WHAT HAS BECOME OF GOLDWELL SLUICES?

[AzViper]

Goldwells website has had everything removed. My PM to Bernie nearly 3 months ago has never been returned.

 

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[daniel2015]

I've found the Gold Well Vortex Sluice patent from 2015: US20150246359

Vertical Vortex Generating Sluice/Slurry Separator - PETERSON DAVID S.

 

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[Clay Diggins]

I've found the Gold Well Vortex Sluice patent from 2015: US20150246359

Vertical Vortex Generating Sluice/Slurry Separator - PETERSON DAVID S.

Not the Goldwell. Different device entirely. I saw this one, or one very similar, and I was not impressed with the operation.

Here is the real Goldwell Sluice. I've also seen the real Goldwell in action and I was impressed.

Heavy Pans

 

[Adventure_Time]

I've wondered from the day I saw the goldwell... why not just make it out of ABS?!?! Waaaaay easier to manufacture and cheaper to boot, which means cheaper overall prices which means more sales = more word of mouth.

In all my years of business, one phrase can be applied to literally ANY situation and has always held true.

"Quality brings quantity, and Quantity takes care of everything"

 

[Goldwasher]

IDK abs thick enough to machine the same way would be pricey...and it is softer than aluminum.

 

[bobw53]

Not the Goldwell. Different device entirely. I saw this one, or one very similar, and I was not impressed with the operation.

Here is the real Goldwell Sluice. I've also seen the real Goldwell in action and I was impressed.

Heavy Pans

Figure 12B.. Looks EXACTLY like the Goldwell.

12B) is a perspective top view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of a vortex section according to the present invention.

Some guy in Montana, filed 3/1/14.

This is exactly why patents 99% of the time are BS.. Its basically saying he owns the rights to any type of swirling action in a sluice box, where
the axis is vertical.

I'm seeing threads on here about the goldwell from 2013... Prior art and all that....

 

[bobw53]

IDK abs thick enough to machine the same way would be pricey...and it is softer than aluminum.

I think he's talking about doing an injection mold ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

Or a thermoform, which can be cheap. Make a negative, aluminum is fine. Drill a bunch of tiny holes into it hooked to vacuum.

Heat the plastic and suck it down onto the metal. Its not super fast.

When I was in college toured a plant that did thermoforming. Juice dispensers. Long time ago, 90-180 seconds for each part. Slower than
an injection mold, probably not as accurate, but a heck of a lot cheaper.

 

[Goldwasher]

I think he's talking about doing an injection mold ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

Or a thermoform, which can be cheap. Make a negative, aluminum is fine. Drill a bunch of tiny holes into it hooked to vacuum.

Heat the plastic and suck it down onto the metal. Its not super fast.
I work with A.B.S five days a week. We have the molds to thermoform parts for submersible dredges,. We hand build the sluices. Thermoform stretches and makes plastic thinner. It also changes the structure of the plastics composition. A.B.S is made in multiple layer one layer. Some of the plastic is "virgin" and one layer is recycled.There may be different compositions but, the price will go up.

When I was in college toured a plant that did thermoforming. Juice dispensers. Long time ago, 90-180 seconds for each part. Slower than
an injection mold, probably not as accurate, but a heck of a lot cheaper.

To me it looks like the goldwell needs those sharp abrupt edges in the well. You wouldn't be able to thermoform that. I don't thing injection would get them that sharp either. I didn't look up specs on the well depth but, I think it would have to be pretty thick to mill it. A 4x8 sheet of a.b.s. might be available thick enough to mill. ill check when I get to work today. I imagine it would be cheaper than aluminium. Again I don't think it will have the hardness to deal with the abrasion that happens in a sluice. The edges will round very quickly.

 

[daniel2015]

It could also be made out of hard rubber (cast) for a fraction of the cost to cnc. He could produce only mats for different available sluices and gain more attention in these markets. Then he can sell his aluminum version as a Premium product. Just my 2 cents.

 

[bobw53]

It could also be made out of hard rubber (cast) for a fraction of the cost to cnc. He could produce only mats for different available sluices and gain more attention in these markets. Then he can sell his aluminum version as a Premium product. Just my 2 cents.

Kind of like the Gold Cube trays? I think those are LDPE.

To me it looks like the goldwell needs those sharp abrupt edges in the well. You wouldn't be able to thermoform that. I don't thing injection would get them that sharp either. I didn't look up specs on the well depth but, I think it would have to be pretty thick to mill it. A 4x8 sheet of a.b.s. might be available thick enough to mill. ill check when I get to work today. I imagine it would be cheaper than aluminium. Again I don't think it will have the hardness to deal with the abrasion that happens in a sluice. The edges will round very quickly.

