Fluid Bed Prototype

[vtgoldprospector]

Just a note on the sizes of these beds here.. If you make a bed that holds several cubic feet it wouldn't be effective unless you ran many yards of dirt through it. It's total volume is what you are (more or less) concentrating down to. If this was the case then other methods like a sluice would be a more realistic method. The bed is most effective to further reduce cons or as a final stage on a sluice (a just in case stage). How much cons do you typically get? The bed should be a portion of that. With all the variables and sometimes having to empty it mid-run, I would say I reduce my cons by half however I get a lot of coarse iron that makes it less effective.

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[nickmarch]

Just a note on the sizes of these beds here.. If you make a bed that holds several cubic feet it wouldn't be effective unless you ran many yards of dirt through it.

I can and did run three 5 gallon buckets thru the fluid bed in this thread. I could have run 1 bucket and the heavies would still be in the bottom right corner of the fluid bed where it drains. You do have to run yards to get a decent amount of gold no matter what equipment you are using.

It's total volume is what you are (more or less) concentrating down to.

Yes no matter what equipment you use.

If this was the case then other methods like a sluice would be a more realistic method.

A simple stream sluice would take how long to run many yards? Way to long for me! A highbanker can run more material faster but much of the fine gold runs off the end. Gold that would be retained in a fluid bed.

I'm sure you have seen how fine gold acts in a pan. Much of it runs off of a highbanker or dredge.

The bed is most effective to further reduce cons or as a final stage on a sluice (a just in case stage). How much cons do you typically get?

Not much cons as the heavies run out of the bottom first. I can run numerous yards and only need to drain one pan of super cons from the bottom of the tank.

The bed should be a portion of that. With all the variables and sometimes having to empty it mid-run, I would say I reduce my cons by half however I get a lot of coarse iron that makes it less effective.

If I ran 5 yards I would not have to empty the FB until the whole 5 yards was run. How many times would a sluice need to be cleaned up running 5 yards?

I am making a V shaped fluid bed now from aluminum. I made a plywood prototype that worked awesome! It works with water and air. It can be shoveled or dredged into.

I cant weld aluminum and have to wait until the shop has time but when it's done I'd put it up against any sluice for speed and recovery.

[nickmarch]

A fluid bed is not much different than a pan it stratifies so the heavies go to the bottom.

The big difference... with a pan you have to slowly remove the junk from the top down. With a fluid bed you can drain from the bottom.

[John-K]

Nick, are you running your water/air through the hole of the bottom of the funnel? Or are you running a circle of holes higher above and just using the bottom hole for clean out?

[nickmarch]

Nick, are you running your water/air through the hole of the bottom of the funnel? Or are you running a circle of holes higher above and just using the bottom hole for clean out?

I'm not using the funnel Im making a V shaped tank that is sloped to the drain side so everything heavy runs to the deeper drain side. It's 36" long and 24" wide V-shaped on the bottom. As new materials are put in the lighter stuff flows out a hole on top on the low side. In other words... The heavies would have to rise 24" and go 36" to the opposite end from the drain to get out of the v-shaped tank.

The air or water is pumped thru PVC running the length of the tank. Not drilled holes. The pvc has mitered cuts to push to the drain and hold the heavies near the drain. The consistency of the materials will be like quicksand. Not to thick, not to watery.

I'm going to the welding shop tomorrow to bug them to make it. When it's done I'll post pics.

[John-K]

Sounds interesting! Cant wait for some pics. Is it kind of like a Graefes E tank?

[nickmarch]

I think graefes tank has a flat bottom & a vibrator. Mine is a V bottom & no vibrator.

It was dukes e sludge tank that got me thinking. It captures down to 8 microns & can process a lot of material fast.

The v bottom & top exit of the lighter stuff should work as well or better.

[John-K]

I think graefes tank has a flat bottom & a vibrator. Mine is a V bottom & no vibrator.

It was dukes e sludge tank that got me thinking. It captures down to 8 microns & can process a lot of material fast.

The v bottom & top exit of the lighter stuff should work as well or better.

How goes the project? Any pictures yet? ;-)

For some reason when I look at that doc for the Dukes tank the picture never shows. Odd since the others like the Graffes I can see. :-) Silly android viewer.

[nickmarch]

Look at the patent they have multiple drawings.

The tank should be done this week but I don't know when they will let us off/on the island. We aren't even allowed to drive on the island

[John-K]

You over in the bad weather area? Definitely worth just staying in and planning out things. :-) Stay safe!

[nickmarch]

It's fine here. I didn't evacuate. I'm in a cement and iron building.

The welder told me that he lost power and has some trees to cut up but said the fb would be finished this week.

[Astrobouncer]

Looking forward to seeing it! Glad you stayed safe too.