". If you have never read Sam Radding's "Underwater Sniping for Gold", this is an excellent book that's right up your alley. It was one of those books that I read a few times because it holds so much good knowledge for small light weight prospecting. You will refer to this book many times as a prospector.
Underwater Sniping for Gold: Sam Radding & Jim Garlock: 9780972612814: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Bryan V]

Thanks for the tips and book recommendation Reed. I will have to look in to the hand dredge again.
I had a small one years ago and it didn't work well and was nothing but a hassle to work with.
Maybe there are some better designs out now.

 

[Reed Lukens]

 

[specksandflecks]

If I could add anything it would be to consider a 3-4hp motor or just enough to run air. Think smallest I've seen is a 3.5 hp motor with pump and air, not 100% on that though.

Yes air means Extra Stuff but it also means a new world with more possibilities.

Eyes On Work. Even if it just means getting your head under water, will help.

The little 2.5 HP Honda/P90 package is a good one for the weight. Buying it new from Keene is way too expensive IMO though.

Whatever you decide remember the pump/motor/air is the heart of your operations. Don't skimp on quality, this goes for condition as well as manufacturer.

If you can find the P100 lightly used on a 3.5 hp motor you should go for that. The motor has enough power to run air and you'll have plenty of pump for 2-3" dredge and highbanking even if a good distance away.

 

[Dain8404]

Great info! Thanks

 

[Timberdoodle]

Thanks for the tips and book recommendation Reed. I will have to look in to the hand dredge again.
I had a small one years ago and it didn't work well and was nothing but a hassle to work with.
Maybe there are some better designs out now.

I find myself sniping quite often and usually find my best pickers this way. Reed makes some good points about a 1 1/2" not being able to move much material and that a shovel and sluice can move more. I fully agree that when starting a crevice or cleaning down to bedrock should be done first with a shovel and classifier used with a sluice, but once you have moved all the material you can with a shovel, that's when a using a small powered dredge can really help clean off the bedrock and get into the cracks and crevices. I haven't been very impressed using hand dredges either, mostly because I have to constantly reposition to work a hand dredge after prying a crack or working with a crevice tool. Being able to work a pry bar or crevice tool while sucking out material at the same time is so much more efficient. Add a blaster and you have a very efficient tool to work cracks and be able to work above the waterline also. I find crevicing to be a slow process and I'm not usually moving volumes of material, but spending time to break the material out of the crack. I believe the 1 1/2" powered unit with a blaster has considerable merit for this purpose, just understand it's limitations like any tool and work with a shovel and other tools when faced with moving larger volumes.