Bazooka Gold Trap Prospector 48 Inch

[Goodyguy]

Doubt you are going to like that V mat in the Prospector. It really slows down the flow.
It's unecessary as well.

GG~

 

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[sluicelee]

Hey Rdg, your right, it does take a little more flow. Its a low profile v mat and works great with classified material. I used the super mini as is for months before I added a v mat, guess I just like to tinker with my prospecting gear:-) I mainly work small creeks with just average flow and haven't had a problem getting it to work. I may need to dam up the creek, but with classified material and a scoop, I can feed it fairly steady. Its feeding the super mini directly from the stream bed with a shovel where its an issue. I can feed it gravel and rocks, but it needs fast flow and I have to go slow, usually tossing out the larger rocks from my shovel. I think the super mini is built more for running classified material, with or without a v mat, or atleast feed it slow with unclassified material and no mat. I hope the prospector bazooka works out, my goal is for it to process gravel/rocks from a shovel with just average flow. I know they say you don't have to classify your material when using a bazooka, I just hope the slower creeks I prospect can provide enough flow to run the larger bazooka. If I did add a v mat, it would be a short mat near the trap where the water increases in flow, but if I run the prospector strictly with unclassified material, I'll probably pass on the v mat. Have you had a chance to use the prospector? How does it compare with the super mini in regards to how much more flow it needs to process material? I'm sure i'll like mine and I hope we both catch lots of gold with our new toys.

 

[sluicelee]

Hey GG, your right, its not necessary to have a mat, I just love watching the gold settle in those v grooves, its so pretty I mainly run classified material through my super mini and the mat doesn't seem to hinder the flow any, but it will hold up rocks if ran with unclassified material.

 

[Goodyguy]

I like to tinker too so I know where you're coming from. (lost track of how many times I've re-invented the wheel )
Was just throwing in my 2 cents.

GG~

 

[KevinInColorado]

If the flow in your little creek is a bit feeble, just dam up the whole creek...that's what I do!

 

[Aufisher]

Use a V for velocity. Add height to increase flow. Get creative.

 

[sluicelee]

Hey GG, always appreciate the input. I've learned alot from reading your posts and enjoy seeing all the prospecting gear you build and modify. Just 2 cents of your prospecting knowledge is worth all of mine x a big number + another big number I've only been prospecting for about 2 years now, but learned alot from building my first sluice. Built it with 2 pieces of wood and a piece of sheet metal - ugly, but it worked. I ran different mats in the sluice(deep v mat, vortex, etc.), cut out paint roller grids for expanded metal, and fabricated riffles from aluminum L brackets I bought at lowes. I wanted to bend the brackets at different angles to simulate different style riffles, but I don't own a handbrake. So I had to bend the brackets with a hammer and a wood block, a job let me tell you. I would of saved time and probably money if I just bought a keene a51a sluice, but knowledge is power, right? But all this helped me learn proper water flow, how riffles works, and the ins and outs of running a sluice. So I can't complain, feels good to know whats actually going on in a sluice box.

As far as the bazooka, one of the ideas I had with running a v mat down the chute, was to have somewhat of a fine gold recover sluice going into a fluid bed - if that makes any sense? I always classified to atleast 1/4", and the mat would catch atleast 90% of the gold and thought having a mat catch gold and then a fluid bed as backup I can't lose any gold, right I tried different mats in the bazooka, and found the low profile v worked the best, but lowes has a very flat ribbed mat that came in a close 2nd. So its my attempt to set up my super mini for fine gold recovery with a mat and the trap as backup to what the mat doesn't catch. I also think that I can run slightly more material with the mat catching most of the gold, I can almost overfeed the bazooka to a point and not worry to much, and with the super mini it doesn't take much to overfeed. I understand that all bazooka gold traps do a super job catching all the gold. I guess I just like having an extra way to catch it before it goes into the fluid bed, and that chute seemed like dead space before I added that v mat. And besides that, I just like seeing gold in a v mat The downside is you do need a little more flow to run it properly and it can slow large rocks if you run unclassed material. But i've had loads of fun running it with classified material and have some footage from last year running it with and without classified material. I will try and edit some video and set up my youtube account.

But as much as I like running a bazooka sluice, I just recently finished building my "banjo" highbanker. It feels great not having to classify, just scoop and dump. The only problem is, I have only one place I can run the highbanker and its far away. The local area I've been working as of late, has good color, but the landowner won't let me run any gas powered equipment. I thought about buying an electric pump for the highbanker and I still might do that, but I'm hoping the prospector model will be what I need. I just want to be able to run more material without classifying and with the super mini I always end up classifying material before running it.

