Best Manufacturer - Blue Bowl and Spiral Wheel?

[Fossil4Life]

There seems to be many manufacturers (and as many iterations) of the Blue Bowl and the Spiral Wheel. Who are good/best manufacturers that make this equipment? I'd rather spend money the right way once on quality gold recovery equipment than regret it later. So, does anyone have any recommendations on the best manufacturers to hit up for these two pieces of equipment?

Note: The Blue Bowl and Spiral Wheel will be used for small operations only, by my wife and I.

Thanks!

 

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[AzViper]

LOL.. Two entirely different setups and scale of operations. Reeds photo is from 20 plus years ago would be my guess. Again the man can't except technology. I bet he is still using dial up internet, P100 processor computer, pumping his shower water, waiting at a closed gas station with the sign out front for gas at 19 cents per gallon and wondering why there is nobody showing up to pump his gas.

 

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[southfork]

I like my blue bowl I classify all my fines first with different mesh screens . Then I use a little dish soap to help break the surface tension of the water and spoon feed the bowl real slow . Keep on eye on the cone fine gold will walk up with the black sand . Sometimes I use a little mercury in the bowl to help catch micro gold . I save the mercury and When it turns to grey mud a little nitric acid and stay up wind to clean up . The gold it catches is so fine it won't break the surface tension of water when sprinkled on top . Think about it the next time you toss that black sand . Another note the mercury I use is what I saved from Dredging on the south fork of the American when it was legal .

 

[Reed Lukens]

LOL.. Two entirely different setups and scale of operations. Reeds photo is from 20 plus years ago would be my guest. Again the man can't except technology. I bet he is still using dial up internet, P100 processor computer, pumping his shower water, waiting at a closed gas station with the sign out front for gas at 19 cents per gallon and wondering why there is nobody showing up to pump his gas.

The pic is older because I shoot videos now & don't take pics anymore. That pic was from 2005 cause it was the best pic of the spiral wheel part of the plant. The wash plant was operating 2 years ago but I haven't been back this year to see if it's still running. Here's an update

Update on Liberty Hill Mine

 

[Jimmydolittle]

AzViper has some very detailed pictures of the table he built. Click the link in his signature line to see how he did, also Goodyguy has some pics somewhere of his. It does not appear to be that difficult to build one. I have not yet built one, but would like to soon.

Thanks guy's. I watch a lot of video's and I think I will build or buy a miller table.

 

[russau]

All I can say is, I have tried the wheel and have a D.A.M. Blue bowl and really like it BUT for the cost and ease of using my homemade Miller Table, its my favorit to date! and using a autofeeder on any equipment, once it is set up to feed material to your rate cant be beat .set it up and go do something else until it needs more cons! spoonfeeding equipment is hard on my back! OR sit back and watch with a cold drink! its all good!

 

[AzViper]

Thanks guy's. I watch a lot of video's and I think I will build or buy a miller table.

There you go... If you have questions just ask. RUSSAU, DIZZYDIGGER, KAZCORO, GOODGUY, and MYSELF will help with any questions you may have. There are many others who have Miller Tables with either slate, sealed painted wood, or rubber mats that will chime in. Bottom line it really comes down to your choice and your budget. If your after a aluminum table such as mine fine a local sheet metal shop to cut and bend the table. One thing you want to stress to the shop is to have the box even from top to bottom as far as the ID dimensions as this will simplify the installation of the rubber mat. I use a different method installing my mats as I use a method I perfected when building custom poker in getting the playing cloth straight and true. Good Luck...

 

[Fossil4Life]

After reading through all the posts, I think I have come to the realization that a Miller Table is in my immediate future (you were right AzViper, thank you). This is what it boils to down to (correct me if I am wrong):

- A Blue Bowl is a PITA to setup and use, but will collect fine, flour gold.
- A Spiral Wheel is much easier to use and set up, but will not collect fine, flour gold.
- A Miller table is easy to setup and use, and will collect fine, flour gold.

Are these statements correct?

 

[AzViper]

After reading through all the posts, I think I have come to the realization that a Miller Table is in my immediate future (you were right AzViper, thank you). This is what it boils to down to (correct me if I am wrong):

- A Blue Bowl is a PITA to setup and use, but will collect fine, flour gold.
- A Spiral Wheel is much easier to use and set up, but will not collect fine, flour gold.
- A Miller table is easy to setup and use, and will collect fine, flour gold.

Are these statements correct?

Well as you can see in my video it will collect bigger than flour gold. In the field you could pan down the concentrate then throw it on the table to capture the bigger gold then rerun the con at a later date to capture yet the finer gold.

 

[Oregon Viking]

After reading through all the posts, I think I have come to the realization that a Miller Table is in my immediate future (you were right AzViper, thank you). This is what it boils to down to (correct me if I am wrong):

- A Blue Bowl is a PITA to setup and use, but will collect fine, flour gold.
- A Spiral Wheel is much easier to use and set up, but will not collect fine, flour gold.
- A Miller table is easy to setup and use, and will collect fine, flour gold.

Are these statements correct?

You want ease of use?
You want production?
Look at this!
Prospectors Choice Clean Up Sluice
It whoops my bros miller tables.
Stomps their blue bowls...

 

[AzViper]

You want ease of use?
You want production?
Look at this!
Prospectors Choice Clean Up Sluice
It whoops my bros miller tables.
Stomps their blue bowls...

You already posted the link. Nothing more than a ribbed mat sluice or a smooth mat Miller Table. Nothing special.

 

[Oregon Viking]

You already posted the link. Nothing more than a ribbed mat sluice or a smooth mat Miller Table. Nothing special.

Sorry...it works.

 

[Oregon Viking]

You already posted the link. Nothing more than a ribbed mat sluice or a smooth mat Miller Table. Nothing special.

