Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

[arizonaames]

Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

I added 1/4" aluminum armor plate to the front corners to balance the unit and added restraining strips so that the floats cannot move forward or backward. It is ready to go. Now to get out to CA and OR to use it....jim

 

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[arizonaames]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

back of dredge

 

[arizonaames]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

another view

 

[flyspekau]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

MAN I'm tellin you that looks real good nice and clean I hope she sucks as good as she looks

where in ca are you planning on going ?

Is the sluice box adjustable ? looks to be welded into place your not going to want that, possibly.

also and you'll have to run the dredge to see but that flapper may be to long and end up backing material up in your box I ended up using a tractor trailer mud flap on my 4" and it was to long cut it almost in half for best results.

 

[arizonaames]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

There is plenty of room for adjustments when running. Keene sluice is also used on my high banker so no, it is not welded in place. I have already float tested it for proper angle and balance....I like the seats up front so that I can sit and trout fish off of it.....I will start in northern CA and am welcome to suggestions and a partner when I get out there.... jim

I also added a hose fitting on the High Banker for clean up. I noticed that Proline Mining did this also.....jim

 

[Lookin]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

Sweet looking dredge! I hope you find lots of gold with that thing! Great job!!

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

Ames I really like your dredge. I'm working on a backpack version. Can I ask where you found those barrels and what size they are? They look like the 50 gallon barrels I see at the recycling yard but smaller.

 

[rangler]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

Ames,
Here is some friendly tips from a dredger who put a 2.5 dredge in the water in the summer of 1980!
and has mined for the last 29 summers!

first the front of the dredge is where the motor is..as the output of the sluice will discharge downstream
next the handle on the nozzle is not needed. The value of a pea shooter dredge (2.5) is
that you cant run volumes of gold bearing gravel but you sure can get in those nooks and crannies
that the big dredges couldnt. So the handle will only block you from getting in to those crevasses!
The reason you see them on bigger dredges is that the suction power on an 8 inch with a big motor
can suck your arm in and put you in a bad way under water, the handle lets you get a sure grip.

What is critical about the nozzle is your must make is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the
hose or you will clog even 60 seconds and spend more time getting the clogs out than dredging.

The floats looks good, but I dont think you will be able to sit on it..as you would need to balance the
oppisite end to keep from tilting at a dangerous angle.

The sluice box looks good too, but I think it is mounted too steep, the rule of thumb is kinda 1 inch drop
for each 3 feet of run.. also depending on how deep the floats sink into the water , the sluice may be
underwater at the tail end.* A good fix for this would to have made the frame dip down at this point and
go under the back end of the sluice,. I did like the way you lowered the sluice to fit just slightly below
the pontoons, this saves power. However the motor is mounted very high and this will burn hp needed
to lift the column of water from down below.

The pump is what concerns me the most as this is the critical part of the design. This looks like we call
a swimming pool pump to use in case of fighting a fire in an area where the Fire Department can get to
to fast. This type of pump usually does not produce the needed psi for suction dredges. This looks like
a high volume pump and not high pressure, the dredge pumps are high volume and high pressure.

The motor looks like a 5hp, i hope it is cause a 3hp would never work for this application. A good solve
would be to get a 180gp pump from Keen engineering..that would make this a Hot Rod dredge. A pump
of only 60-100gpm will only work for a little while until you keep clogging the hose.

Your foot valve looks very nice, the cheap plastic ones sold everywhere are over priced and junk, and they
dont sink in fast water, your looks good, although you only need about a fourth of the length of hose as,
the foot valve should not touch the bottom where it can suck up sand and wear out the pump.

I cant see the jet and the flare, but from here it looks ok. just be sure there are no restriction of any kind
as it will clog so much you will take out a firearm and put it out of it misery!

Also I cant see what is under the flap..or the riffles. but be sure to get a good "seal" between the carpet,
the riffles and the bottom of the sluice. This is critical. Also I can't see how you mounted the riffle ladder,
but most of them lift up - to do the clean up at the end of the day..the crossover bar of the frame,
might get in your way..cant tell.

At the front of you dredge, by the motor, this part will face upstream. against the current. you will notice all dredges have angled the front part of the pontoons to break and deflect the current, with a bold, flat edge presented to the current, you will find it hard to anchor it safely. Oh and you can leave the Anchor at home to save weight , the streams here a filled with anchors, we call them rocks! lol. Just be sure to have 50 of 1" nylon rope to safely tie
off your dredge at night.

One last thing Ames, the bottom of your floats will take a tremendous amount of wear, because of the dragging
the dredge across those rocks, cobbles and boulders , plus you are usually pulling against the current as well.
Looks like you got a good secure tie down there on the front of the dredge.Just be sure the braces you put
around the floats are super secure, because this is where all the pressure will be when the current tries to take
it downstream and the rope stops that action, the braces have to hold when you are pulling against it.

Most dredges don't have so much metal on the surface be cause of the sun in California is blazing and these surfaces will be red hot! Many have covered these with indoor outdoor carpet, plus that makes them skid proof. as losing things off this surface is common when the vibration of the motor while running and the current action.

Hope this helps you get the bugs out before you truck it cross country and you spend more time learning than dredging. Remember that out of state Dredging Permits are $175 or there abouts, obtainable at the Dept of Fish
& Game on S street, Sacramento. The good news...dredging season for 2009 opens Memorial Day weekend, but
bring a wet suit,(7mm) the water in California a melted snow and glaciers at about 48-52 degrees! Without one
you will turn blue long before your sluice box turns yellow...
I have some suggestions on where you can put your dredge in also, just send a pm message.
rangler

*I dont know if you fired up the motor when you floated it on the pond, but when you fire the motor up the whole balance will change and will dip down quite a bit at the back end, as much as 4-6 inches or more!

