Homebrew prospecting equipment

[OneStudPuppy]

So let’s start this journal as “drier tube sluice 1”
I’ve been searching for some ideas and reading up on miller tables, the GPAA super mini fine gold sluice. Using a loupe I’ve noticed some of my black sand I’ve saved from many pans still shows some micro / small gold. I enjoy tinkering so I’ve now come up with a idea I am going to try.
While at Home Depot picking up tubs to teach the kids panning from a full pan to working down to the black sands only I had a thought, corigated pipe with the ripples for drainage etc. after talking with a few employees and being walked around in a few circles nothing. I asked for their most knowledgeable worker when it comes to pipes/tubes etc, he gets what im looking for idea wise right away. They don’t really carry that type of pipe anymore, the ones they did carry were 25 foot, 50 and 100. Then he has a idea, drier tubes! We walk over one stretches to about 4 feet the other 10, it’s a flexing aluminum tube as it’s flexed the ridges form and they don’t get to big.

So thought as of now, friend has a pump from a fish tank he isn’t using, I picked up the drier tube, now I am debating finding a pipe of similar round size Aprox 4 inches. As a Support for the mini sluice and a few attachment points along to keep it from shrinking back to the compressed size. Also water flow control I will have to figure something out, I think the pump may be a 600 GPH I need to see and verify.
My other thought and hope that the aluminum tube still allows gold to be seen easier without washing out in contrasted visibility.
I will probably make a YouTube video of this success or failure either way.

 

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[boogeyman]

The HDs here have it. Have you tried the larger lumber yards or plumbing supplies? Or some of the landscape contractors.
try calling the contractors first and offer to buy their "drops", they'll probably just give you a piece. Dryer vent tube is really thin. go down the AC isle & look for the flex duct pipe I think you'll like it better.

 

[OneStudPuppy]

The HDs here have it. Have you tried the larger lumber yards or plumbing supplies? Or some of the landscape contractors.
try calling the contractors first and offer to buy their "drops", they'll probably just give you a piece. Dryer vent tube is really thin. go down the AC isle & look for the flex duct pipe I think you'll like it better.

Good point, the drops. Usually tossed or piled.
I was at Home Depot but it was the last 45 min before closing.
The first Home Depot didn’t have the tubs.
I’ll see when I can get there again and check the ac isle, maybe give my local one a shot.
And yea I agree the drier duct material is thin as heck. But designed for its purpose lol
I will have to see what’s around here contractor store wise, over time a lot have went belly up around here.

 

[Goldwasher]

Dude, just buy a Tee Dee easy sluice or a small Angus drop riffle.

Drier tubes are made for driers.

Black corrugated drainage tube works but, not as well as a real sluice.

The drainage tube is normally in the outside garden area at HD.

But, seriously just buy a sluice

 

[RTR]

2X on a Angus sluice

 

[boogeyman]

Dude, just buy a Tee Dee easy sluice or a small Angus drop riffle.

Drier tubes are made for driers.

Black corrugated drainage tube works but, not as well as a real sluice.

The drainage tube is normally in the outside garden area at HD.

But, seriously just buy a sluice

Your advice is spot on! But that takes away the "I made that" factor and that's just no fun at all. Who knows he might discover the next super duper thingie everyones gotta have! Did the guys that invented the Tee Dee or Angus Macgurks < probably spelled wrong just go buy the other guys?

Still your advice is spot on.

 

[OneStudPuppy]

I’ll look into those, but yea as of now it’s a tinker and see what happens haha.
My main issue with ideas and goofy things to try is a lack of free time haha.
I’ve got a regular sized sluice.

 

[Hamfist]

Ah, the old "poop tube" sluice. There are lots of videos on Youtube about this. Home Depot has flexible gutter downspouts that work well for what you're trying to do. Much better than dryer ducting, anyway. It works better than corrugated sewer pipe because the riffles are directional. Cut it in half and you have two sluices for under $10. It needs to be supported though, so set it into a three or four inch ABS pipe to keep it straight. This was what I did before I had any real equipment and it wasn't bad.

https://www.homedepot.com/s/downspout%20extension?NCNI-5

 

[N-Lionberger]

"pooptube" sluices are made from RV holding tank drain hose, you can it almost anywhere RV supplies are sold. I used a downspout extension like Hamfist posted, I had one laying around. It was a spur of the moment thing I was too lazy to pan out my dredge cons but too lazy to set up my spiral wheel. cut a slit out of it lengthwise with a box knife and nailed it to a 2x4. Works well but you need to clean it out often.