OK Nothing special. I'am basing this on my bros miller tables. brush brush..putt putt putt. I use the clean up sluice on beach sand. Anything less the -100 I say is a waste of time.
A miller table and/or blue bowl, IMO are doing what my clean up sluice is doing...just much slower. And the new version has vortex type matting. I understand most of you guys have way more "time on the river" then I do. I respect that. But I kinda like getting the job done in half the time!

 

[2cmorau]

The Gold Magic will recover gold face powder and smaller, use a snuffer bottle instead of taking the cup out all the time, regardless what others say shooting clay, it's difficult to claim center with the wheels that have a hole in them. i use the handcrank it's light and very portable.

After reading through all the posts, I think I have come to the realization that a Miller Table is in my immediate future (you were right AzViper, thank you). This is what it boils to down to (correct me if I am wrong):

- A Blue Bowl is a PITA to setup and use, but will collect fine, flour gold.
- A Spiral Wheel is much easier to use and set up, but will not collect fine, flour gold.
- A Miller table is easy to setup and use, and will collect fine, flour gold.

Are these statements correct?

 

[Medina Joe]

Well the good thing is i have a metal brake in my shop. I can bend some metal. I will be asking questions. I will start building this fall. Right now I want to keep Prospecting. It gives me a great project to do with my son. Plus we can go thorugh my cons in winter.

 

[AzViper]

Medina Joe,

Great you have a brake and I suppose if a brake is in house there must be a shear. Once you have your table bent up the next big question will be how to get the rubber mat installed evenly. What I did is cut a template from 1/4 plywood to fit the ID of the table. You want this template to tight, but not so tight you have to push it flat to the bottom. Just a nice snug fit. This templates only use is to cut the rubber mat. Now roll out just enough of the rubber mat material on a flat surface that you can afford to cut into with a razor blade knife. Lay your template on the rubber mat and cut the mat to the size of the template. It's a good idea to make sure the mat is place in the table just as the template was placed. Now with the mat in place take the bottom edge, this is the discharge end of the table and pull it up to the top edge of the table as seen in the drawing. This will expose the bottom of the table. Using 3M 77 adhesive spray do a light dusting of the expose aluminum table followed by doing a light dusting of the folded rubber mat. Allow the 3m 77 to get tacky. In the drawing I have a green arrow. You want to place your hand between the two halves of the mat. Slowly sliding your hand from side to side while moving in the direction of the arrow working the rubber mat towards the end of the table. Go slowly as you do not want to trap air bubbles. Repeat this process by fold the other end of the mat. I used Blue Masking tape and taped off the entire inside side walls so that the 3M 77 was not sprayed on the aluminum side walls. The 3M 77 will clean up with Mineral Sprints if you do get it on the mat or aluminum.

If you plan on placing a vial as I did it’s a good idea to drill this hole prior to installing the rubber mat. I used a step drill bit. I took a vial lid and drilled out the nearly the entire top leaving enough plastic to have a slight top edge covering the glass vial. Once the mat is installed I located the hole and cut an X in the rubber the entire diameter of the hole. I then pushed the vial lid from the top of the rubber mat down through the Miller Table bottom so it’s flush to the mat. Then I used Silicon on the bottom to secure the lid to the aluminum. You will most likely need to trim the rubber mat on the bottom side once you push the lid into the mat. If you watch the video starting at 5:34 you will see how easy having this vial mounted into the Miller Table to capture your gold.

​

 

[Goodyguy]

The Gold Magic will recover gold face powder and smaller, use a snuffer bottle instead of taking the cup out all the time, regardless what others say shooting clay, it's difficult to claim center with the wheels that have a hole in them. i use the handcrank it's light and very portable.

Yes the wheel concentrators will capture face powder gold along with black sand so you still have to separate it from the black sand. So it's back to the miller table or blue bowl for final separation.

click here:t-net forum

 

[2cmorau]

hey Goody, thanks for the post
the miller table, blue bowl are fine for a handful of cons, i have had the blue and green bowl and a miller table with a copper plate at the bottom end, sold them.
the fox and camel are fine products too, however the spray bar will kick out fine gold or setting at the angle to accept fine gold will collect black sands as well, just like the Magic. I don’t have the patience, so I snuffer out the black sands on the magic and drop them into a vial or jar and the silver bullet, with the suggestion from John Hoser, I have been able to use my retort as intended,
(got this retort with a shaker table enjoyed the shaker but was frustrated with the retort and hung it up) use nitric in the past (to messy) use too burn it off, didn’t like that either

Thanks John, retort been working like charm​

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Martin Prospecting Fine Gold Clean-Up Table, Little on the expensive side for those on a budget. Built mine for about $125.00, but i am not on a budget. Just prefer to build my own equipment. [snip]

I built the same Miller table but I did not pay to buy or to have the aluminum built, so mine was under $50. I even built the PVC supports or the costs would have been even less. However, getting the table level is easier with your support system in place. Thanks.

 

[DurkaDigger]

I have a black magic on the way now and I am saving up my cons for it! I may eventually get a blue bowl also but I have been VERY impressed with the videos that I have seen. My understanding is any miller table has trouble with flat gold though...

I guess we shall see. I hope it will be here next week....

 

[preshrunkmilk]

I have a black magic on the way now and I am saving up my cons for it! I may eventually get a blue bowl also but I have been VERY impressed with the videos that I have seen. My understanding is any miller table has trouble with flat gold though...

I guess we shall see. I hope it will be here next week....

Not at all. If you level it out almost there is no gold lost atleast I havnt lost I rerun my cons and nothing. I have a miller table and blue blow and the miller table is much much easier to use then the bowl. I would sell my blue bowl if I thought I could get even a third of what I paid for it.