Do Bazooka Gold Traps pipes get clogged?

[spillercanyon]

I have a BGT, the Prospector I believe, and I am inquisitive as to whether the pipes creating the suspended material in the box ever get clogged with stuff running down the creek. I can't see the holes in the pipes and I'm afraid some roots and other debris may be getting in them and clogging up the holes. If this does happen, how do you clean them?

Thanks!

 

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[KevinInColorado]

I've seen the input end of the tubes blocked by material (leaves and gravel that got in there) but never the actual output holes in the tubes. Anyway, all it takes to clean the tubes is to shove the empty sluice into the water, trap end first, so water flushes backward from trap to plenum thru the tubes.

 

[Goldwasher]

It can happen...roots would be your fault...don't dig upstream and release debris into the flow...if were running two in an area we are careful about the affects the upstream box could have on the downstream.
This time of year its leaves you have to worry about. be careful about disturbing any that are there...if the trees are dropping them and they are in the water try to set up some kind of obstacle to catch them before they can get to your bazooka...A little bit of area prep will go a long way. There is no real way to know if any have gotten in. it is very difficult to gauge as long as you have water over the grizzly bars.
The only way to be sure is to do a clean out and check your intake.

 

[CO2]

I can't answer this question definitively, sorry. But I have used my BGT four times so far so I'll tell you what I think. First of all, there's the finger test to check if the trap is fluidizing properly - stick your finger in the trap while the BGT is in the water, if the material is "squishy" and your finger easily slides down through it, then your trap is working properly. No clogs. Now if you stick your finger so and the trap feels hard packed, do a cleanout. Just because the trap is hard packed doesn't mean the tubes are clogged, but if there's small gravel flowing into the tubes from upstream then it's a possibility. Personally I think it's probably unlikely but again, haven't used it very long. But just in case..... after I do my cleanout into the bucket, I'll put the BGT underwater to fill it up with water, give it a few shakes side-to-side and then dump all the water out the intake end. I'm not sure this is necessary but it's pretty easy to do and is worth spending 15 seconds on.

Bottom line though is if you do a finger test and the trap is fluidizing properly, then you can be assured the tubes aren't clogged.

 

[mytimetoshine]

I noticed some green stuff clogging at least 2 of my holes. Not all the way clogged but I can see it. Trap is till fluidized. I tried to bend a wire and dig it out but could not. Wish there was a way to take it apart.

 

[Au dave]

i have noticed that the pipes in my homemade zook collect black sand..possibly as its lifted for cleanout ..if sand can get in gold can too..i usually cleanout my pipes into the bucket (mine have removable caps) ..every little bit adds up lol

 

[425jesse]

When it comes fall prospecting with a Bazooka, I just bring a few feet or chicken wire and a couple chunks of rebar. Pound rebar in a few feet in front of sluice and a few feet apart and wrap chicken wire around, secure with zip ties. Good to go. Clean off fence as often as needed as it will clog, but easier that having to do a clean out.

 

[GFBurke]

Now I'm thinking that since I have a whole roll of mesh, meshing the bottom intake wouldn't be a bad idea! Just wipe off leaves.

 

[Dain8404]

I just place a classifier in front of intake. 10 second clean out when that classifier gets full of leaves

 

[Tuolumne]

I take a coat hanger and unwind it to help clean the tubes if it needs it, when Im mossing some times it gets in there because im using the bazooka as a grinding stone, rubbing into the ABS to get the moss clean or break up root clumps. I have a riparian plant that grows from a tuber/rizome in my area and has big broad leaves 2 feet off the water, grows back every year in all the grooves and cracks that moss and gold like, where the river slows down enough near groups of boulders. Where ever that grows the moss and root structure save the flood gold.... Right now my seasoned bazooka is like a preview mat, I can see bits of flour getting stuck as I shovel onto my zook.

 

[spillercanyon]

Hey Tuolumne Todd, we're running around the same area.

My problem is when I create a small dam to run the sluice, the water backs up onto the shore and floats all the leaves and debris into the water above my sluice. I think a classifier for the front and a coat hanger will be added to my tools when using the BGT.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I love the idea of just setting a classifier in front of the intake...why didn't I think of that?!

The easy way to clean the tubes is to reverse purge them by putting the empty sluice, trap first, down into the water. The water will flow backwards thru the tubes actively flushing any debris out of them. Fun to look down into the plenum to watch the water bubble up.

 

[Tuolumne]

yes in field cleaning like Kevin pointed out is great way to be confident about setting it up and cleaning.

The best way I can tell that my bazooka tubes are clear, any size, is by taking off my glove and feeling the out flow for rocks and pebbles moving out of the trap after feeding it a load. If the bed is fluidized there should be rocks hitting your hand steady rate, even after 5 minutes of down time filling up your next bucket. When setting up my proper drop level to the changing lower flows over the season I use the hand test for the rocks to reaffirm that its gonna do fine. If its not fluid the rocks wont be prone to ejection from the trap...

I dont have too much of a problem with leaves or things, most of the trees in my area were burned in big fire so I keep as much water flowing under and over, and wouldn't want to restrict the lower intake if it was late in the year lower water situations. But every situation is different so its nice to see the regional adjustments.....if you hold your bazooka looking at the tubes with the sun at your back you can set up the sunlight so you can get it right on the tubes, i guess thats the least you could do.... LOL......

 

[Goldwasher]

As long as water is over the grizzly deck and material in the trap doesn't compact your running just fine. I don't recommend putting anything in front of the intake screens cause a lot of drag you want the water to have as much push as you can get. Too much material leaving the trap via flow instead of material introduction which causes the trap to exchange properly can actually be an indication of too much flow!!!!