Crazy idea, but maybe a stroke of brilliance?

MacgyverMike

Greenie
Oct 15, 2019
10
20
Galt, California
Detector(s) used
Garret Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Just getting into the hobby, experimenting with various methods, and moving from a casual panner on backpacking trips to dedicated prospecting runs.

The one hurdle I find to sluicing is after I fill a bucket, it takes a while to feed it all through the sluice. What if I could use that time filling another bucket? Some sort of controlled feed hopper? Enter the crazy idea factory that is my brain...

Imagine taking a wheeled seed spreader, knock out the flinger plate, and hook the axle or drive shaft up to a water wheel of sorts. You can control the feed rate with the gate opening, start or stop with the gate lever, and basically fill it up and let it drop material onto the raceway/crashbox...

Might make a winter project out of it if I can pick one up cheap...
 

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,222
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Just getting into the hobby, experimenting with various methods, and moving from a casual panner on backpacking trips to dedicated prospecting runs.

The one hurdle I find to sluicing is after I fill a bucket, it takes a while to feed it all through the sluice. What if I could use that time filling another bucket? Some sort of controlled feed hopper? Enter the crazy idea factory that is my brain...

Imagine taking a wheeled seed spreader, knock out the flinger plate, and hook the axle or drive shaft up to a water wheel of sorts. You can control the feed rate with the gate opening, start or stop with the gate lever, and basically fill it up and let it drop material onto the raceway/crashbox...

Might make a winter project out of it if I can pick one up cheap...

Just run material faster. don't baby your sluice. thats not what they are designed for.
 

Actionman

Full Member
Dec 21, 2013
173
176
Central Oregon
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX3030, Minelab Excalbur 2
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Already one available on the market today. Never tried it, I think it would be a unnecessary step, doesn't take long to feed the sluice.
 

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
Just getting into the hobby, experimenting with various methods, and moving from a casual panner on backpacking trips to dedicated prospecting runs.


The one hurdle I find to sluicing is after I fill a bucket, it takes a while to feed it all through the sluice. What if I could use that time filling another bucket? Some sort of controlled feed hopper? Enter the crazy idea factory that is my brain...


Imagine taking a wheeled seed spreader, knock out the flinger plate, and hook the axle or drive shaft up to a water wheel of sorts. You can control the feed rate with the gate opening, start or stop with the gate lever, and basically fill it up and let it drop material onto the raceway/crashbox...


Might make a winter project out of it if I can pick one up cheap...


I like your feeder/water wheel powered idea. :sign13:
Thought about using a water wheel to power a feeder conveyor for a highbanker or trommel but then like most of my ideas it would require more equipment and time to haul in and set up.


Now that I live in an RV I have had to scale back on my inventions and it's really hard to control my tinkering spirit.
I am having to make my projects do double and triple+ duty.


My latest was to make a chariot out of my gas vac so I can use it to also haul 10 gallons of paydirt, carry my drywasher, metal detector, pick, shovel, hoses, etc. as well as using it for a blower. :tongue3:


The wheels and handle are off a discarded lawnmower that I found in a dumpster.
The handle comes off just by squeezing the ends, the wheels as well as the bucket are held on by R-pins.


chariot01.jpg
10 gallon pay dirt hauler..............



blower01.jpg
Blower for my drywasher..................




vac!.jpg 006.jpg
crack vac........................



caddie01.jpg caddie2.jpg
Equipment caddy.........................



stow.jpg
Pull 4 pins and the whole outfit stows nicely into one of the bays on my RV.


Go for the Gold
GG~
 

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Don in SoCal

Jr. Member
Jul 19, 2014
26
10
Corona
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800; 11", 6X9CT... Compadre; 6C, 8OOR, 3X18 Cleansweep...GM4b; 6X9DD, 6X9C ...ML Sovereign; 8 & 10 Tornado, 10X12 Detech SEF …GP3500, 6X8 Sadie, 12 EVO, 14 CT Mono&DD
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Goldwasher, Look up Mr.Teslonian "Sluice Box Feeder" on YouTube. Looks as though it will work, maybe a bit of tweeking to it but it's a start.
 

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
Goldwasher, Look up Mr.Teslonian "Sluice Box Feeder" on YouTube. Looks as though it will work, maybe a bit of tweeking to it but it's a start.


I think you meant to address this to MacgyverMike.
Anyway, Thanks for posting the info I really like the passive "sluice box feeder" design.

Of course it would require pre-classifying to 1/2"
But just like x-lax it's....simple yet effective :tongue3:



To watch the video you have to click on the "watch this video on YouTube" link, located in the video above.


Pretty sure you could MacGyver one from 5 gallon buckets, heat gun, and a pop rivet tool. :icon_thumright:


Go for the Gold
GG~
 

Last edited:

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,222
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
yea. totally unnecessary.
 

Johnnybravo300

Bronze Member
Jan 3, 2016
2,363
2,857
South of Gunnison, Gold Basin
Detector(s) used
F2
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I use a feeder known as the wife with a hand scoop.
It's a noisy and squeaky contraption, especially on cloudy cold days when shes not her happiest. She gets the job done tho.
She also doubles as a beer carrier and shes self propelled.
 

Last edited:

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,222
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I use a feeder known as the wife with a hand scoop.
It's a noisy and squeaky contraption, especially on cloudy cold days when shes not her happiest. She gets the job done tho.
She also doubles as a beer carrier and shes self propelled.

Way, way more useful.
 

Capt Nemo

Bronze Member
Apr 11, 2015
1,058
1,609
Oshkosh, WI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I rather have a golddigger of a wife. She can dig the gold, and I'll feed it through the sluice!
 

wildminer

Hero Member
Dec 2, 2015
610
899
Jefferson Coast
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I use a feeder known as the wife with a hand scoop.
It's a noisy and squeaky contraption, especially on cloudy cold days when shes not her happiest. She gets the job done tho.
She also doubles as a beer carrier and shes self propelled.

I have one of those, but it's expensive and no guarantee came with it. :tongue3:
 

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