16" TROMMEL BUILD INSPIRED BY AZVIPER

Doitlaynstyle

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Feb 21, 2013
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So I have started gathering supplies to begin my trommel build. I'll post a link to AZ's thread which is my inspiration for this build but I'm also planning a different style. I'll be using easily obtainable parts so that rebuilding in the event of failure is possible without fabricating new parts. I'm thinking that at eight foot long I'm going to just turn this thing into a small trailer or build it on a small trailer so that I can also haul the extra gear and make the weekend trips a little more do-able. I will be using one of the two roto-tillers for the gear reduction and I am contemplating using a tubed rubber tire as a drive wheel instead of running a full gear ring on the beast. I will probably still use roller blade wheels for the cylinder rotation but I am probably going to use four on bottom and four on top to lock the cylinder into place so the tire doesn't knock the cylinder up off the bearing wheels.

I'm also hoping that I can get my hands on a claim soon and I'll also be using my father's back-hoe to stockpile dirt, move tailing piles, and create a reclamation pond. Anyway this is the start of a long slow winter because money is tight. We just bought a new house and I'm scrimping more than usual. I'm hoping to build a new 12" sluice box but I might just have to extend my current 10" box. Like AZ I'm hoping to use gold hog mating but that's only if I can afford it. Most likely I'll run my rifles and miners moss first followed by another 3' of box with the gold hog mat I currently have. So enough of this for now. I'll add photos here and link AZ's thread.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/364420-12-inch-trommel-build.html
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Doitlaynstyle

Doitlaynstyle

Hero Member
Feb 21, 2013
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Keith, so now you've seen that yellow sand that haunts me. What do you think that is? You notice that it's left after you pan away all the black? Weird stuff
 

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Doitlaynstyle

Doitlaynstyle

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Feb 21, 2013
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So my saga continues. BLACK BETTY sold yesterday and a guy from Oregon is coming to pick her up on Sunday. What an amazing feeling. With the funds I'm going to be investing in a new welder and starting another build. I have some new ideas to incorporate into it and I'm going to be using a larger barrel. Very exciting!
 

joncutt87

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Nov 2, 2014
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If you're looking for names for the new trommel
MegaTrom (like Megatron from transformers)
Aull aboard
 

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Gelmac

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Apr 30, 2012
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Layn I like your trommel build. Sad to know it is sold, but of course you can build another bigger, better, faster one :)

I am gleaning some ideas from your build for another trommel project I am working on. I will post about it when I have the funding and start the build. How about incorporating different sizes of holes for classification in the same barrel?

I took screenshots of a youtube video , that shows a trommel with several different sizes to show what I am talking about.

The holes are 5/5 ", then 1/4 " and the last set are 1/8 ". The builder of that trommel claims that 99% of the gold the trommel catches will fall into the 1/8 " holes. He has a sluice attached under the trommel barrel, act like a pan that shakes back and forth. The trommel has two 1/2" adjustable drive shafts, with an adjustable wheels .


Trommel catches more Gold than most on the market-12h44m20s17-.jpg

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I think there are commercial trommels using the same principal as mentioned above. One can then put one sluice under each trommel set of holes to catch the slurry that's coming out of it. Classifying to different sizes and catch them all, the idea behind this design.

This pic I found it somewhere on the net. I think it is of New Zealand operation.
If you zoom into the picture you can see three different sizes of holes and there are three sluices for each set of holes. The barrel has also enough solid "tumbling" area for a good wash of the material before escaping the trommel through the holes. Cool design !

trommels-36x20-75-yd-hr-01_crpscl.jpg
 

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Doitlaynstyle

Doitlaynstyle

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Feb 21, 2013
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Thanks for all the replies to my build. I think the biggest thing I learned about my trommel build is feed rate. If you don't have a constant and precise feed rate the trommel will not perform as one would wish. A smaller hopper with a good wash down, and slightly larger, maybe 5/8-11/16 classification area would be perfect. I'll be building another. I have a few other ideas about wear and tear but the second biggest thing is that last ring after the classification area. It stops any splash past the classification area. I'm still 100 percent gold hog matting And I will never go back to any other type of mat. Thanks to Doc and our personal communications this build turned out to be a winner. One last thanks to AZ for the inspiration. Without you this build wouldn't have started. I'm so happy to see that you finally got yours out there and got some gold.
 

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