My latest jig design, with video

[Jim in Idaho]

I've been working towards a portable jig for prospectors. Jigs are probably the most under-used equipment, though they work better than almost anything else when it comes to retaining fine gold, and also gems. The trouble is they're labor-intensive to build, and thus expensive, and they're usually too heavy to backpack. I'm working toward solving both, though I'm not there yet. This unit is mostly plastic, so MUCH lighter than My steel framed unit. This is a prototype, and I'm working on a new design now. Here's a few pics:
The video is here:

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Impressive!

I have a good friend who welded one up. Two guys could barely lift it into his F150!

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Thanks, Kevin. I haven't weighed it yet, but I think it's under 25 lbs, with the pump. It will handle 175-200lbs/hour. The legs and spreaders are easily removed, so it will fit on a pack frame, easily. Only draws a couple of amps, so don't need a huge battery.
Jim

 

[63bkpkr]

Howdy Idaho Jim,
Thank you for the vid of your jig in action. So a form of trommel along with a pumped water source that of course can be recirced. I will caution you on the frog sound the machine makes especially if you use some yellow paint on the legs as the FS might just turn it into an endangered species.
Then again it might just be a comforting sound to listen to late at night just before falling to sleep, it might be a multi-purpose/use device. Cool invention! Keep up the thinking and tinkering!!

ABS plastic is a fairly strong material that can be easily vacuum heat formed into many shapes, vacuum forming is what it is called.

If the pump does not require much current, would it run off of a solar array? Solar energy kits can be had from Harbor Freight, or the last time I looked they had them.

What sort of classifying will your system need to function properly? I saw only sharp edged gravel and not much in the way of dirt so I assume that was just for test purposes but the unit will function on the classic dirt/gravel sample we are all used to working with.

Is the trommel planned as a permanent part of the jig or is hand feeding of the jig anticipated out in the field?

Where would the heavies be trapped in the jig?

Best of success with your jig unit......................63bkpkr

 

[russau]

ive stopped useing alum for my equipment! to costly! ABS is 1/2 the price and lighter. i form it in my brake and use my heat gun to soften the ABS to bend it. and the ABS adhesive(once cured) wont ever come apart!

 

[loco oro]

i believe you are on right track there man,one that is portiable friendly very cool!

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

I've been working towards a portable jig for prospectors. Jigs are probably the most under-used equipment, though they work better than almost anything else when it comes to retaining fine gold, and also gems. The trouble is they're labor-intensive to build, and thus expensive, and they're usually too heavy to backpack. I'm working toward solving both, though I'm not there yet. This unit is mostly plastic, so MUCH lighter than My steel framed unit. This is a prototype, and I'm working on a new design now. Here's a few pics:
The video is here:YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3BoS5UkYX4
<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=905492"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=905493"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=905491"/>

Would you mind sharing the blueprint my friend?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Howdy Idaho Jim,
Thank you for the vid of your jig in action. So a form of trommel along with a pumped water source that of course can be recirced. I will caution you on the frog sound the machine makes especially if you use some yellow paint on the legs as the FS might just turn it into an endangered species.
Then again it might just be a comforting sound to listen to late at night just before falling to sleep, it might be a multi-purpose/use device. Cool invention! Keep up the thinking and tinkering!!

ABS plastic is a fairly strong material that can be easily vacuum heat formed into many shapes, vacuum forming is what it is called.

If the pump does not require much current, would it run off of a solar array? Solar energy kits can be had from Harbor Freight, or the last time I looked they had them.

What sort of classifying will your system need to function properly? I saw only sharp edged gravel and not much in the way of dirt so I assume that was just for test purposes but the unit will function on the classic dirt/gravel sample we are all used to working with.

Is the trommel planned as a permanent part of the jig or is hand feeding of the jig anticipated out in the field?

Where would the heavies be trapped in the jig?

