FRANKENZOOKA - coming soon - Larger,Removable Pipes + Clear Trap - after work project

[sluicelee]

I'm trying to increase the exchange of materials/action inside the gold trap by adding larger pipes/openings.
Any recommendations on how to increase flow/exchange inside trap will be appreciated.
Just started the mods, will have to run some test and tweak, but needing more action in the trap is the main reason for the mods. (.5" pipe to .75" pipe)
I get way too many lights in my clean outs and have had it pack up after long runs.
Don't get me wrong, its a fantastic sluice design, but hoping to get those lights out quicker and make room for the heavies to drop.
I know too much flow coming from the pipes and your emptying out the trap, but a nice comfortable medium where it runs a little more efficient is what I'm after




30" Prospector Model

 

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[fowledup]

Stupid question but couldn't you do the same thing by changing the feed tube hole size and increase the velocity of water feeding the tubes? I may be messed up in my thinking but without changing either of those two elements your not changing anything other than the fluidbed material holding capacity.

 

[sluicelee]

Hey fowledup, I've had issues with the bazooka packing up and a very slow exchange of materials, at least compared to the super mini bazooka I have which is very efficient. I get way more lights than heavies in my clean outs, no matter how I run it (angle/hardware cloth off/etc.) And compared to the super mini bazooka, which has 2 pipes, the prospector model only has 3 pipes, but the trap is roughly 5 times larger. I needed more exchange in the trap and I'm trying to increase the exchange/action inside the trap to get those lights out and keep it from packing up.

I'm hoping by increasing the pipe capacity and openings it will allow more water to flow inside the trap. My tube openings are also closer, more flush with the back wall on the trap which should allow for more velocity inside the tubes. The stock tubes are 1/2" and about 2" from the back wall in the water scoop portion of the bazooka, mine are 3/4" and about 1" from the back wall. Everything can be readjusted for now, I will epoxy everything in once I run some test. I will test different hole configurations also and see what works best. But something had to change, I was giving way too much gold back to the creek. I have a buddy (djpitr) who has built a fluid bed sluice and he has larger pipes on his than the bazooka and it is much more efficient at catching heavies and exchanging those lights for gold. I was going to sell bazooka and just build one like his, but I'm impulsive and just starting cutting away one day after work

 

[russau]

rather than replaceing the tubes id leave it alone and install a funnel on each of the tubes inlets to increase the pressure in the FB orfices. increasing the tube size will get more water but will keep the same water pressure at the FB. Id do this first because its EZ and cheap , then if this doesent make you happy then you can always tear the thing apart to put the bigger tubes in!

 

[Goldwasher]

Theres a reason the tubes are the way they are......you don't want too much water entering the trap...that's why the holes are already two different sizes. The trap is also a riffle . Hardware cloth slows that flow and impedes exchange. Typically the amount of material in trap is what it is. They can load up but, because of light sands doesn't make since. Also some people think their trap is "Locked Up" when it is just fine.....But, do what you want its your box.

 

[QNCrazy]

I'm no BGT expert and I don't own one but from your description it sounds like you don't have enough water flow to keep up with the rate you are feeding material. Not enough time for the trap to clear the lights before the next load. Feed rate and water flow go hand in hand with all sluices IMO. By the looks of it, it appears you are almost tripling the amount of waterflow into the trap. I agree with GW that you need to be careful not to introduce too much waterflow.

 

[arizau]

As long as you are experimenting......you might try this. It is how I constructed my homemade zook.

PVC spa hose is flexible, semi soft, and sized to be compatible with all PVC fittings and glue and can be found in many hardware stores. Drip irrigation hard plastic risers (about 1/8" ID) cut in short sections. Drill the hose in much the same pattern as the original pipe but make them over size so that the short pieces of the riser will friction fit. Insert the short tubes/straws most of the way into the hose then rotate the hose towards the bottom and, using needle nose pliers, adjust the straws so they just clear the bottom of the box.*

The original zook design depends on water pressure/speed through the holes in the tubes to first spurt down to create the stirring/lifting action of an active fluid bed. If the pressure/water speed is too slow or low all it will do is stir the top of inactive (not fluidized thus bedded) material and it sounds like that was what was happening with yours. The tubes, as used in my design, stir and activate the fluid bed from the bottom up and gives much the same effect of a commercially designed fluid bed where fluid or air is introduced from the bottom to sort and separate unlike sized/weighted material. Gravity keeps the outlet tubes from clogging with sand or gravel in my design. My design keeps most of the material moving around or suspended (in an active fluid bed state) to allow material exchange to take place eg. gold and other heavies drop to the bottom and stay there while lights are moved up and rejected through the drain.

