cube vs wheel or both

[longtime]

Hey guys/gals, i have heard all good about the cube. i m wondering if i should get a cube, then use a wheel also afterwords... of if the cube will work it down to good enough panning material. plus i am looking for a good place to buy used equipment. everywhere i have seen stuff for sale the people are asking about the same price they bought it for. im finding the bigger gold and losing all the smalls at this point(need to change angle/water speed/feed rate to fix that. heres what i found in 4 buckets here in columbus ohio

 

[Reed Lukens]

They are 2 different tools for sure. The wheel or gold screw separates the already screened to size gold directly from the black sand for a final clean up. It can be used to separate sands but it works best for cleaning gold like a blue bowl. The Gold cube requires screening and is designed to run -1/8" screened material. If you are running a large dredge then it is worth having a gold cube. People also just use the gold cube to prospect here in Cali but it's basically used for making heavy concentrates from your large trommel or dredge. If you have the money then buy both if they will pay for themselves in gold. But being that you are in Ohio and you are getting good chunky gold like in the pic, still the quantity doesn't qualify a need to purchase. I would stick with a pan and the wheel if you already have one.
A full set of screens from -30 mesh down to -200 is the key to separation so if you don't have all of the screens then start there. Also a magnet plays a key role as well

 

[longtime]

good info. the ground we are running is all fine sand, like beach sand. someone i know had about a mile of creek bed dug out. all that is in the bottom of it now is sand. those flakes were were all found in the first foot of sand. the sand is about 3 foot deep before it hits hard pack for the length of the creek. there is black sand streaks all through the creek and piles of it along the creek. we reall want to dredge it out, but dont want to buy the dredge yet, so just thinking of ways increase volume

 

[Reed Lukens]

After reading your other thread along with this last post, I would sell the mini Highbanker and as long as all of the sand is -1/8" then you are really well set up to run the gold cube exclusively. The mini highbanker is a bad piece of equipment for this and needs to leave the operation. So I would sell it because it's not going to work for you at all and use that money to buy a gold cube. You can put a piece of 1/8" hardware cloth over the cube and shovel straight into it. Just be sure to not over feed it

 

[KevinInColorado]

Reed sure has good advice. If you have a creek full of sandy paydirt, the cube will be great. Classify to 1/8" and shovel it in. You can go for hours knowing you are catching all that fine gold you are currently missing. From your sample, I'm guessing you lost more than you caught... so at the least you need to improve your sluice setup or get one that is easier to use.

 

[longtime]

i agree with both you guys. i think that the cube will take the questions out of the picture as to if we re catching it or not. we have to feed the mini with a small shovel now as it is... so might as well shovel into a set up that is proven to be effective.

 

[longtime]

the other part of my first comment is does anyone know where to buy used equipment. i cant find any place on this site where people may be willing to part with their used stuff at a decent price.

 

[KevinInColorado]

the other part of my first comment is does anyone know where to buy used equipment. i cant find any place on this site where people may be willing to part with their used stuff at a decent price.

I've had success on craig'slist but it's very hit and miss.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Longtime, a Gold Cube would be one of the best prospecting investments you'll
ever make. When it comes to small gold, it literally loses nothing.

Kevin: You are, indeed the Master of Fly Poop. Afraid I'm more
like the "Grasshopper of Fly Poop"....I bow to your wisdom...

 

[Hoser John]

NUTTN' LOSES NUTTN' NEVER

 

[KevinInColorado]

NUTTN' LOSES NUTTN' NEVER

The true master speaks. Quite so sir! high 90-something percent but never ever actually 100%.

 

[Sick4gold]

What your looking for is the gold cube.
The spiral wheel is for running cons and finishing. A gold cube does the job very well too but can also be used to run regular material quickly as long as it's classified to 1/8 first.
For the cube Mike also recommends a 4 stack for Ohio but that just may be trying to sell ya more.
If your fines are being spit out the sluice then find out why. Either angle or flow or design is wrong. Maybe buy some pay dirt and run it in controlled situations and experiment until your grabbing most of the fines. Nothing sucks more than working really hard at the creek just to move gold over a few feet.
As far as used equipment goes in the Midwest it's tough but not impossible. Get in touch will a local club and keep a keen eye on Craigslist. Prices are usually higher here so it's time to see how serious you are about prospecting considering it will most likely be a hobby and not a profitable venture.

 

[bakergeol]

Believe it or not-there are a lot of gold prospectors in Ohio- glacial gold to speak. Might want to talk to some of them and see what they are using. A lot depends on how fine your gold is. I am from Colorado home of super fine gold. Most of this super fine stuff can not be caught in regular sluice boxes(gold cube included). The exception would be a Pop and Son sluice- narrow classification required here and have to be careful on how you process it.

George B.

 

[Doug Watson]

There's a lot of loss through the cube on our beach sand here so it really depends on the type of gold you're dealing with, and like John and George said, nothing gets it all.

 

[DizzyDigger]

I know y'all are right, but I prefer to delude myself and
think that the gold I get in the cube clean out is everything
that went through it..

 

[ALewis]

GG, I would travel form CA to go through your equipment & learn some "tips" & "tricks"....

