ABS / HIGHBANKER BOX

[LRC253]

Well I've been talking about building a custom highbanker that is somewhat a combination of the proline 3" combo and the goldhog viper. I have a basic quesion starting off and probably more later.

I was pricing out aluminum which isn't that bad but then realized I needed a tig to weld pieces together which I don't have. Then I was looking at my BGT and noticed it's just ABS plastic that appears glued together (not moulded).

Is ABS plastic that is welded/glued together a good idea for building the highbanker box? The box will be used as a combo with a 3" dredge setup.
If so, any tips, tricks or anything additional I should know before buying a 4'x8' sheet and going for it?

 

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[goldenmojo]

What thickness of ABS were you looking to build it from?

 

[Prospector70]

Holy FRICK!

Heck yeah, ABS is tough stuff! Bazooka HeavyWeight is 3/16. Hope that helps! And post pictures!

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Well I've been talking about building a custom highbanker that is somewhat a combination of the proline 3" combo and the goldhog viper. I have a basic quesion starting off and probably more later.

I was pricing out aluminum which isn't that bad but then realized I needed a tig to weld pieces together which I don't have. Then I was looking at my BGT and noticed it's just ABS plastic that appears glued together (not moulded).

Is ABS plastic that is welded/glued together a good idea for building the highbanker box? The box will be used as a combo with a 3" dredge setup.
If so, any tips, tricks or anything additional I should know before buying a 4'x8' sheet and going for it?

ABS is great stuff for prospecting equipment. I use 1/4", with solvent-welded joints...that's just using typical ABS cement for glue. You can buy flat sheets of ABS online, or make your own by flattening 4" ABS pipe sections in the oven....(make sure the wife isn't home). I use two 1/4" steel plates. You slit the pipe down the middle, and heat it up to about 260* in the oven. Then flatten it out, and heat it up again. (You can do this on a cookie sheet if the wife's not home) Then take it out and lay it on one sheet of steel, put the other steel sheet on top and stand on it for about 1 minute. Depending on the width of your oven, you can make 13" x 18", or so, flat sheets. These sheets are what they call foam core, because they're not solid ABS all the way through....the center 50% is ABS foam, but they are still strong enough for most projects.
If you want REALLY flat sheets, you need to do the above, but instead of standing on it, you need to use c-clamps and clamp the steel sheet/ABS sandwich together, then re-heat. If you let the sandwich completely cool, you end up with perfect ABS sheets. For most stuff, it doesn't matter. For my shaker table, I used the super-flat method. You can see it here, along with a couple of my jig videos:

Jim

 

[bakergeol]

I was faced with this issue when I was building a box for my small shaker table. I already had one ABS plastic box(Brawn beach box) but I wanted a larger box. Should I go with ABS plastic or aluminum? I went with aluminum. One reason is that I was building it with just a drill and a hack saw. I am afraid I do not possess the equipment or skills to do a professional cut job. I usually end up doing a hack job with my hack saw. I am not like Jim in Idaho- who must be the Mcgiver of building prospecting equipment LOL. For the box- I just used a thin flat 1/16" sheet of aluminum fitted on the sides by angle aluminum. Just bolt and seal. Although aluminum is 2 to 3 times heavier than ABS- the weight for my box with aluminum was about the same with ABS because you are using thinner aluminum.
Cost was also a factor. Although ABS is cheaper- by the time you have your ABS pieces cut for you and shipped to you-you are not saving any money. On the other hand I make a quick trip to my aluminum supplier and he cuts my aluminum for free.

But you do have a sense of pride when you make your own equipment.


George

 

[russau]

I cut/ glued my own equipment and ABS was 1/2 the weight and cost of alum. but yep shipping will kill most projects!

 

[arizau]

You probably have a plastics fab shop in or near Tacoma that can supply the material or make one for you.

 

[Goodyguy]

If you decide to go with aluminum you can always use pop rivets and aluminum angle to fasten it together instead of welding.

GG~

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I was faced with this issue when I was building a box for my small shaker table. I already had one ABS plastic box(Brawn beach box) but I wanted a larger box. Should I go with ABS plastic or aluminum? I went with aluminum. One reason is that I was building it with just a drill and a hack saw. I am afraid I do not possess the equipment or skills to do a professional cut job. I usually end up doing a hack job with my hack saw. I am not like Jim in Idaho- who must be the Mcgiver of building prospecting equipment LOL. For the box- I just used a thin flat 1/16" sheet of aluminum fitted on the sides by angle aluminum. Just bolt and seal. Although aluminum is 2 to 3 times heavier than ABS- the weight for my box with aluminum was about the same with ABS because you are using thinner aluminum.
Cost was also a factor. Although ABS is cheaper- by the time you have your ABS pieces cut for you and shipped to you-you are not saving any money. On the other hand I make a quick trip to my aluminum supplier and he cuts my aluminum for free.

