Fluid bed sluice plan

[Bonaro]

Have you talked with Bazooka to see how they feel about you using their patented design and marketing it to the public?

 

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[Vagadero]

That's exactly the reason why I'm asking you to make new design and not to recreate the original. Everything has been posted on the forum in the last few days by Goldwasher and some other members. So no one needs to start a topic just to create his/her plan. By the way, the Bazooka patent expired long time ago.
Kevin my experience is a slightly different from yours. May be due operational errors but I successfully plugged up the tubes a few times. Sure, there is no need to see the trap in order to cache the gold. However it would be a nice future. Besides the nugget trap -which is a great idea- what else would you add to a fluid bed sluice?

 

[No gold in NY]

I built the goodyguy version gold trap and am quite happy with it. I check the fluidization quite often with my finger. My finger easily melts into the material. I can not imagine any gold getting across this bed. I tried using a baffle on this bed, but no matter where I place it, it blows the sand off the tubes.

Great diagram with specs!

The only tweak that I would suggest which is minor but has an effect on gold recovery is the length of the trap.
I see you have designed it to be 7" long which is fine.

Through testing I have found that a longer trap (front to back) gives the gold a little more time to settle into the trap once it's loaded. Especially flat gold that has a hard time dropping out of the laminar flow.

My advice would be to add just one more inch and make the trap at least 8" long. Too long and you run into fluidizing trouble from lack of scoop velocity which would require re design of most of the dimensions.

My 2 cents

GG~

 

[G-bone]

I built the goodyguy version gold trap and am quite happy with it. I check the fluidization quite often with my finger. My finger easily melts into the material. I can not imagine any gold getting across this bed. I tried using a baffle on this bed, but no matter where I place it, it blows the sand off the tubes.

NY - are you speaking of a deflector in the trap area?
I've have this theory on this Laminar flow vs. turbulent flow (in trap) and have been considering trying a deflector in the trap like so...




I'm sure testing has been done on this theory - It's had to have!!
So am I way out in left field on this?
Did I have too many Martini's last night?

 

[G-bone]

Here is another Martini Idea....

I want to make the Fluid tube flow adjustable like so...



I have been considering donating my 24" sniper in the name of science and trying these things out.
I also have been considering making it a modular-removable trap. I think it can be done.

 

[No gold in NY]

They could be adjustable if you set the tubes in "O" rings snug enough so they don't blow out.

Here is another Martini Idea....

I want to make the Fluid tube flow adjustable like so...

View attachment 1415449

I have been considering donating my 24" sniper in the name of science and trying these things out.
I also have been considering making it a modular-removable trap. I think it can be done.

 

[mofugly13]

Here is another Martini Idea....

I want to make the Fluid tube flow adjustable like so...

I have been considering donating my 24" sniper in the name of science and trying these things out.
I also have been considering making it a modular-removable trap. I think it can be done.

Meaning adjusting the orientation of the holes in the tubes? Once that's dialed in, why would it need to be changed? Otherwise, I don't see how what you sketched up could adjust the volume of water through the tubes.

 

[Goldfleks]

NY - are you speaking of a deflector in the trap area?
I've have this theory on this Laminar flow vs. turbulent flow (in trap) and have been considering trying a deflector in the trap like so...

View attachment 1415430
View attachment 1415431

I'm sure testing has been done on this theory - It's had to have!!
So am I way out in left field on this?
Did I have too many Martini's last night?

Doesn't the Bazooka already have a diverter baffle or something like that? I'd look, but mine is in the parking garage.

 

[G-bone]

Meaning adjusting the orientation of the holes in the tubes? Once that's dialed in, why would it need to be changed? Otherwise, I don't see how what you sketched up could adjust the volume of water through the tubes.

No, my thought is hole size adjustment.
You would have the inner tube (stationary to the back of the trap) with oblong longs, and the outer tube, which rotates, varies the overall hole sizes.
It would for sure - require o-rings and circlips and a little more complexity (The beauty of the BGT is it's overall simplicity)
I think it can be done, but then again it's unproved and basically just thinking out loud here.
Like I said, it's "Martini" idea

 

[G-bone]

Doesn't the Bazooka already have a diverter baffle or something like that? I'd look, but mine is in the parking garage.

I don't think my 24" or 30" have anything like in the picture I posted.
I need to look again myself, but I think there might be some added material making it a little thicker right where the Grizzlies attached to the upper deck.
But I don't think that is for diversion of water - more for just added strength to hold onto the grizzly bars in place.

I could be wrong.....

 

[mofugly13]

Got it. Nice idea, but I can't think of any reason to want to dial down the flow through the tubes.

 

[Au dave]

I don't think my 24" or 30" have anything like in the picture I posted.
I need to look again myself, but I think there might be some added material making it a little thicker right where the Grizzlies attached to the upper deck.
But I don't think that is for diversion of water - more for just added strength to hold onto the grizzly bars in place.

