Duckys Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

[TheGoldProspector]

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[Duckwalk]

So during lunch i started on my new design for a "whirlpool sluice". the pictures are just cardboard pieces cut out to similar sizes of what the finished product will be. i would love to hear concerns and or advice. All the gold in my particular area is quite small, -50 and smaller. sorry if they are out of order, i cant fix the way it uploaded them

 

[DizzyDigger]

Ducky, could you explain how the material should
flow through the sluice?

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Ducky's Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

Where do you intend for the water to exit the bowl? Out of the top of the bowl? Can you give a detailed description of how it is intended to work? Water flow, material process and ejection?

 

[Duckwalk]

Dizz
the water will enter through the bottom under the slick plate and be directed into the circular trap via the diagonal piece that leads to the opening of the trap. the material will be dumped on the top of the slick plate and over the top of the punch plate that is directly over the trap and anything bigger than the punch plate will simply wash off the back side.

Sherry
The light stuff will flow out of the back side. i havent cut it yet, because i didn't want to make a wrong cut, but it will be a 1" or so cut along the back top side of the bowl. My thinking is in this process.

1. Dump material
2. let the gold and smaller material fall through the punch plate
3. the vortex inside the bowl will keep the heavies in the center and or outside of the trap(bowl) while light stuff exits through the 1" output on the back of the bowl
4. ....figure out a way to empty the trap for a cleanout

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Ducky's Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

For clean out fill a 5 gal bucket 3/4 put the bowl end inside and agitate up and down like the Bazooka is cleaned out

I would suggest in the center of your bowl to have a 1/4 inch deep by 2 inch diameter cup dropped below the bottom of the bowl that would more easily catch the fine gold in the center. It may also help to have a low profile spiral ridge on the bottom of the bowl to help guide the fines.

You may also want to move the water inlet opening further around to the right side instead of the center because the water will just flow straight into and across the center instead of circling the bowl. You will also want to direct the water force around the outer edge of the bowl to great the spiral. You may need a lip on the left side of the opening to direct the water against the outer edge.

But I'm not sure that the spiral flow will continue with water dumping in over the top of the punch plate disrupting the spiral flow. Therefore the velocity of the water entering the lower deck to keep the turbulent spiral of water in the bowl must be much faster than the water flowing across the slick/punch plate but the the water across the slick/punch plate must be fast enough to clear the larger material easily with the flow. Food for thought.......

 

[Duckwalk]

didnt think about the disruption from the top flow. maybe instead of a top slick plate with punch plate OVER the trap, i can remove the whole top section (leaving a solid cover for the bowl section) and install punch plate at an angle upwards infront of the water guide. then i just dump material on the bottom plate, let it wash up the punch plate with heavies carried over the top and the good material getting directed into the trap along WITH the water.

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Ducky's Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

The water going through the punch plate will still disrupt the spiral.

The lights are going to spiral to the middle there's no where for them to go either.


Watch a video of a blue bowl in action. The lights will need to exit the center but in a river this is not really possible. May need to reconsider the design. It may work as a recirculating sluice but not sure about in a river.

The only other idea that I would have would be to have slick plate, then punch plate and then slick plate over the top of the bowl. Then under the punch plate would be a drop-down tray that would slant to the right with a one or 2 inch exit into the top of the bowl under the last slick plate. Does that make sense?

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Ducky's Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

You may want to consider a bazooka mini as the research, time and money has already been invested and perfected with the fluid bed to catch the fines...

Then just get a blue bowl for clean up which will keep you busy in your garage when you can't get out!

For low flow water situations like yours I'd consider using a 6" or 8" W x 36" L flared sluice with low, medium and deep V matting only. Not even the fancy Gold Hog stuff because even it needs faster water flow to create the turbulence over it.

 

[Duckwalk]

I just want to give the "home built" thing a try. looking forward to building this. i may have to tear it apart a few times to get it functional (or it never may be functional lol) but the materials are free and im not prospecting until it warms up so, might as well give it a try.

 

[Sideways Sherry]

Ducky's Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

That's always the fun part! You will certainly get to know the in's and out's of how sluices work! Hell you might even perfect it into the best sluice design yet! Never give up! My mind is always spinning with designs too but then I wind up taking the Bazooka back to the river for a much needed break then I come back to the drawing board refreshed. ;-P

 

[Duckwalk]

i think ill put a top on the bowl section tonight and just feed some pre classified material through the water opening to see how the material reacts in the vortex before i make some changes.

 

[Duckwalk]

Ducky's Thread - Georgia Panning and Prospecting.

Welp got 2 pans of my creek dirt that had not panned yet panned tonight. 4.5 gallons to go. My hands were numb and stingy just 2 pans in.

 

[Duckwalk]

Much less impressive spread out

 

[TheGoldProspector]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1103018"/>

Much less impressive spread out

Au nonetheless

 

[425jesse]

You may want to call that names, but dude, You should know that your panning skills (basically the most important skill in prospecting for recovering very fine gold are fantastic! Man, way to go mr steady hands!! Be proud!!

 

[Duckwalk]

Thanks man, I've prolly panned a total of 30 time in the last 9ish months. Nice to know someone thinks I can pan!

 

[TheGoldProspector]

Hey hey, we have faith in you Duck!!

 

[Duckwalk]

GRRR Curse you old man winter. since i panned the other night its all i want to do now. i need to set up some sort of in-home panning station. i would do it in my sink with a safety pan under but i tend to get a little "vigorous" when it comes to panning. dont want water all over the counter.... So basically something big enough to pan in, but small enough to take outside and dump.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Ducky, take a 30 gal. tote (tub) and lay a three 2x4's across it
from side to side (2' each would work). Place a 10 gal tote on top
of the 2x4's and pan in the top one. Any overspill will drop right
into the 30 gal. tub below.

These are what I use to pan in at home:

Rubbermaid 10 gal. Roughneck Storage Box in Steel Gray-RHP 2214TP STE - The Home Depot

You could also use one of the concrete mixing tubs...cheaper,
and wider:

Plasgad Black Medium Concrete Mixing Tub-887101C - The Home Depot