But you do have a sense of pride when you make your own equipment.


George

LOL...thanks, George....no money, so I have to make my own stuff...ha ha.
Jim

 

[russau]

Heck I like making my own snuff! besides I don't have any money either!

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Me too, Russ. I really enjoy seeing my equipment operate.
George is working on, and may have finished, a mini wave table. We need to talk him into posting pics....or better yet, a video. A small wave table may be the best bet for a finishing rig. It combines the best attributes of a shaker table, and Miller table.
In any case, we prospectors seem to be really innovative when it comes to stretching our bucks, and getting the job done.
Jim

 

[bakergeol]

Me too, Russ. I really enjoy seeing my equipment operate.
George is working on, and may have finished, a mini wave table. We need to talk him into posting pics....or better yet, a video. A small wave table may be the best bet for a finishing rig. It combines the best attributes of a shaker table, and Miller table.
In any case, we prospectors seem to be really innovative when it comes to stretching our bucks, and getting the job done.
Jim

Hi Jim
I have most of my small wave table completed. Tested really well, however still working on the water flow which needs to be changed. Weights roughly 25lb which should make it the lightest wave table ever built.
The actual table is made from channel aluminum and thin flat al sheet. 12v powered. Here are some photos.

George

 

[Jim in Idaho]

message deleted
Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I like it, George. I especially like the adjustability you built in. That is not easy to do, as I found out on the shaker table. I also, like you, found out that the water control is more difficult than I expected. I'm still working on that myself. Is the "wave" action accomplished by the crossbar near the bottom of the table? Did you include an adjustable "bump" into the mechanism?
Jim

 

[bakergeol]

I like it, George. I especially like the adjustability you built in. That is not easy to do, as I found out on the shaker table. I also, like you, found out that the water control is more difficult than I expected. I'm still working on that myself. Is the "wave" action accomplished by the crossbar near the bottom of the table? Did you include an adjustable "bump" into the mechanism?
Jim

The small 12v motor($60) runs at 50rpm. It is attached to a impeller(6 vane- used in mixing). So it is capable of 300rpm. The impeller strikes a Delrin stick which is mounted on the moveable frame witch has linear bearings. One can adjust the force of the throw by adjusting the depth of the delrin hitting the impeller. One can really make this thing jump around with extreme amount of delrin depth. However It is unlikely my current setting will ever be changed. It works just fine and does not need weight for it to operate.
Rpm and bungee cord tension(throw control) are dependent on each other as it is impeller driven. One has to find the rpm suitable for the tension selected or it will not hit on all vanes. I prefer to find the correct rpm thru voltage control after I have set the bungee tension. I am still experimenting to see what rpm is best. The best thing about this is that you can readily determine where the "sweet spot" is. Just turn on the water and drop a small piece of gold at the end of the table. It should move up the table against the water flow until the water flow or table end stops it. Specific gravity separation is the only way to go.

George

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Ahhh...good design. Your "impeller" does the same job my "cam" does. Gives you a large range of impulses/min., too. You can definitely run too fast for the amount of back tension. What happens is the table "floats", rather than follow the cam profile. On my shaker table, when it floats, the table doesn't hit the bump stop. Same effect.
I'm looking forward to a video when it get it all sorted out.
I'm going to bow out here, George, with apologies to LRC253 for hijacking his thread. Hoping we helped him with his question on ABS, and looking forward to his project pics.
Jim

 

[russau]

ive been wanting to build one of these tables but (due to my back) I probly don't need one anymore! BUT id still like to build one over the winter!! I have most of the material that's needed in my garage/shop!

 

[bakergeol]

ive been wanting to build one of these tables but (due to my back) I probly don't need one anymore! BUT id still like to build one over the winter!! I have most of the material that's needed in my garage/shop!

If you decide to build one- I am sure Jim and I would be glad to answer any questions you have about construction.

George

 

[Goodyguy]

I was real lucky to get an RP4 wave table from my older brother. During my childhood I always got his hand me downs and never liked it until now.

GG~

 

[russau]

Thankyou for your offer to assist! I maybe moveing so I probly wont do anything until this winter. but thanks again!