I could be wrong.....

I belive you are right about the added strength/ grizzly attachment, according to Goodguy and Kev in Co it also "knocks" down the float gold. I have tried a bit of 1/4" angle and a strip of abs in my homemade zook and found the the angle scoured out the trap but the abs seems to work... more testing is in progress.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

 

[crabtree]

I don't think my 24" or 30" have anything like in the picture I posted.
I need to look again myself, but I think there might be some added material making it a little thicker right where the Grizzlies attached to the upper deck.
But I don't think that is for diversion of water - more for just added strength to hold onto the grizzly bars in place.

I could be wrong.....

Can anybody say definitively whether the sniper has a diverter/baffle? I'm not referring to the section of thicker material that supports the grizzlies, but rather something specifically designed to force floating material under water.

The sniper I just completed does have one because I thought I read that all bazookas have one. I'd like to remove it if the genuine article isn't equipped with one.

 

[G-bone]

I belive you are right about the added strength/ grizzly attachment, according to Goodguy and Kev in Co it also "knocks" down the float gold. I have tried a bit of 1/4" angle and a strip of abs in my homemade zook and found the the angle scoured out the trap but the abs seems to work... more testing is in progress.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

I think I remember reading that a while back as well.
Makes sense too.

 

[Goodyguy]

I built the goodyguy version gold trap and am quite happy with it. I check the fluidization quite often with my finger. My finger easily melts into the material. I can not imagine any gold getting across this bed. I tried using a baffle on this bed, but no matter where I place it, it blows the sand off the tubes.

I've found that too large of a deflector strip can cause too much turbulence which creates scouring, too small and it's basically useless. Just right and it's a happy medium depending upon water velocity. I have had more success with a soft damper flap but that has it's problems as well.



What is really needed is an area into the trap that allows for a lower pressure zone. Lower pressure/slower flow will allow the gold to fall out of suspension as well as reducing turbulence. Same principal that causes gold to fall out of suspension where a creek suddenly widens.

A widening of the sluice at the entrance to the trap as well as a wider trap would serve to create that zone.

Here are a couple of DIY designs I have found on the net that address the need for a lower pressure trap to aid in recovery.
fig1
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/sluicing/459405-bazooka-seems-best-but-can-improved.html#post4491266

and.......

Fig2
http://mlaine.net/Fluid-Bed-Sluice-24/album/


The factory design is simpler and less expensive for production purposes.
But sometimes extra work may be worth it to enhance performance.
The question is....is the slight improvement in performance worth the trouble of a re-design?

Proper fluidizing of the larger trap will also need to be addressed but is easily accomplished.

Not shown in the diagrams above is that the slick plate above the trap could follow the same taper as the top deck (or at least not widen out) for better elimination of gravels from the top deck more like this....


The next one I build will have the low pressure trap.

The one I use now works just fine so I really have no need for another one but that never stopped me before.

I have been designing, testing, and tweaking fluid beds for many years now and have found that no matter how well something works there is always room for improvement, otherwise we would all still be driving model T's




Go for the
GG~

 

[KevinInColorado]

I don't think my 24" or 30" have anything like in the picture I posted.
I need to look again myself, but I think there might be some added material making it a little thicker right where the Grizzlies attached to the upper deck.
But I don't think that is for diversion of water - more for just added strength to hold onto the grizzly bars in place.

I could be wrong.....

A first perhaps but I think you are. The use of a deflector is standard in Bazookas and yes, as your excellent second graphic shows, that's a key design feature.

However, as mentioned just above, it's easy to make a deflector that's too big and leads to scouring. The real magic of the Bazooka is all he testing Todd did to get it optimized. That's why it'll be a real shame if he can't sell the company...he should get some value for what he's created imo.

 

[rodoconnor]

GG , I built one like Fig 1 and made it very low profile. It really helps with the super fine recovery.

 

[crabtree]

The use of a deflector is standard in Bazookas and yes, as your excellent second graphic shows, that's a key design feature.

Does anybody have a pic of the deflector? Is it on all models? I know that the elevated platform is thicker on the edge to support the grizzly bars, but is there something else in addition to that?

I wish i could get my hands on a sniper long enough to take some measurements.

 

[Goldfleks]

It just looks like a 1/4" piece of ABS glued to the top of the trap. Which would force water down and around. The grizzly bars on the sniper are just drilled into the deck material.

IDK.

I'm all good with my zooka's not looking to make them

 

[G-bone]

Does anybody have a pic of the deflector? Is it on all models? I know that the elevated platform is thicker on the edge to support the grizzly bars, but is there something else in addition to that?
.

Nope nothing else. Just that .250" (+/-) sq strip.