My Diy Fluid Bed Gold Trap Sluice

[johnedoe]

I agree with GG..... well done, looks like it's gonna be a catcher for sure.

 

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[johnedoe]

Got to thinking about your water supply design a little more and I think you may have some water flow problems in the pipes, You may well end up with diminished flow in the section as it gets further away from the supply inlet..... maybe place an inlet on both ends of the spray assembly......... Just a thought.

 

[ebuyc]

I threw together something last Sunday - the excessive glue finally cured so I could try it out today.

Original

Original

Sorry but read more on the Gpex forum. (lots more pics and details)

+#12 mesh sample material ran from recent Clearwater river trip:
original

Needs some work - but fun so far! Thanks for the great ideas GG

 

[russau]

yesterday i helped some club members form up 4 of the gold trap sluices out of ABS plastic. the fluidbed is a removeable section for EZ cleanup. and No i didnt get one of them. but they look like theyre going to be nice. we heated them up with my heat gun while in my 30 inch hand bender and the bends looked real nice!i told him to post some pictures here,and on youtube when he gets done.

 

[russau]

Jim made a utube video of his version of this device. i hope i get the link correct.

 

[Barndawg]

The other link said it was unavailable. Maybe one of these will work. BTW, thanks for posting this Russ

 

[Barndawg]

I can clearly see after looking at GG's beautiful build that I need to make a few tweaks, but I'm almost there I think. It seems I need some sort of cover for the trap. The lexan looks like a very good idea. Also the diverter would really help on this model. The small amount of gold that is around here is flour to powder in size. I think that would really help in capturing more of it. I love all of the ideas that have come from reading and seeing pics of what others have done.
Thanks for all the brain farts guys....
Jim

 

[russau]

Jim you could have atleast gotten a manicure for the video!

 

[Barndawg]

Jim you could have atleast gotten a manicure for the video!

The Asian lady that does my nails wasn't available that day. My cuticles look simply horrid!!!!
Besides, she and the other ladies talk about me in another language I can't understand. I need to find another manicurist....LMAO

 

[Maddog419]

I have never experimented with the holes facing straight down........
My reasoning was....... why stir up the flour gold that has already settled down onto the bottom?

But I don't see why it would hurt

Also I keep my stratifying tubes within a 1/2" off the bottom anyway and I know the jets of water tend to curl some after leaving the tube, both upward and downward.

Well I'm new but,,,you got me thinking---I would put
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp?gclid=CJ_Ov8mh7a4CFUZgTAod2RQtKQ .... On all 4-corners...for easy clean out.... I was just thinking about old times.... and putting wool hair with with a largle amount of camphor paste on it.....But being with the new age I might use miners moss with val on it to trap the fine gold,,,,

 

[Astrobouncer]

Barndog, its looks good but it looks like your trap doesn't have an exit port for tailings? Its hard to tell from the pic/video but you definitely need one otherwise the trap will just pack up with the classified material that cant get back out. If you do have one then disregard this just trying to help save you from a mistake I made.

I tried to make a detachable version on one of my earlier versions, the problem was I had water leaking past the water pipes and it hurt the ability of the trap to create fluidization. I was losing so much water around the pipes that the pipes themselves couldn't generate sufficient pressure to keep the trap fluidized. However, I bet with a steeper angle on the sluice it wouldnt have mattered as much but I didnt know that back then.

There was another removable version somewhere online awhile back that had the pipes sealed in place, and he slid a small plexiglass/lexan tray that surrounded the trap out from the back of those pipes but I cant find the link offhand. Anyway keep the ideas coming and look forward to you testing it.

 

[russau]

HUMMMMMM?? thats got me thinking....

 

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

RUSSAU, ITS GOT ME THINKIN' TOO.
I THINK I'LL GET A MANICURE AND EVEN GET HER TO TRIM THE HAIR IN MY EARS TOO.
MIKEL

 

[greydigger]

What kind of GPM are you running the hibankers at?
Found a gas pump that can push 3000 GPH @ 45psi , is that enough?
Too much?
Am looking for ideas to turn my sluice into one I can use on land.
Also GG - the three sets of holes you put in your bottom catcher are paralell is that correct?
Didn't quite follow that.
May try horizontal thru holes and one set down and not thru the top.
What you guys say?
The fluid dynamics of a curved catch box would be different than the squared U shape.
Love your ideas guys!
Want to find something to run the black sands on the beaches here.
Tried a long skinny box with ribbed matting but no joy.
Grey

 

[Goodyguy]

GG - the three sets of holes you put in your bottom catcher are parallel is that correct?
Didn't quite follow that.
May try horizontal thru holes and one set down and not thru the top.
What you guys say?

Grey

Since the tube is curved the parallel holes actually spray out in a fan shape. The mid-line holes spray straight out but the holes above spray slightly upward while the ones below the center line spray slightly downward.

I think the addition of one set of holes spraying straight down would be fine

As far as the GPH on a highbanker goes ...... Depends on the riffle design, the width of the sluice, the angle of drop, and the material being run.
The pump you mentioned should be fine ....as long as you add a valve before the highbanker spray bar to adjust the flow rate accordingly.

3,000 GPH = 50 GPM

My pump puts out 108 GPM ( 6,480 GPH) and I pretty much have to run it at idle speed while highbanking but full throttle while dredging with a 2 1/2" nozzle.

GG~

 

[russau]

in makeing a fluidbed work for you,every different design/size/application, will require a different water column to make it work as intended.theres a lot of small details involved to make it work and each setup of individual devices would be slightly different. theres no real quick setup/run application to devices of different design.every one is different!

 

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

I LOVE TINKERING WITH THE DETAILS.... IT'S THE BIG STUFF THAT MAKES ME CRAZY!

MIKEL

 

[martysgold]

Hello everyone. Just completed reading through all the posts on the fluid bed. GG all of the research you have done is appreciated wholeheartedly. One of the reasons I came to this subject was to see if a recycling type concentrator could be developed using a five or two gallon bucket with a hang over the side water injection system. The hardest question I have is the depth of the bed. Would it work greater than a few inches. Would multiple levels of spray be required to eject the blond sands and lights. I think this would work in dry areas with enough shade and minimal water using a small classifing dry trommel (maybe a small hand cranked one like CA sluice Box's) I am anxious to mine year round which would mean the SW, Mexico, or Central America in winter. In many of the South of the Border high country areas I have found to be a pleasent year round temp. Anyway back to the subject; has anyone tried to use a fluid bed in the depth of a bucket?

 

[Goodyguy]

The depth is critical. The trap should be no more than 2-1/2" to 3" deep or else the buildup of heavies will prevent the water supply from keeping the material in fluid suspension.

A way to either increase the water flow or else empty the heavies or both is required for best results. Otherwise you must stop and do a clean up.

The most effecient remedy is to have a way to drain off the heavies ( black sand, lead, gold, etc.) once they cover the top of the tubes.

IMPORTANT: Once the fluid bed can no longer keep all of the material in liquid suspension the trap becomes useless!

GG~

 

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS BACK ON LINE AGAIN.
STILL HELPING THOSE OF US THAT LOVE TO TINKER.
I'M STILL WORKING OUT A FEW DETAILS ON MY HAND POWERED PUMP/DREDGE.
I'LL POST SOME PICS WHEN I GET IT RIGHT... FIRST TEST SHOWED A LITTLE PROMISE.

HH AND GOD BLESS
MIKEL