Why is Le Trap asymmetrical?

goldenIrishman

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Feb 28, 2013
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It's designed that way to give it different areas of flow so it catches more gold. If it was the same all the way down and some gold went through the first part, why would it get caught in an area that is just the same? Think of it like mixing different types of riffles or matting to give you a better mix of flows.
 

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kYLEMtnCRUZr

Greenie
Nov 24, 2013
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ok, i figured. i understand a variety of riffles perpendicular to your flow, which guarantees that 100% of your material will pass over it. But having a different riffle only on one side? You better hope that the gold that likes the bench riffle is placed on that one side! If there is such a thing that likes that type of rifflem that means youre losing the other 80% since the riffle only covers 20%. Welp whatever!

i guess i ask because i am OCD with certain things, and items being symmetrical is one of them, despite my arbitrary use of the shift key in my screen name :/

And i am designing my own sluice, so these things interest me.
 

rockygulchJoe

Jr. Member
Jan 5, 2013
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Hi guys, Jobe makes Le'trap now in the usa

Thought you old-timers would get kick out of this. The Super Jet that was made by Oregon Gold Dredge in the nineteen seventies. It looks like it used Le'trap style sluice boxes.



1385868825534.jpg
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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you will never lose 80%of any gold out of a sluice unless you turn it upside down.
 

Hoser John

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
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Not anything to do with Le Ttap as that unit was the original Compass Dredge,then when Compass folded went to a independent who made that multi headed hydra WHICH totally killed the company. I was a compass dealer and actually sold quite a few of the originals backpakers. The hollow pontoons unscrewed and held the parts for the dredge and other items also. They were built TOUGH and the heaviest powder coating texturing I've ever seen on any piece of equipment. Decent recovery with HEAVY duty metal riffle system that lifted out. They utilized the TML radio controlled plane engines from canada just like keene did waaaaaay back in the day. The original was a great single piece backpack unit as dredge frame was a molded backpak built in also. Sooo cool a tool-John :hello2:
 

AzViper

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Sep 30, 2012
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It's designed that way to give it different areas of flow so it catches more gold. If it was the same all the way down and some gold went through the first part, why would it get caught in an area that is just the same? Think of it like mixing different types of riffles or matting to give you a better mix of flows.

Kinda like mixing the Gold Hog mats to create a different surface while changing the water flow to trap the gold, may not catch in one area but will in another. I may add it works very well, ran one 3/4 full 5 gallon bucket that was vacuumed from the bedrock...

SLU8.jpg SLU6.jpg SLU1.jpg
SLU5.jpg SLU11.jpg T186.jpg
 

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Hoser John

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
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Hahahahah Le Trap was meticuliously designed to provide hi pressure recovery,low pressure slack areas,backeddy for fines and run in low water conditions. Please look at riffles as NO spam related mat garbage just smooth surfaces and riffles NO carpets needed either as best a the best needs none. I could not count the many MANY pounds of gold recovered with them over the years.Dozens of pics posted here over the years with POUNDAGE within a single box. I retired from retail many years ago so no pocket packn' incentives here just a fulltime ,provide outta the recovery box miner, telln' ya whats worked for almost 30 years now.-John
 

specksandflecks

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Nov 13, 2009
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Eugene Oregon
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Why is Le Trap asymmetrical? One side has a bench with only a few riffles whereas the other side is at an angle with many riffles.

Does this serve a purpose?

From what I can remember of the manual, the bench side (left side) is to help make clean out easier. Manual suggests tilting to the left as you empty it into your pan/bucket.

I wouldn't say it makes a lot of difference though since Le Trap clean outs are about as easy as they get. They are a good little sluice for the price.
 

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