 

[Duckwalk]

SO true! There is an older gentleman a mile from where i live that runs the panning section of the gold museum we have in villa rica ga. Nice guy, but he refuses to teach me or answer any questions i have despite him admitting he is a day, night, rain, shine, weekday, weekend prospector. I mean, he has a highbanker, dredge, and multiple sluices for gods sake. No body spends that kind of time and money and doesn't acquire some sort of knowledge. it really chaps my a** that someone who has been doing it for more than 25 years doesnt want to share his tips, and recommendations with someone who is just starting out.

 

[KevinInColorado]

SO true! There is an older gentleman a mile from where i live that runs the panning section of the gold museum we have in villa rica ga. Nice guy, but he refuses to teach me or answer any questions i have despite him admitting he is a day, night, rain, shine, weekday, weekend prospector. I mean, he has a highbanker, dredge, and multiple sluices for gods sake. No body spends that kind of time and money and doesn't acquire some sort of knowledge. it really chaps my a** that someone who has been doing it for more than 25 years doesnt want to share his tips, and recommendations with someone who is just starting out.

Well, we're not all like that! I started panning in 1989 and it just occurred to me it's exactly 25 years this month!

 

[Goodyguy]

Hey guys/gals, i have heard all good about the cube. i m wondering if i should get a cube, then use a wheel also afterwords... of if the cube will work it down to good enough panning material. plus i am looking for a good place to buy used equipment. everywhere i have seen stuff for sale the people are asking about the same price they bought it for. I'm finding the bigger gold and losing all the smalls at this point(need to change angle/water speed/feed rate to fix that. here's what i found in 4 buckets here in Columbus Ohio
View attachment 998063

Welcome to T-Net Longtime,

The Gold Cube works excellent on the glacial gold found here in our part of the country and experts at panning have no trouble panning the super cons that the cube produces. Personally I like using a Miller Table to run my cons and usually wait to do that at home at night or when the weather wont permit me to go prospecting.
I try and collect all the cons I can when at the creek and not waste time panning other than to test pan looking for pay streaks.

Here in Indiana pickers are hard to come by and we set up our equipment for catching fine gold trying our best to get every fly poop speck we can, pickers are a bonus.

I've found that fluid bed technology is a real asset when trying not to loose the fine and flour gold. So I have designed my own equipment around that concept. Here is an example of what I call a super fluid bed gold trap highbanker whereby I use a 3" suction nozzle to dredge into.


The fine and flour gold sinks and gets trapped in the bottom while only the lighter material flows over the gate at the end of the trap. The fluidizing tubes in the trap keeps the material in a fluid state which is what allows the heavies to settle to the bottom.

Also as Reed suggested, classification is key, you don't want the larger gravels knocking the smaller gold loose in the sluice. Here In Indiana classifying the material down to 1/4" is normal.

Set your sluice up for glacial gold. No riffles! If you are using miners moss be sure to put deep V mat underneath it. You can put raised expanded metal over the moss to hold it in place. Make sure it lays tight against the moss. Set the sluice up at a 1" to the foot angle and keep the flow fast enough that the gravels keep moving down the sluice at a medium pace.

I recommend using vortex mat alone instead of miners moss and deep V but some will run only deep V and nothing else, but they classify to 1/8".

Vortex mat is great at exchanging out the black and blonde sand for gold, and you will be surprised at the tiny micro gold that you will recover with it as well as the pickers. When using Vortex mat the magic angle is 15 degrees (3" to the foot) Vortex mat is what is used in the Gold Cube.

Hope this helps,

Go for the Gold
GG~

 

[gold tramp]

Welcome to T-Net Longtime,

The Gold Cube works excellent on the glacial gold found here in our part of the country and experts at panning have no trouble panning the super cons that the cube produces. Personally I like using a Miller Table to run my cons and usually wait to do that at home at night or when the weather wont permit me to go prospecting.
I try and collect all the cons I can when at the creek and not waste time panning other than to test pan looking for pay streaks.

Here in Indiana pickers are hard to come by and we set up our equipment for catching fine gold trying our best to get every fly poop speck we can, pickers are a bonus.

I've found that fluid bed technology is a real asset when trying not to loose the fine and flour gold. So I have designed my own equipment around that concept. Here is an example of what I call a super fluid bed gold trap highbanker whereby I use a 3" suction nozzle to dredge into.
View attachment 999074

The fine and flour gold sinks and gets trapped in the bottom while only the lighter material flows over the gate at the end of the trap. The fluidizing tubes in the trap keeps the material in a fluid state which is what allows the heavies to settle to the bottom.

Also as Reed suggested, classification is key, you don't want the larger gravels knocking the smaller gold loose in the sluice. Here In Indiana classifying the material down to 1/4" is normal.

Set your sluice up for glacial gold. No riffles! If you are using miners moss be sure to put deep V mat underneath it. You can put raised expanded metal over the moss to hold it in place. Make sure it lays tight against the moss. Set the sluice up at a 1" to the foot angle and keep the flow fast enough that the gravels keep moving down the sluice at a medium pace.

I recommend using vortex mat alone instead of miners moss and deep V but some will run only deep V and nothing else, but they classify to 1/8".

Vortex mat is great at exchanging out the black and blonde sand for gold, and you will be surprised at the tiny micro gold that you will recover with it as well as the pickers. When using Vortex mat the magic angle is 15 degrees (3" to the foot) Vortex mat is what is used in the Gold Cube.

Hope this helps,

Go for the Gold
GG~

I bet if you was my neighbor i would have no problems getting you to run out into them hills with me day or night !!!!
Looks good.
GT................