Advice on setting up a 2" dredge

[Jjhall68]

Hey guys,

I picked up a 2" Keene dredge from one of the members and can't wait to give it a try. I have great recovery with my Gold Cube and clean up my fines with a blue bowl and a Miller table but the dredges is a new venture for me. It comes set up with a punch plate over a rib-mat then riffles over carpet. I would appreciate any advice on changes to this set up to make it preform at its best here in WA.

Thanks for looking,
John

 

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[LRC253]

Great looking unit, and again congrats! I'd ask AimSmMissSm what he is running in his Keene as he captures a lot of fine gold. Get out there soon before dredging season is over!!

 

[Jjhall68]

How about it Mike and Kai,

Any advice from the fines you told me about from Waddell creek?

Thanks,
John

 

[mike(swWash)]

I've got 0 experience running a dredge but if I were to build one(probably this winters project) I will be putting in gold hog matting. Give your new toy a try and see how it does, and I know Kai will have some helpful info for you.

 

[Jjhall68]

I got to run my new dredge for a couple of hours last Sunday East of the Mountains, it was a great time and we did get some color. Of course I don't know what percent of the fine stuff I recovered, but I did get some -50 and -100 gold. It really surprised/pleased how little fuel I burned.

John

 

[LRC253]

Hows the dredge treating you John? I thought I had a good deal going with a 4" keene dredge but the seller pulled back and said it was supposed to be an aditional $1,000... bummed... but there is always next year.

 

[AimSmMissSm]

John and I are trying to get together this Saturday the 6th. Any other interest PM me for directions.

 

[Jjhall68]

Luke,

The dredge is a lot of fun. I haven't traded out the carpet yet, I wanted to do the miners moss over v rib but unless I can find some tomorrow I may try double expanded metal over rib mat.
I ran it up Oleny Creek and recovered some really fine stuff -50 to -100 mesh. The question is how much I lost?
Sorry to hear your deal didn't work out, I really don't like it when the details change. I'll keep an eye out for a four inch if you like?

All the best,
John

 

[Medina Joe]

Dude, I'm so jealous. Nice grab. I will trade you a mean ex girlfriend, and i will overnight ship her USPS. In exchange for your 2inch Dredge. Hell I'll pay for the shipping

 

[Jjhall68]

Thanks Joe,

I think I'll pass on the trade, I've been out of the mean girlfriend business for close to 28 years and that was the best decision of my life!
The right spouse is the greatest treasure of them all. After all these years mine will still spend the day in the rain with me hunting for gold, rocks, or just a great place to sit and look at the horizon.

All the Best,
John

 

[AimSmMissSm]

I will agree with that John. Mine of 20 years is not keene on going with me but she is very supportive of me going. Running joke for 2nd year now is " We interupt this marriage for dredge season." We laugh about it.

 

[LRC253]

Great to meet you guys yesterday!
By far the best I've done at waddell.

 

[Jjhall68]

Luke,

That is good looking gold! By the way that moves the bazooka up on my wish list, lol
It was a great time and good to meet you as well.

John

 

[Jjhall68]

This is the clean up from my trip Saturday the 13th with my dredge. I changed the carpet for rib mat and miners moss and tried a new area on Oleny creek. This was not the best single day but the gold is bigger on average so I think I'm on the right track.
All the Best,
John

 

[mike(swWash)]

You're definitely on the right track...keep following that yellow brick road

 

[LRC253]

John, are you coming out on Sunday?

 

[Jjhall68]

I think I am going to be able to work it out!

 

[Jjhall68]

Had the chance to run a tank of fuel through my dredge on Saturday. It was a great day spent with a good friend and his son, who is a new nine year old prospector
I am working in the same location as the last trip, I reopened my last hole and made it a little deeper (approx 30") and another 1.5' father South. So about about six buckets of material. Here is the gold, and the lead, lol that had me going when I panned it down.
Not a huge amount but I'm still I hopes that I'm getting closer. I just wish I knew if I should go deeper, or concentrate on moving forward?

 

[AimSmMissSm]

Thats a good showing for a tank of fuel. Did you change out your carpet for v-rib and moss?

 

[Jjhall68]

Thanks Kai,

I sure did, thanks for the advise.
You can see some of the gold in the picture is pretty dang small. I think I have a good exchange with this set up too. Even though I have never run more than a tank without cleaning up. I'd say I'm about a quart of concentrates when I do and 90% will pass through a 20 mesh screen.