getting better recovery on keene 151

[KevinInColorado]

Kevin, get Jim staights "Follow the Drywashers". Very comprehensive. Read it 2 or 3 times . He answers every question. G/L

kevin thanks. ive been dry washing for 20 years, jim straight was going to use my big dry washer (backhoe fed)In one of his books, don't know if he did though. these mods are from experience, not just theory.

Ok guys, I'm confused...my wife got Follow The Drywashers for me for my birthday and it seems to be focused on metal detecting. Is this really the right book for me to learn about Drywashing?

 

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[rodoconnor]

Yes Kevin. It is focused on MD but has a huge amount of info on DWing. It is the best source of DW information. Read it a couple of times. Not trying to give you a bum steer. Have you done any DW yet?. Don't forget to bring along a MD to hit your piles for the big ones that may hve grizzled off.G/L

 

[KevinInColorado]

Yes Kevin. It is focused on MD but has a huge amount of info on DWing. It is the best source of DW information. Read it a couple of times. Not trying to give you a bum steer. Have you done any DW yet?. Don't forget to bring along a MD to hit your piles for the big ones that may hve grizzled off.G/L

ok, great, I do see that some of the chapters are focused on Drywashing

...and no I have practiced setting the machine up but have not been able to try it out yet. Maybe this weekend, otherwise it will be late Aug due to other commitments. Sure is hard to have a great piece of gear and a spot to try it out...and have to wait!

 

[prospect007]

hey kevin, did you make it out dry washing?

 

[AzViper]

I have found that you cannot level a drywasher using a level. Most importantly is to watch how the dirt is flowing over the riffles and out the end. If you level it dirt will run down one side. Also 15 degrees on the riffle box appears to be the optimum angle, but this is going to vary on motor speed, flow rate, size of material, etc. Just my two cents...

 

[AzViper]

I was always under the assumption that 40 (5 gallon buckets) equal a yard of dirt.

1 yard is 27 cubic feet
1 – 5 gallon bucket holds .668 cubic ft.
12 – full five gallon buckets equals 8 cubic feet
36 – full five gallon buckets equals 24 cubic feet.

The remaining 3 cubic feet then can be calculated, .668 x 4.5 buckets equals 3.006 cubic feet.
Bottom line it takes 40 full 5 gallon buckets to equal 1 yard. Because dirt and rock is not going to fill all the voids within the bucket you most likely after digging 40 - 5 gallon buckets will not have dug 1 yard of dirt and rock. The rounded correct answer would be, 1 yard equals 40.395 five gallon buckets.

 

[KevinInColorado]

hey kevin, did you make it out dry washing?

Nope, we've been getting loads of rain so no way yet. Usually it dries out here in late Aug and early Sept so I'm still hoping for a shot at it before winter. Very wet year here this year

 

[KevinInColorado]

1 yard is 27 cubic feet 1 – 5 gallon bucket holds .668 cubic ft. 12 – full five gallon buckets equals 8 cubic feet 36 – full five gallon buckets equals 24 cubic feet. The remaining 3 cubic feet then can be calculated, .668 x 4.5 buckets equals 3.006 cubic feet. Bottom line it takes 40 full 5 gallon buckets to equal 1 yard. Because dirt and rock is not going to fill all the voids within the bucket you most likely after digging 40 - 5 gallon buckets will not have dug 1 yard of dirt and rock. The round correct answer would be, 1 yard equals 40.395 five gallon buckets.

Or in real life with loose packed, not quite full buckets, and easy to remember '50'.

 

[rodoconnor]

Hey Kevin , the absolute ,most important thing to remember when D/Wing is dry. If your material is even slightly damp it really affects recovery. There are a lot of things that can be done to dry the dirt but how many times do you want to handle the material.G/L

 

[AzViper]

Or in real life with loose packed, not quite full buckets, and easy to remember '50'.

Kevin in real life I just want to remember 40 cause hauling 40 buckets is a bit*h... up or down the hill.

 

[Mike Gibson]

I have found that you cannot level a drywasher using a level. Most importantly is to watch how the dirt is flowing over the riffles and out the end. If you level it dirt will run down one side. Also 15 degrees on the riffle box appears to be the optimum angle, but this is going to vary on motor speed, flow rate, size of material, etc. Just my two cents...

Is this pertaining to your Royal Drywasher?

 

[AzViper]

Yes it is Mike. I believe I replied to you regarding leveling your Royal, but I have seen this with other drywashers as well.

 

[prospect007]

the level on the sluice needs to be attached after you have run some dirt and can see that the flow is even across the sluice (from side to side). the level on the hopper needs to be attached when the rocks just begin to slide off the screen.

 

[AzViper]

Personally I do not see a need to have any levels attached to the drywasher... Again just a visual will tell the user what needs to be done.

 

[prospect007]

having a level on there just make's it quicker and easier to be in the ball park to make the small adjustments that are needed during the run.

 

[azblackbird]

Personally I do not see a need to have any levels attached to the drywasher... Again just a visual will tell the user what needs to be done.

Ditto… way much easier just to eye ball it and start running dirt. You'll know within the first couple buckets of material where you need to be.

 

[SLNugget]

prospect007 thanks for the info. I am having trouble visualizing the mod listed as #7 in your first post. Can you post a photo or clarify what you mean there for me? Thanks,

 

[prospect007]

for some reason i'm unable to post pic's, but if your looking at the back of the hopper where the dirt comes out the bottom. if you cut the back of the hopper straight across, making a larger opening, then make a slide plate (gate) and screw it to the back of the hopper. now there is adjustment. when I run classified material I close the gate for a more controlled dirt flow. if I run bank run dirt (unclassified) I open the slide gate for better flow. the bottom slide gate I usually set even with the back of the hopper, unless i'm running classified material. hope this helps.

 

[AzViper]

for some reason i'm unable to post pic's, but if your looking at the back of the hopper where the dirt comes out the bottom. if you cut the back of the hopper straight across, making a larger opening, then make a slide plate (gate) and screw it to the back of the hopper. now there is adjustment. when I run classified material I close the gate for a more controlled dirt flow. if I run bank run dirt (unclassified) I open the slide gate for better flow. the bottom slide gate I usually set even with the back of the hopper, unless i'm running classified material. hope this helps.

Never seen the bottom of the 151 but most drywashers I have seen have this gate that slides with two thumb nuts to control the flow. How does Keene control the flow?

 

[SLNugget]

Never seen the bottom of the 151 but most drywashers I have seen have this gate that slides with two thumb nuts to control the flow. How does Keene control the flow?

the same Keith. Trying to figure out if the cut is on the v bottom or where.