As to the length of the tubes....longer may be to give leaves a place to accumulate and help prevent clogging of the tubes.

Good luck

PS: My main tubes are still removable, and I use a friction fitted cap, just in case I need to remove the main tubes to change the straw configuration or clear clogs. It worked well as is in testing and use but I have nothing to compare it with.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

I would not use hardware cloth on top of the grizzly. I did try it because all the gold was fine, float gold. However, it did not allow the larger pieces into the trap which I think are required to keep the trap fluid. When all you have is fine stuff, I think the trap packs too easily. At least that is my experience with my Bazooka.

Good luck with your experimentation. Please keep us updated. I like the clear top you have put over the trap.

 

[djpitr]

Well i went with sluicelee sunday and we test his fixed bazooka , and it worked alot better than before .
We got alot of gold with our bazookas . His original trap was definitely too big for the 3 small tubes . I have 1inch pipes in my homemade bazooka and it works great for the conditions we usually in .

 

[djpitr]

FRANKENZOOKA - coming soon - Larger,Removable Pipes + Clear Trap - after work...

And we understand that the pressure that comes out of the little holes ,its gonna be same if the pipes are 1 inch or 0.5 inch , in his case the trap its too big ,
In mine build i have trap smaller , pipes more closer together and it works great .
So mayby i would evan put 4 pipes in his , to make the trap evan smaller .

 

[Skiddum]

Add a bell reducer to the pipes. where the water goes in. the water hitting this will cause an increase in water pressure in the pipe. it makes a venturi action

 

[Skiddum]

if you want to seriously increase pressure you'll have to make it so the plastic comes down to almost a point like a pyramid inside the water flow area. make the pyramid and then make it so that the bell reducer fits perfectly inside it. then the pipes go through the point I to the trap this will increase pressure trap pressure tramendiously

 

[Skiddum]

better idea of what I mean

 

[Skiddum]

This creates a very nice venturi effect and will give you nice pressure almost regardless of how steep to use it. I talked to a fluid dynamics specialists about this. I wanted to design my own sluice combinin a few different sluice ideas together. the last 1 part was the fluid bed. but I needed to reduce the angle 5 make the hole sluice effective making the hole sluice work as 1 together instead of either this part working great or another part working great. so to combine them and make sure they all worked at peak effectiveNess I needed to decrease the angle and speed but still have each part work as a hole

 

[djpitr]

Thanks Skiddum , i didnot evan think about venturi , great idea , i played with Venturi in my fish tank and and in small 12 v suction nozzle so i know how it works , we will try it

 

[Skiddum]

Cool let me know how it works out. I might be making my own sluice soon. If it works like I think then it'll make the sluice work great

 

[arizau]

Well i went with sluicelee sunday and we test his fixed bazooka , and it worked alot better than before .
We got alot of gold with our bazookas . His original trap was definitely too big for the 3 small tubes . I have 1inch pipes in my homemade bazooka and it works great for the conditions we usually in .
View attachment 1129433 View attachment 1129434

Re: sluicelee modification. Were the holes in the new tubes modified in size from the original and, what size or sizes are they? Do they increase in size from front to exit end? Answers may lead to modification of my homemade one.

Thanks and heavy pans.

 

[arizau]

Thanks Skiddum , i didnot evan think about venturi , great idea , i played with Venturi in my fish tank and and in small 12 v suction nozzle so i know how it works , we will try it

For much the same venturi effect to the tubes - Broaden the scoop entrance and make the taper more extreme until it is the same width as the collection box. I used all wood construction for mine and my scoop/slick plate section is separate from the box/grizzly section. They are joined using toggle latches. The wide but steeply tapered shape makes it easier to find rocks to wedge it between for running since they can be as close to or as far apart as the sluice shape will allow.

Good luck.

 

[Remnar]

All I did to mine was add a couple plastic funnels to the pipe intake. Funnels were cheap.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Cool strategy Renmar. Any plans to test the tails? I can imagine you may produce too much pressure in the tubes leading to them blowing gold out of the box.