Damper Screen

[Capt Nemo]

I have an idea that's been nagging me. Fluid beds seem to like gravel for fine gold recovery, but what if you're running only sand? The gravel is kinda like ragging in a jig, and it dampens the water flow a bit. So what if you would add a couple of sheets of screen over the tubes? It would dampen the flow a bit, and also slow up displacement.

I'm going to try on my active beds with 2 sheets of #20 windowscreen separated about 1/8" for beach sand, as most is below 20 mesh. It will still let the gold fall through, yet dampen the effects of the jets and displacement.

If running a bazooka or passive bed, try one screen of whatever size your gold is. Cut it to the size of your bed, lay it over the tubes, and run sand. Report back! I want to hear your results!

 

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[goldog]

I always like thinking and tinkering. The need for gravel is reportedly an issue for a fluid bed.

The solution has been to throw a handful of pea sized gravel. This, reportedly, reduced the issue of compaction.
I say "reportedly" because I'm from Tujunga. We've never been short of rocks.

IMO, the screens would cause more compaction, not less. This is based on a BGT style sluice. Your application may be different.


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[Goldwasher]

yep they will lock up the material

 

[Capt Nemo]

Added a 1/8" mesh screen to my Model 4D bed. Quieted down the bed, and the only dead spots were 1/2" before the tail, one corner and along one wall. Those dead areas were thick enough to feel, but not totally dead and packed. You could see them gradually sinking, and at times they would draw some blond sand with them. The corner and wall were from a layout error, and a clogged jet. The head would still boil as there are more jets in that tube, but there were only 2 small boil spots in the rest of the bed. Everything else was a calm overturning. Ran #16 mesh classified beach sand on my last trip. Superconcentrated with the Bucket Buddy which I also put a screen onto. I'm now finding a lot in the 250-400 range that I never used to see other than an occasional speck. So it appears that it's upping the superfine capture ability.