Best of success with your jig unit......................63bkpkr

Yes...it can easily be hand-fed. It will also handle dirt just fine, though the water would get dirty really fast...too dirty to reuse. I like using the auto-feeder, assuming I can get my pickup close to where I'm working.
Now, on the location of concentrates in the jig...it depends. If going for gems only, you classify to two sizes +#8 to -#4, and +#4 to -#2. the reason for that is simple...gems only weigh about 50% more than the general gravel. If you try and run large and small together, you lose gems. The screen I use is about #10, so, since the gravel is roughly cleaned and classified to #8 it won't go through the screen, so it ends up on top of the screen, under the ragging (the general gravel).
If you're after both gold and gems, you still use self-ragging (the general gravel in the screen box), but since you're after gold, you are also letting all the small stuff go through the jig. The dirt has the same specific gravity as the rock, so it goes through the ragging, through the screen, and ends up in the hutch. You have to drain the hutch frequently under these operating conditions, or you end up with a bunch of packed mud in the bottom...not good. The gold under #10 mesh ends up in the hutch with the dirt....the gems and larger gold end up on top of the screen.
If going for gold or platinum only, you can use steel balls for ragging. Since steel is heavier than dirt, you don't get much mud in the hutch....just gold and black sand. Again, the gold larger than #10 ends up on top of the screen, under the steel shot...smaller gold and black sand in the hutch. You don't have to drain the hutch nearly as often, because there's much less dirt getting down there. If you want really clean cons, you can use lead shot as ragging...that's so heavy it gets rid of most of the black sand, but you will also lose a bit of the finer gold. Of course, using steel or lead as ragging means you won't recover any gems....they just go out with the rest of the waste material.
Jigs can be set up to do about anything you want. The general rules on the ragging go like this:
The larger the ragging material, the more cons you get, and vice-versa.
The heavier the ragging material, the fewer cons you get, and vice-versa
The thicker the ragging layer, the fewer cons you get " " "
The faster the water flow, the fewer cons
Pulse rate also has an effect, but it varies with the material you're after. This unit is a single speed at about 75CPM., which would work very well for fine gold. Finer, flatter gold takes longer to settle, because of it's shape, so you need a longer interval between pulses. That slower pulse rate has no negative effect on larger, coarser gold...it simply reduces the amount of material you can run per hour.
If I were using this jig, I'd put a two-lobed cam on it, to double the speed, than install a pulse-width-modulated speed control to have an adjustable 70-140 CPM unit. I just don't want to put any more time into it, as it is just a test prototype, and I'm selling it. It will work fine, as is.
As for running it on solar, I need to check the current draw of both the water pump, and drive motor to see how much current it actually uses. Then it could be determined how much solar panel is needed to do the job.
Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Would you mind sharing the blueprint my friend?

I have no prints, sorry. I just build them out of my head. At some point, when I have finalized the design, I'm going to build and sell the units, and also kits, and plans. But, it takes a lot of work to draw plans, and I don't want to put the effort in until I have the design finalized. The unit in the video has an aluminum cam, steel drive shaft, supported by Delrin bushings glued into the ABS body, and a Delrin cam follower to activate the pulse arm. 1/8" diaphragm material.
I have about 50 hours in the jig construction, including "head scratching" time...LOL
Jim

 

[russau]

yep i like it also!

 

[IdahoJake]

I have no prints, sorry. I just build them out of my head. At some point, when I have finalized the design, I'm going to build and sell the units, and also kits, and plans. But, it takes a lot of work to draw plans, and I don't want to put the effort in until I have the design finalized. The unit in the video has an aluminum cam, steel drive shaft, supported by Delrin bushings glued into the ABS body, and a Delrin cam follower to activate the pulse arm. 1/8" diaphragm material.
I have about 50 hours in the jig construction, including "head scratching" time...LOL
Jim

Wow! And, I thought I was doing good with my Highbanker and Rocker Box builds. That took some serious thought and labor. Nice job! I hope you find lots of the yellow metal with that machine.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Thanks, everybody...I appreciate the kind words.
Jim

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

I have no prints, sorry. I just build them out of my head. At some point, when I have finalized the design, I'm going to build and sell the units, and also kits, and plans. But, it takes a lot of work to draw plans, and I don't want to put the effort in until I have the design finalized. The unit in the video has an aluminum cam, steel drive shaft, supported by Delrin bushings glued into the ABS body, and a Delrin cam follower to activate the pulse arm. 1/8" diaphragm material.
I have about 50 hours in the jig construction, including "head scratching" time...LOL
Jim

Plz keep us updated on it final result

 

[Goodyguy]

Excellent Build

 

[A_Sly1_U]

Love it. Keep up the great work. If you make one that will work with a gravel transfer system, you'd make a killing in California.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Love it. Keep up the great work. If you make one that will work with a gravel transfer system, you'd make a killing in California.

I'm not sure I understand "gravel transfer system". That's a new one for me. I'm interested.
Jim

 

[A_Sly1_U]

In california you can't use a dredge with a sluice box due to stupid politicians. So I guess I should have said you'd make a killing if you adapted a jig to work with a suction dredge. The gravel transfer system is a dredge minus the sluice box. They get down to high grade gravel just using the nozzle to remove overburden without processing it in any way. The pay layer is transfered into containers for processing by other means. It's a very tedious system, but it's what's available in Cali.

 

[russau]

i thought that idea got blocked by the wacorulemasters?? they read it on the net and stopher second guessed the ruleing of what makes a suction dredge a suction dredge..........or did the courts disallowed stophers second guess??

 

[Jim in Idaho]

In california you can't use a dredge with a sluice box due to stupid politicians. So I guess I should have said you'd make a killing if you adapted a jig to work with a suction dredge. The gravel transfer system is a dredge minus the sluice box. They get down to high grade gravel just using the nozzle to remove overburden without processing it in any way. The pay layer is transfered into containers for processing by other means. It's a very tedious system, but it's what's available in Cali.

OK, I'm with you now.....Ya gotta explain stuff to us old guys...LOL
Jim

 

[A_Sly1_U]

Last I saw they could still use the gravel transfer. I haven't heard anything about it changing in my New 49'ers news or on the ICMJ site.