Bottom Feeder

[Underburden]

I built a hand operated vacuum / sluice feeder for use on the claim next year.
Pictures and description are here BOTTOM FEEDER
Once the overburden is removed with a shovel and tossed onto a Bazooka Sluice, the Bottom Feeder goes into action to get all that good gold laying on bedrock.
Feedback welcome.

Bob

 

[BurntBear]

Very interesting. Out of the hand-dredge ideas and renditions I've seen; I'm really "digging" this. I like your page and I added it to my favorites. Great stuff Bob! -Luke

 

[Reed Lukens]

Who's gets to hold the suction hose? Añd who gets to pump till he pukes?

 

[Hoser John]

Good ol' Gold Vac was a bottom feeder,bankrupt now as they always ate holes through the header. Use a longer hose and elevation and yahoo off to the races-John

 

[Underburden]

Reed,
I'll be the one 'chummin for salmon' while my wife gets to see the gold going up the suction hose
John,
We'll see how long the PVC header holds out at the end of the season...if it makes it that far
Luke,
Thanks for bookmarking my page. Hope to post more pictures of quartz/gold specimens in 2015.

 

[Bonaro]

Looks like a hell of a lot of work... Maybe if you motorize the handlebars

 

[Lanny in AB]

For what you're after, it looks like if you make the mods John is suggesting, you're probably on to something good.

Let us know how it works out, and if you can, post a few pictures of it in action. (Maybe the cold has shut you down this season? I'm not familiar with your area though I have been to Placerville, if that's where you're at, and I've still got the bottle of small nuggets my boys and I got running a high-banker there. If your area is Placerville, that's pretty high up, and I imagine you'll be testing your machine next season.)

All the best,

Lanny