Hey Kevin, I almost always dam the creek to get the proper water flow for the super mini. I'm just worried the prospector may need a good bit more flow to run and the smaller creek I'm prospecting now may not have that. But like Aufisher mentioned, I'll get creative and figure out a way to get that prospector running right. If theres one thing I've learned about prospectors - it's we're creative if anything. I just hope the prospector gets here soon, I remember when I first bought the super mini, Todd had a delay getting them out. That was about a year ago and hopefully theres not much of a delay, have yet to get any tracking info via email, but its only been a few days since I purchased. Eitherway, can't wait to try it out.

 

[KevinInColorado]

If you have to dam the whole creek, you'll have to find an other place to run the Prospector for sure. Worth it to put an end to classifying I think...assuming you can find a spot with more water AND decent gold of course.

 

[Goodyguy]

Thanks for the kudos Sluicelee!

And you are absolutely right about the leap in knowledge and insight gained from building your own equipment.
I see that you have also learned that classification is paramount to maximum gold recovery.

In my opinion the BGT is the single greatest gold recovery tool to ever hit the market due to it's ability to eliminate pre classifying material while still maintaining a super high gold recovery rate.


GG~

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

Hey Rdg, your right, it does take a little more flow. Its a low profile v mat and works great with classified material. I used the super mini as is for months before I added a v mat, guess I just like to tinker with my prospecting gear:-) I mainly work small creeks with just average flow and haven't had a problem getting it to work. I may need to dam up the creek, but with classified material and a scoop, I can feed it fairly steady. Its feeding the super mini directly from the stream bed with a shovel where its an issue. I can feed it gravel and rocks, but it needs fast flow and I have to go slow, usually tossing out the larger rocks from my shovel. I think the super mini is built more for running classified material, with or without a v mat, or atleast feed it slow with unclassified material and no mat. I hope the prospector bazooka works out, my goal is for it to process gravel/rocks from a shovel with just average flow. I know they say you don't have to classify your material when using a bazooka, I just hope the slower creeks I prospect can provide enough flow to run the larger bazooka. If I did add a v mat, it would be a short mat near the trap where the water increases in flow, but if I run the prospector strictly with unclassified material, I'll probably pass on the v mat. Have you had a chance to use the prospector? How does it compare with the super mini in regards to how much more flow it needs to process material? I'm sure i'll like mine and I hope we both catch lots of gold with our new toys.

I am working a creek right now that's pretty small. I have the whole thing damed up except where the sluice sits. It is not ideal for the prospector but I am defiantly moving more dirt than I did in the same spot with the super mini. Still scraping some rocks off the grizzlies but once I get a good rhythm going I works great. Much more black sand than the super mini. I am very happy with them both.

 

[Prospector70]

I'm getting my crap together right now!

Saturday a mile up in the air, it's going to be dang near 60 today. Get your shovels people!
Time to get out and wash some dirts! WHOOO!

 

[tweeta_bear]

I'm getting my crap together right now!

Saturday a mile up in the air, it's going to be dang near 60 today. Get your shovels people!
Time to get out and wash some dirts! WHOOO!

where ya goin? ill be on the platte probably just south of evans. im getn ready to head out also!

 

[tweeta_bear]

its only 8am and its already 45 degrees!

 

[Prospector70]

Same. I talked to some boys when I went a couple of weeks ago, they said someone was out with their Boy with a BGT. I just assumed it was you hahah!
Hope to see you there! You will run into other sluicers there as well, Rob, Dan, Todd etc. Everyone there is pretty dang nice and Rob is the resident old timer, he's chock full of great info (18 years prospecting colorado).
We should have a special TN wave or call to identify other TNet users heheh
I nominate the Crow
Caa-Kaaaawww!

Happy Hunting Tweeta! Stay out of my hole! bahah kidding, it's a huge river.
Best,

 

[tweeta_bear]

ok im gonna yell caa-kaaaw when im down there lol ill start my hole just down stream from yours... lol but it seem that its pretty shallow for such a big river, the clay false bedrock only seems to be a foot or so under the water. thanks and good luck to you too sir

 

[tweeta_bear]

the last time i was down there an old man came up to me and asked if i was fresh muscle hunting. i was wondering why i was seeing lil tiny clam shells in my material.

 

[Prospector70]

Waders with a straw hat, you can't miss me. (be there in like an hour and half tops)

 

[tweeta_bear]

cool where? ill be south of evans but not south of dartmouth.

 

[tweeta_bear]

and no i didnt plan it that way but do you see a resemblance?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Now I wish I was in town so I could join you all!