Highbanking in the desert

[spawn00x]

Hey, I live in a desert region(El Paso Tx.) and are thinking of getting a mini-highbanker with a recirculating system. I was wondering if there is a way to keep the water clean so that I would not have to be changing it constantly. I have been debating over a high banker and a drywasher, though I would like a high banker so I can also clean my concentrates at home and use it in streams when I am away.

Thank You

 

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[Fisher]

I'd use two buckets to collect the water. Using one inside of the other. The smaller one in the middle would work as a settling tank. Let the water overflow the smaller bucket in the middle and pump the water back to the highbanker from the larger bucket. This should help some.

Welcome to T-Net!

Good luck,
Fisher

 

[a32deuce]

Highbanker's in the desert is very difficult at best. They need alot of water to work properly. Drywashing is the most viable option. They work great as long as the ground is dry, moist to wet ground after heavy rains just gum up and defeat the purpose. Since that doesn't happen very often drywashing is the way to go in the desert. Here is a pic of what I'm talking about. Found with my Gold Buddy drywasher in the desert. Good Luck and happy hunting.

 

[arizonaames]

Dry washers are effective but with a decent recirculating power sluice (12v), you are ahead of the game and will recover the gold better (just like a sluice in a river). Use a 55 gal ice chest with a bilge pump installed high up. Carry water with you in 7 gal Blitz water cans (go to Blitz site and email them. They will tell you where to get them close to you.) Then, build a gold vac from a leaf blower and old shop vac and you are set to go with a more than adequate system. You can see mine at the yahoo group, goldhunting. I have pics there....jim

 

[spawn00x]

Thank you for the info.

Art

 

[Ant]

We drywash out here too to recover the concentrates, and then we pan them out, or run them in a gold wheel.
A lot of us use www keeneeng dot com for our supplies. They also offer a solution that separates the spoils from sluice water.


HH

 

[boogeyman]

If it's within your budget get a drywasher like a gold duster (not too expensive) and either build or buy a simple highbanker like a Gold Buddy. Chuck in some 5 gallon buckets a weed eater type blower vac, shovel, rake & you can have the best of both worlds. The 55 gal cooler is a great idea (why didn't I think of that?!?!?). I have a 55 gal blue plastic drum cut in half lengthwise with pvc pipe in between the two halves for the highbanker and a couple cut in half around for panning or running the bowl.

Watch out!!!! You're gonna get hooked!!