Bazooka Gold Trap Question

I definitely get what you are saying Prospector70, especially after seeing the comparison in that video. I found a good deal on a 3,430gpm pump, and gonna power it with a portable generator. I am still gonna use a storage bin, but a really big one. My crazy plan is to make a recirculating setup because some of my areas of interest are tidal. I can use 5 gallon buckets to fill the tub, and when done, just empty it with the pump until light enough to dump out. I will make a video of it when I get it done.
 

For bank run material in a box with 3/8 inch riffles you want at least 40gpm. Your set up with zero head will get you roughly 29gpm. You figure figure out how to run with just your expanded and carpet in your box. Classify to 1/8th inch make a feed area and dampen that turbulence and have a great recirc sluice with those pumps as is. Keep in mind you should classify to the size of your riffles.So if your already running cons riffles are too big you actually want slower water for fine gold retention and big riffles require fast water.In the field when your running raw material you want to run volume so you have bigger boxes. The spray bar is to wash and break up material and the back pressure is to much for most electric pumps. In a big box with a gas pump spray bars make bubbles and water volume makes turbulence so we use a damper to calm the water and punch plate to classify and create a low pressure area to catch the fine gold and the riffles get the bigger stuff and the fine stuff that doesn't make it under the punch plate.My banker is 16x48 I have gold hog matts so I can get away with my 1.5 inch Clearwater pump but I have to run at 80% throttle especially when pumping up hill or if I run more than 50 feet. I need to get a 2 inch with at least 150 gpm so I can un at less than half throttle and still have the volume I need to keep the matts active. You want to have more pump than you need. Even as I run now I can move a lot of material. If I had the stock riffles and carpet set up my pump wouldn't be enough. I would have to run the box at a steeper grade and introduce material slower and that's not what a banker that size is for. Prospector I want to check out that 3700 gph pump that would get you around 61 gpm. That's good flow. Though Bilge pumps get wimpy when put under pressure...unfortunately they are designed to work at the waterline and rated thusly. I'm just chiming in fellas keep on keepin' on!
 

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Great information Goldwasher. I'm glad you brought up the spraybar issue, because I wasn't sure about the idea either. The air bubbles, and back pressure straining the pump. Good points. I think some kind of waterfall type feed and a damper will be the setup I make.
 

P70 to me an easier set up would be. For a recirculator. Just build a wooden box for a header. That you can bolt to your sluice. Get some threaded clamps that you can attach the pvc pipes to the wooden header. Drill some holes in the pvc pipes for flow needed. I use hog mats which you don"t need as much flow. I use a 1800 g.p.h sump pump. The hog mats will catch gold so small its hard to believe. And you will have just a hand full of super cons left. After running your cons. I would have used a picture. But i haven"t figured that out yet. To busy feeding the fever. Then a few short pieces of garden hose and a tub. And your good to go. I did line the header box with plexiglass.
 

Just had to add. The gold was first caught with a 36" B.G.T. Then reworked with the recirculator.
 

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