Thinking of building a beach box

arizau

Bronze Member
May 2, 2014
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It's coming together. I got the sawtooth mat installed in two of the cube trays and may use one or two more trays w/sawtooth. I have low v mat for the top tray, but may not use it as a little concerned it may slow down the feed rate? I have yet to put the motherlode mat into the multi-sluice which will be fed by the gold cube. Still have to locate some tubs for the water. I'm busy with other stuff for a couple days, but will post a pic when I can, probably on the 'got out today' thread.

I will never have a cube but it makes sense to me to utilize the top tray as an additional square foot of capture area. I don't think that it will slow down your process but it won't be quite as efficient as downstream trays due to the fact that the feed material is somewhat stacked at the top end to begin with. Easier cleanups with ribbed or sawtooth mat vs. vortex.

Do other beach miners use the motherlode mat and will the water flow from the cube be sufficient for your setup using ML mat?

Don't forget with a high stack you may need higher gph pump to equal the flow of say a 3 stack with the stock 1100. Maybe 1500 or more vs. the 1100 that I think comes with the 3 stack. There is a video somewhere that shows how the cube inventors determine if there is enough/how to regulate flow.

Good luck.
 

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arizau

Bronze Member
May 2, 2014
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3,870
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Beach High Banker, Sweep Jig, Whippet Dry Washer, Lobo ST, 1/2 width 2 tray Gold Cube, numerous pans, rocker box, and home made fluid bed and stream sluices.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Found this for water flow adjustment.

"use the dowel rod method to measure max flow.
1. a 5/8″ dowel rod to 10 inches.
2. Roll the dowel down the water tray slick plate and it will jamb and dam up the water all but an inch on either side.
3. With the water on, you will see the water getting deep above the dowel.
4. Watch the scooped out section of the plastic that forms the Cube side openings, the water should not overflow out those sides. If it stays contained, you are good, if it overflows, you need to dial back the water.
5. As with any new area or any new set-up, the proof of the pudding is in the taste. Run 30 min, check your tailings and check each tray to see how far your gold is getting. If the water is correct, and the bubbles are out of the mat, you will see what is expected, most of your gold will be in the beginning of the first mat with little to no gold in the lower trays or in the tailings. If you seem to have a little too much gold on the second matted tray, you may need to slow your water down just a little. (Ed: Easy ways to do this include raising the cube so the pump has to push higher or using a longer hose.)."
 

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wildminer

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Dec 2, 2015
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Almost ready for a wet run. I got the syphon tube between the tubs finished yesterday. Low-v in the top tray and sawtooth in the two trays below with two more trays with sawtooth on order. Sawtooth claims a 20% higher capture rate on the fine beach gold and much easier and faster to clean out than original cube mat. That translates into less bending over and more gold; yippee! Today I'm working on making the motherlode mat for the multi-sluice which will be below the cube. I've got a fresh battery with a rheostat speed controller, spare 1100 pump and a 2,000 pump if needed. I'll try to get a pic made.
 

johnedoe

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Jan 15, 2012
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Sounds like your almost ready to tear up the beach......:laughing7:
 

russau

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May 29, 2005
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St. Louis, missouri
Years back I built a beach box from a 4x4 sheet of aluminum with 3 inch tall sides on 3 sides of it and it was up on legs and had a trough going across the head of the sluice and it had a3/16 stainless steel punch plate that feed the screened material to the sluice below. the sluice had tall raised rubber mat. I use a regular ole trash pump to feed the water to wash off the lighter material. Some how 3 pictures of it got posted on a Iowa prospecting site...……...no problem as far as I', concerned ! I got got what the address is for this site but if you'd like to look at it ,I think it's still there. It worked great but I sold it when I ran out of room for it in my trailer.! www.iowagold.com/HOWTOPAGES/how_ to_beach-box.htm
 

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johnedoe

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Jan 15, 2012
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Oregon Coast
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ncclaymaker

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Aug 26, 2011
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Champlain, NY on the Canadian border.
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Since I've never gone to mine the beach anywhere in Oregon, need a little info. Do you have to manually shovel feed the sluice or can you use a suction dredge. Would they get upset if you arrive with a small backhoe? Or is Oregon getting to be Californicated like some surrounding states?
 

arizau

Bronze Member
May 2, 2014
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3,870
AZ
Detector(s) used
Beach High Banker, Sweep Jig, Whippet Dry Washer, Lobo ST, 1/2 width 2 tray Gold Cube, numerous pans, rocker box, and home made fluid bed and stream sluices.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
This is what I know.....Oregon, for years, has forbidden the use of motorized equipment for mining on the beaches. Behind the vegetation line, motors are allowed with some exceptions. Washington, in the not too distant past, began to allow motorized equipment usage to some extent.
 

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wildminer

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Dec 2, 2015
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Jefferson Coast
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Well, I'm all geared up with the cube, multi-sluice and related stuff to make it work, but I'm going to hold off on a trip to Washington to see how things turn out as related to the virus. Don't see any reason to travel closer to a region with more cases than my own small town. BTW there is a notice that they cancelled the gpaa gold show in Clark county, Wa. Stay safe everyone!
 

johnedoe

Bronze Member
Jan 15, 2012
1,489
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Oregon Coast
Detector(s) used
White's V3i, White's MXT, and White's Eagle Spectrum
Cleangold sluice & prospectors pan, EZ-Gold Pan, and custom cleanup sluice.
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Other
Well, I'm all geared up with the cube, multi-sluice and related stuff to make it work, but I'm going to hold off on a trip to Washington to see how things turn out as related to the virus. Don't see any reason to travel closer to a region with more cases than my own small town. BTW there is a notice that they cancelled the gpaa gold show in Clark county, Wa. Stay safe everyone!

Yup.. It has all been canceled... They stated that as things cleared they will try and reschedule.
We had also decided to pass on the events this year.
What a mess this is...

Stay safe, stay healthy.
 

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