 

[NewbieOne]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

[size=12pt]Hey Rangler I could use some advice as well since James and I have a very similair design and this summer will be my first time out as well.

The sluice box looks good too, but I think it is mounted too steep, the rule of thumb is kinda 1 inch drop
for each 3 feet of run.. also depending on how deep the floats sink into the water , the sluice may be
underwater at the tail end.* A good fix for this would to have made the frame dip down at this point and
go under the back end of the sluice,. I did like the way you lowered the sluice to fit just slightly below
the pontoons, this saves power.

On mine I made the sluice box adjustible with a few holes and SS wingnuts, bolts and lock washers. You could still make yours adjustible by drilling and tapping the aluminum brackets that hold the sluice from below. Then insert your bolts into the tapped holes and as you screw in the bolts they raise the front or back of the sluice and as you unscrew they lower the sluice. This might not work well due to the vibrations

However the motor is mounted very high and this will burn hp needed to lift the column of water from down below.

This is my problem too, but as James said you could always weigh the barrels down to bring the pump and sluice closer to the water. I would almost rather have a little too much bouyancy than not enough. So far I still have a good amount of suction at the nozzle with a p-104 pump and a 4hp honda. I went down and tested the suction at 12' and it was reasonable, but would most likely require a blaster nozzle for hardpack. I will be doing a few more tests in a lake and finally at least one test in a local stream with a strong current before I go to my dredging location.

The pump is what concerns me the most as this is the critical part of the design. This looks like we call
a swimming pool pump to use in case of fighting a fire in an area where the Fire Department can get to
to fast. This type of pump usually does not produce the needed psi for suction dredges. This looks like
a high volume pump and not high pressure, the dredge pumps are high volume and high pressure.

The motor looks like a 5hp, i hope it is cause a 3hp would never work for this application. A good solve
would be to get a 180gp pump from Keen engineering..that would make this a Hot Rod dredge. A pump
of only 60-100gpm will only work for a little while until you keep clogging the hose.

Keene uses a 2.5, 3.5, and 4hp motor for their 2.5" dredges. Keene uses a p180 with a 6.5hp engine for all of their 4" dredges. Also the width of the sluice box for a 4" dredge is much wider than Jame's 10.5" wide A52 sluice. Wouldn't the p180 overload his sluice with too much water making it not work right? Also I think he would have to invest in a bigger engine to power the p180 properly.

At the front of you dredge, by the motor, this part will face upstream. against the current. you will notice all dredges have angled the front part of the pontoons to break and deflect the current, with a bold, flat edge presented to the current, you will find it hard to anchor it safely.

I found this picture of another DIY dredge with some cones that might work to deflect the current?

One last thing Ames, the bottom of your floats will take a tremendous amount of wear, because of the dragging
the dredge across those rocks, cobbles and boulders , plus you are usually pulling against the current as well.

My solution to protecting the barrells and straps when draging it over cobbles was to put 18" of rubber hose around my giant SS hose clamps and slide the rubber hose untill it is under the barrells. I have 2 straps holding each barrell so when itt's done I will have 8 rubber pads on the bottom. Also I do not plan on dragging my dredge too much I will have it on a cart untill I get it to the water. The bonus about these barrels is they cost only $10-30 to replce a punctured one.

Most dredges don't have so much metal on the surface be cause of the sun in California is blazing and these surfaces will be red hot! Many have covered these with indoor outdoor carpet, plus that makes them skid proof. as losing things off this surface is common when the vibration of the motor while running and the current action.

I think aluminum is a good heat disapator (better than steel anyways) since I've seen it on a lot of heat sincs, but in 100 degree weather a carpet cover is a good idea!!! This is what I have done to provide storage for misc tools etc:

Thanks for the help rangler.

-Kevin

 

[arizonaames]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

Most all of my dredge is adjustable to conditions encountered. The Keene Sluice is 25 years old and is both long and wide, 11.5 inches wide, and has found me a lot of gold in northern CA, OR, and NV. The Places that I have worked in OR and northern CA were covered with so much shade from those big things, trees, with those thousands of green things on them, leaves, that the sun's heat is not a problem, especially on aluminum. My motor is 5 hp but, since I have a combo and use the pump and motor on my high banker, I feel that the seals will not hold up with the increased pressure with reducing on the dredge. I will have to experiment with it. The anchor is a good thing if you are working slow rivers and streams like the Sixes, or Elk in OR or any river that has a slow eddy. The anchor can be wedged between those big solid things in the river, rocks, without having to tie anything down. Right now, I have encountered a head wind with my truck that pulls my 5th wheel. The rear end went out and the expert that I took it to did not have enough expertise to fix it 2xs. I will have to get a used HD one at a junkyard. I hope to be on my way in a week or two, money permitting now.....jim

PS: The water temp in Lake Huron is 41F while diving in Thunder Bay, CN. I can just use shorts and tank top in CA.....just kidding. The floats are soft drink dispensers that can easily be obtained at a Coke or Pepsi dealer near you. They are used in restaurants like the steel ones are used in bars for tap beer......

 

[mlayers]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

Heyn James I think you did a great job on your dredge. It looks nice and I am hoping that you find lots of gold with it.....Matt

 

[goldfever1978]

Re: Final changes to 2 1/2" dredge

Just wondering how the dredge ended up working out for you? If you are ever out the North Carolina way, drop me a line and we'll find somewhere to suck up the gold.