You can get pretty much any plastic in plate up to 2" thick relatively easily. My favorite is Delrin(acetel sp?), its real stable(for plastic), not gummy and squishy like UHMW or Teflon,
and it finishes beautifully. Anything made from black delrin always looks fantastic. I'm sure you could even get a small production run made in "Gold Pan Green" if you wanted.
And it would be even lighter than the aluminum for easier packing into the back country.

The more I look at this thing, the more I want to buy one... Where did the Goldwell guy go?

I looked around on his website, and I have a few questions. Recirculating, what size pump is needed on a 6"? And what kind of volume will it take.
And how long will it take to get this new design into production. I've got a lot of rocks and caliche to crush, and as much as I love my Gold
Cube, I'm so sick of classifying to an 1/8". Going to an 1/8" isn't bad with some dirt, stuff from my yard, 2-3 minutes per bucket, but
the stuff on my claim is just nasty and it can take 1/2 hour plus to classify a bucket.

HM Research - Manufacturer of the Gold Well Vortex Drop Riffle Sluice

 

[daniel2015]

Hmm the design doesn't look too complicated. Could cnc a couple of 3d spirals / vortexes myself on a friends CNC into wood for testing.

 

[LP13]

OK. Well I really did address this question a lot of times, but once more, maybe I can be more clear:

Plastic works well if you want to make a million of something cheaply, especially small things, but large things shrink a lot. So keeping good shape and dimensions on a large sluice would be hard and the mold very expensive.

But plastic for a large sluice isn't a good choice for the following reasons:
#1 It's price is tied to the volatile oil market.
#2 Most plastics deteriorate in UV light. Those that do not are generally high $ polymers such as polycarbonate.
#3 There are many types of abrasion. Some of those plastics are good at resisiting, others they are not. Here is a list of them. I bet you didn't know there were so many types of wear, or that someone actually classified them all!
TABER Industries: Types of Wear/Wear Modes
Please note that horizontal surfaces suffer more wear, supporting the weight of something, than vertical surfaces (because gravity sucks,) which generally have less forces acting on them.
#4 All plastics have their operating temperature range. Very few strong plastics are not brittle at very low temperatures and at the same time not pliable and deform at high temps like on a hot rock in the desert in summer which can reach in excess of 190F.
#5 I had an ABS sluice and it had a kink in it I never could get out and it never would sit flat. I swore I would never use plastic then and there.
#6 Mining equipment takes abuse. Good mining equipment can withstand it. Not many plastics can take all the kinds of abuse that a miner or prospector can throw at it. I find aircraft aluminum as good or better in most cases (personal experience.)
#7 There is a property of aluminum that can actually enhance the collection of fine gold.
#8 A few people tried to make a plastic Gold Well sluice already, choosing as best they could the best plastic they thought for the job. Both failed miserably as I hear. Perhaps they just chose the wrong plastic, right?

The term vortex sluice as I use it does not apply to a hydrocyclone. It refers to my pocket design. It looks like a vortex. Everyone makes the mistake of believing that my sluice creates a hydrocyclone. It does not. It creates a sophisticated and convoluted eddy. You have a pocket nearly full of material, this does not make a vortex.

 

[JB Hunter]

The Goldwell is finally getting back on track and will be taking orders again soon. Bernie Makowski has gone through a lot but has decided give it another go through a machine shop out in Beverly MA, Roberts Machine. Parts are in the tooling pipeline and orders will soon begin again being taken. Prices will be set accordingly to material and labor costs along with the Goldwell's high standard quality set by Bernie

 

[JB Hunter]

Manufacturing is beginning again for the Goldwell.

 

[JB Hunter]

Gold Well Sluice is now up and running again. Manufactured here in Boston and shipped worldwide. Www.goldwellsluice.com gives contact info. We have a limited supply but your wait time shouldn’t be more than two weeks. If your not using a Gold Well Sluice your loosing gold. Why leave any when you can leave with it all
Vortex technology is changing mining. For those that want to inquire here’s the number (781)367-5377 Joe Hunter.

 

[Reed Lukens]

The website needs some pictures and prices

 

[Goldwasher]

The website needs some pictures and prices

it might need to be affordable, available and usable for that to even matter

 

[Underburden]

and a paid sponsor of this site.

 

[ncclaymaker]

If you think that Gold Well is dead... not quite! Go to facebook and search for "Joseph Hunter Bursey". He is the manufacturer of GW sluices in Boston, MA

 

[ncclaymaker]

Unfortunately, Bernie Makowski, the engineer and inventor of the Gold Well Sluice has passed away from prolonged ill health and endless pain. May he Rest In Peace 'til the end of time.