Bazooka flow question

utah mason

Hero Member
Jul 10, 2015
545
935
utah
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I have a question for you bazooka experts. Look at this flow over the Grizzles. The tubes in the trap were exposed. I think, I read in a past thread that if the tubes were exposed it is scrubbing the box out. The clean out wasn't what I was expecting ( compared to last time I dug in this hole, it was much, much less). Did the hole give out or did I just send the gold further down the river
https://youtu.be/0aH53zKC_9A
 

Au dave

Sr. Member
Aug 5, 2015
296
593
Eastern Victoria
Detector(s) used
Home made drop riffle, 'zook' mini prospector, 'zook' sniper
Primary Interest:
Other
I'm no expert ..but IMO it looks like you have too much drop...put the front end in a little deeper and prop up the tail. I have found using my homemade zook it runs better with water 3/4 up the sides on the slickplate and if air gets under the top plate behind the grizzlies it tends to scrub out the trap ...hope this helps

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk
 

Goodyguy

Gold Member
Mar 10, 2007
6,489
6,895
Arizona
Detector(s) used
Whites TM 808, Whites GMT, Tesoro Lobo Super Traq, Fisher Gold Bug 2, Suction Dredges, Trommels, Gold Vacs, High Bankers, Fluid bed Gold Traps, Rock Crushers, Sluices, Dry Washers, Miller Tables, Rp4
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Appears to have too much angle. (could be optical illusion?)
I see water gushing over the grizzly. (not good)

My advice is try to keep the sluice more level and slightly deeper as the previous post advised.
If the sluice was fairly level and not set at too steep of an angle as it appears in the video then the scouring could be due to too much flow.

* re watched the video and the flow looked good. But the angle looked too steep.
Here is a crude drawing of what a trap looks like at level and at a 45 degree angle.

As the angle increases more scouring occurs, you still catch some gold but the fluidizing will not be as efficient due to less back pressure on the exposed jets causing a weaker fluidizing effect at the end where all the material has gathered.

The more level you can keep the Bazooka the better when the flow is sufficient. However, a steeper than level angle is required to make up for too weak of a flow making a steeper angle in that case beneficial.
trap.jpg




GG~
 

Last edited:

OwenT

Hero Member
Feb 11, 2015
572
858
Moses Lake WA & Provo UT
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I can pretty much always feel the tops of my tubes, not sure if that's "bad" or not. Flat as you can without being too slow. And remember, think less, shovel more :thumbsup:
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,370
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I'm no expert ..but IMO it looks like you have too much drop...put the front end in a little deeper and prop up the tail. I have found using my homemade zook it runs better with water 3/4 up the sides on the slickplate and if air gets under the top plate behind the grizzlies it tends to scrub out the trap ...hope this helps

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

AU Dave clearly understates his expertise...he is right-on here. Get the upstream end a bit deeper in the water to avoid air getting under the top plate after the grizzly and you'll be fine. It might be a bit too steep but that's not your main problem here.

Sadly, yes you moved the gold further downstream :( Live and learn.
 

Au dave

Sr. Member
Aug 5, 2015
296
593
Eastern Victoria
Detector(s) used
Home made drop riffle, 'zook' mini prospector, 'zook' sniper
Primary Interest:
Other
AU Dave clearly understates his expertise...he is right-on here. Get the upstream end a bit deeper in the water to avoid air getting under the top plate after the grizzly and you'll be fine. It might be a bit too steep but that's not your main problem here.

Sadly, yes you moved the gold further downstream :( Live and learn.
Thanks KinC I owe my knowledge to you , Goodguy, Tnet posts and the 2 dozen sluicing runs testing my homemade "zook"[emoji4]

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk
 

OP
OP
utah mason

utah mason

Hero Member
Jul 10, 2015
545
935
utah
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I can pretty much always feel the tops of my tubes, not sure if that's "bad" or not. Flat as you can without being too slow. And remember, think less, shovel more :thumbsup:

I think I read on another post a while ago that if the tops of the tubes were exposed it is washing the materials out. I could be remembering that wrong tho.
 

OP
OP
utah mason

utah mason

Hero Member
Jul 10, 2015
545
935
utah
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Thanks everyone! I'll get it flatter and deeper next time. I'm hoping to get a day out soon. My wife had been in India on business, so that really cut into my prospecting time. I took a drive at lunch and went to see if I could get back to small canyon I was prospecting at the end of last season. Found good decent color at each spot I tested( decent for Utah). I was really excited when I got to first snow drift section and no snow. Got past the next 2 sections I knew would have drifts. Man I was starting to get excited now, then I came to F.S. gate. It was open. Now I'm am super excited. Finally get to impassable snow, but I'm short walk from canyon. My excitement would not last. As I got to the creek it was still 3-5 feet under snow : ( I could hear water running under snow, so it shouldn't be long. There are a couple of spots lower down were the canyon is wider and gets more sun. So hopefully there is some exposed running water lower.
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,370
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I think I read on another post a while ago that if the tops of the tubes were exposed it is washing the materials out. I could be remembering that wrong tho.

You are remembering correctly.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top