Nozzle attachment for breaking up clay

[Mgumby16]

Hello all, I have a piece of private property that I dredge on and while conducting a sampling regime on a portion of the creek, one of the test holes encountered a layer of gray clay about 1 foot thick and sits directly on bedrock (it is not weathered bedrock as it has small stream gravel in it). This test hole produced 8.6 grains in about 2 hours of dredging mainly chunky stuff very little fines. I watched small balls of clay roll down and out of the sluice. So Im thinking that the clay may have robbed the fines out of the sluice, so i wanted to see if anyone had made an attachment for a dredge nozzle to help break up the clay before it even entered the hose.

I was thinking of making a removal attachment that consists of expanded metal maybe about 1/2 inch openings. When this is pushed down into the clay the clay will be better broken up then just pushing the normal nozzle into it. Has anyone done something like this?

Gold from the test hole with clay (8.6 grains), added up to almost half of what was recovered for the weekend (about 19.6 grains for the weekend)



Thanks,

 

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[Oakview2]

I would use a blaster nozzle and and break it down before it ever enters into the box...

 

[Mgumby16]

I will try that, thank you, but I think it may be too time consuming. The clay very cohesive and sticky (a very FAT CLAY if it were classified) if you squeeze it in you hands it comes shooting out through your fingers. Blasting may just push holes into but I will have to try to find out.

 

[omnicron]

Blaster will do it, just pull you nozzle back from what your blasting and keep it at a distance so it's not sucking clumps. May feel time consuming but it will be much faster then moving millions of cobbles by hand...

 

[2cmorau]

omni, Oak said it sweetly, i lay the nozzle back and start blasting away with one hand and the other be grabin the handchuckers dropped into a basket, woohoo let the gold pile up in a crack, and the plume go through the nozzle

 

[Hoser John]

YES -YES AND YES -this is a forum and folks come here for advice and you just received some great advice so HEED it. Ifn' ya' ain't a blastn' your jus' a piddln' and a diddln'-John

 

[Mgumby16]

Thanks guys I will give blasting a try on it in two weeks when I get back out there. I also plan on giving my attachment idea a try since there are no cobbles in the clay. Sorry I can be bull headed when it comes to figuring out new ways to do things. I will give an update with pics once I get out there again. Once again thank you I appreciate the feed back.

 

[omnicron]

Thanks guys I will give blasting a try on it in two weeks when I get back out there. I also plan on giving my attachment idea a try since there are no cobbles in the clay. Sorry I can be bull headed when it comes to figuring out new ways to do things. I will give an update with pics once I get out there again. Once again thank you I appreciate the feed back.

Any kind of attachment on the end of the nozzle that will cause a reduction in water across you riffle may cause you to lose gold.

 

[Mgumby16]

Well here's the update. My blaster needs to be improved. My friends blaster worked well though.

Had a record weekend for myself at my claim. About 7 grams in 2 days with my 4 inch including about 8, 3 to 4.5 grain nuggets. I will provide some pics once I get to a real computer tonight.

Thanks guys!

 

[Sticks]

Yep blastin is the way to go. Nice job Sir...

 

[2cmorau]

sweet, are ya running your blaster from the high pressure hose( discharge) or the garden hose adapter on the pump

 

[Mgumby16]

Thanks. And I'm running the blaster off of the garden hose attachment on the pump. How would you tap into the high pressure discharge hose?

 

[rebel003]

Keene sells these, I have one and it works great.

 

[2cmorau]

i found that the garden hose attached to the pump to be adequate for most needs, breakin up clay and flushing out deep craks, only once have i found hardpack that required high pressure hose as rebel has posted would had come in really handy, instead i used a slide hammer.

 

[Mgumby16]

Yeah the garden hose will work I just need a better nozzle. And when we really want to but up hard pack we will shut off the dredge and use the 2 inch high pressure line to blast. It's a handful but man does it break everything apart.

 

[minerrick]

If you want "to go to a new level" of blasting bedrock, hook up a pressure washer off the hose out of your pump. No fuss, no muss and it tears up bedrock. I modified my handle so the total length is only 12". I just set the dredge nozzle on the bedrock and blast stuff into it. Lots of stuff. 3000 psi does wonders for rock jammed cracks.

 

[Beeping_Rich]

I wish Florida had gold!!!!!

 

[Sticks]

the type that Keene sells rocks, make your own or buy one you wont be disappointed.

 

[Jason in Enid]

The biggest problem with most blasters is internal size. Be sure to use the 3/4 inch garden hose, not the 1/2 inch. Also make sure that the on/off has a large internal oriface. Too small of a hose restricts the flow rate, and if your valve is too small it will really cut down on the pressure at the nozzle. You will have to play with nozzle tip size to find one that works for you.