8" Dredge - What size jet tubes to the log? 2" or 3"

[NeoTokyo]

Heya everyone;

I have a quick question about jet tubes.

What size jet tubes should be used with an 8" Log?

The tubes on the 8" dredge in this picture are 2" tubes.

Should they be removed and 3" tubes put in?


Engines: 13hp Honda GX390 Clones
Pumps: Keene P350 (How do I know if it is the P350S?)


On another question, with that engine and pump combo will this dredge work well as an 8"? What would you assume its maximum depth would be?

It has a reducer to run a 6" as well and has the nozzle and hose for the 6" setup.

Thanks everyone.

 

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[russau]

WOW your moving up fast!

 

[NeoTokyo]

I took a leap of faith when this came up for sale, I sold my truck (it had more problems than I wanted to deal with) and bought this.

The dredge was only $1000 bux plus another $150 or so for Food, gas, tarps and tie downs to go get it.
It came with a perm plate trailer too!

I have to replace the drums and then it will be ready to float.
I am going to join up with Bohemian mining association so that I can get some Oregon dredging in next year.
I am also working on a river clean up project with a group and I believe this is the largest dredge that we have available to us now.


Normally I like to show off my new equipment right away but I have had this for a few weeks now.
As excited as I am, I am trying to keep it on the down low for now.



There isn't much about the dredge that I would want to change, but the jet tubes seem too small to me as I thought 8" logs used two 3" jet tubes.




What the dredge is.

I THINK this is a professionally built replica of Keene's older 8" dredge with Keene parts thrown throughout, or it could be a full Keene with drums swapped for the old pontoons, I don't really know.

Keene Triple Sluice
Keene P350 pumps
Keene Foot Valves (The $200 dollar plastic ones)
Keene air hose (2 hoses and regulators)
Gast 263
A Water heater setup


Another nice thing is that my 5" project was mostly done except for a pump, well now I got the pump.

I have a near new real Honda GX390 that I may swap the pump and Gast onto and keep the clone as backup.


I am going to put my little 2.5" Gold King dredge up for sale and I think that I will probably sell the Monarch that I have with it and the 4" submersible dredge since the Gold King pump and monarch can run it just fine.
Unfortunately the magneto died on the briggs engine the Gold King pump is on.

but yeah, that's my gear update I guess.

 

[russau]

What a deal!! I don't blaime you for buying it! I would have bought it if nothing more than a investment!

 

[Hoser John]

OREGON HAS PASSED A 5 YEAR MORATORIUM ON DREDGING IN PLACE ROCK SOLID STARTING NEXT YEAR........

 

[NeoTokyo]

I didn't know that John, but I still have other states that I can go to.
Also like Russ said, if nothing more than for the investment.

 

[winners58]

Nice, that's a good find dont sell your smaller dredge might need it for smaller streams
be good for Idaho, I'm thinking I need to build some sort of A frame to hook up a zip line
to get my 5in down to the water, right now it takes a few hours to get setup and half a day and a few vertebra to pull it out.
in Oregon there will be legislation in February to maybe stop the moratorium lots of people working on this.
there will be places open like in the Bohemia district and the lower Umpqua below tyee that will be open next year.

in Oregon If you have a DEQ 700pm permit the areas still open this year are
Quartzville creek is open till Oct. 15th http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/quartzville_110119.pdf
and Brice/Sharps creek is open till Nov. 30th http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Sharps_Creek.pdf
Parts of Brice Creek are open to the public through Mineral Withdrawal as a “Free Use Site.”
GPAA has has two claims up brice and two up Quartzville
you can join a club that have claims you can camp and are able to prospect on.
claims in both areas; http://www.nwmpc.com/
claims on quartzville creekWillamette Valley Miners - You Struck Gold!
claims up sharps creek;http://bohemiamineownersassociation.webs.com/
.
there are a few places like on patented claims that people dredge year round they wash material down into a pond.
often thought of offering a service like cleaning out the bottom the glory hole from the show gold rush up in Alaska

 

[NeoTokyo]

Is there anywhere up there that 8" dredges are allowed on?
What sizes for what area's?

Thanks Winner.

PS. I watched Reed's video a couple times on how to make a pole frame with plastic barrel floats, cheap and easy to move!

 

[winners58]

No, maybe an individual NPDES and a Joint DSL/army corps 404, anything above a 6 inch hose is considered a commercial operation.
for the DEQ 700pm per their req not coverd;
* suction dredges that exceed 16 horsepower or use suction nozzles with inside diameters larger than four inches in essential salmon habitat water
* suction dredges that exceed 30 horsepower or use suction hoses with inside diameters larger than six inches outside of essential salmon habitat water

you can use a 6in hose with a 4in ring in ESH + DSL permit
6in. hose and less than 50cy moved in non-ESH + no DSL permit needed

also Idaho looks like you have to have a 5 inch ring on the nozzle https://www.idwr.idaho.gov/streams/recreational-mining-permits.html
or get a joint permit like Oregon, I've seen bigger dredges in Idaho maybe ask Alan Trees from golddredgebuilders.com

It will be a great dredge for the Klamath, seems like the way I read it with the latest amendments if SB637 passes you might get a army corp. 404
since there is already an in-stream mining 303d TMDL for the Klamath just need a waver from the regional waterboard.
I'm sure its more like I'm just dreaming,

be a great dredge for larger rivers or good parts to scale down to a 6 inch.
as a 6inch you might be able to set it up with 60' of hose to reach places no one has been before...

 

[russau]

remember , you only need 1 OZ. to pay for this rig! you ought to do that in a day in the right stream! and another days dredgeing to pay for the cold beer!!

 

[Timberdoodle]

Great score on the dredge Neo. I'll start by stating that I've never worked with a jet larger than 4", but my expectations would be that the 3" pressure lines feed the jet log's on both sides with a internal jet orifice diameter in the 1.5" range if those are p350/400gpm pumps and not the p350s. I would measure the ID of the jet orifice, if you go larger, you will probably need more volume than the pump can supply. Hope this helps.

 

[NeoTokyo]

I compared photos of the P350 and P350S and mine are the P350 pumps. Still
The P530S uses a visually different impeller.

I do believe that the inside diameter of the jets are about 1.5", I need to go back over to the shop and measure it.
I need to get my Ex's car out of here so that I can bring it home.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Well... The pics still look like 3", I thought I'd wait & see if you rechecked them by now

 

[NeoTokyo]

Oh, yeah the hose is 3" hose to a 3" male end but it necks down immediately after that.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Oh, yeah the hose is 3" hose to a 3" male end but it necks down immediately after that.

Being that it's the p350, I would run it as is, it should be fine one of these days I will answer that other question also

 

[NeoTokyo]

Reed one of these days I would like to head over to your neck of the woods to do some prospecting with you especially if you point me in the direction of the kind of Silver and Gold that was seen in one of your Holiday video's.