 

[OneStudPuppy]

Ah, the old "poop tube" sluice. There are lots of videos on Youtube about this. Home Depot has flexible gutter downspouts that work well for what you're trying to do. Much better than dryer ducting, anyway. It works better than corrugated sewer pipe because the riffles are directional. Cut it in half and you have two sluices for under $10. It needs to be supported though, so set it into a three or four inch ABS pipe to keep it straight. This was what I did before I had any real equipment and it wasn't bad.

https://www.homedepot.com/s/downspout%20extension?NCNI-5

View attachment 1562011

ah ha! There is something a lot closer!
Like this idea, And material strength would be a lot better.

I’ll look into those, but yea as of now it’s a tinker and see what happens haha.
My main issue with ideas and goofy things to try is a lack of free time haha.
I’ve got a regular sized sluice.

"pooptube" sluices are made from RV holding tank drain hose, you can it almost anywhere RV supplies are sold. I used a downspout extension like Hamfist posted, I had one laying around. It was a spur of the moment thing I was too lazy to pan out my dredge cons but too lazy to set up my spiral wheel. cut a slit out of it lengthwise with a box knife and nailed it to a 2x4. Works well but you need to clean it out often.

Yup, my spiral wheel generated some of this black too.
Panned it out from lousy pay dirt. This is becoming a fun thread and will be more fun when hands on.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I like my spiral wheel a lot, when set up properly it really works. I want to build a new stand for it, running it in the tub it came in with the little tailings tub is limiting when you have several gallons concentrate to deal with. I was thinking the corrugated pipe sluice would make a good chute to carry waste material away from the wheel.

 

[craig82]

As for Home Depot and wasting an afternoon making a sluice for giggles I used one of these. Cheap as heck, prob sucks I don't know never actually tried it out. :/

https://www.homedepot.com/p/ADO-Products-Provent-14-in-x-4-ft-Rafter-Vent-UPV14480/100533902

 

[KevinInColorado]

As for Home Depot and wasting an afternoon making a sluice for giggles I used one of these. Cheap as heck, prob sucks I don't know never actually tried it out. :/

https://www.homedepot.com/p/ADO-Products-Provent-14-in-x-4-ft-Rafter-Vent-UPV14480/100533902

Nope just nope.

 

[craig82]

haha thanks kevin. figured it was garbage. just a bored sunday afternoon thing to do. never tried it as i came across a proper sluice shortly after. btw i'm loving your prospector blog and looking forward to the book.

 

[Duckwalk]

Just find some V-mat if you really want to make your own. A little silicone, v-matting (check on the back of some welcome mats and stuff) and some aluminum and do just fine. This is one i made from some scrap steel and some cheap v-mat i found somewhere. Forgot where i got it but the whole thing couldn't have cost me more than 12 bucks.

 

[OneStudPuppy]

Just find some V-mat if you really want to make your own. A little silicone, v-matting (check on the back of some welcome mats and stuff) and some aluminum and do just fine. This is one i made from some scrap steel and some cheap v-mat i found somewhere. Forgot where i got it but the whole thing couldn't have cost me more than 12 bucks.

View attachment 1566786

Nice very nice!
It get the sub 100 ish? I have some black sands and all I need to
Classify, when inspected closely I see small gold in it. I also have found my disappointing paydirt does have a slight but more gold in it, but not much black sands at all. It’s a fun learning curve so far, but gets to be a certain size and a pan just isn’t cutting it. Now I see why people rerun paydirt and concentrates.

 

[RTR]

Blue Bowl I made out of junk lying around.And it works

 

[Gold4Mike]

View attachment 1569570
Blue Bowl I made out of junk lying around.And it works

Do you have a video of it in action? I've never used a blue bowl but I understand the spinning water is what makes it work? Is it the bowl spinning or the water coming in causing the spin?

 

[RTR]

Do you have a video of it in action? I've never used a blue bowl but I understand the spinning water is what makes it work? Is it the bowl spinning or the water coming in causing the spin?

Dont have a video.If you look close you'll see the water in the clear hose at 6 o clock in the pix.And see the water spinning at 1to2 o clock in the bowl. It Works good.The pan is a angel cake baking pan.

 

[RTR]

Heres a better shot a 600 GPH submersible pump in the lower blue container recirculates the water.Inline valve controls water flow.