Dredge width and mat question

[Flatline]

I'm planning to build a 5" hydroforce and use a 500gpm pump for it (and then potentially an additional booster, adding another 100 gpm of water or such) The initial pump wont use all of the 500gpm I'm quite sure of. The pumps will be one p180 and a p350 from keene.

The recommended sluice width for a 5" is 20". But as I'm going with gold hog mats the first 2 meters i plan to make it like 16-17" instead so i can cut the mats in half (a LOT cheaper) i then plan to widen it to 24" and use spaghetti mats and expanded on the last 2 meters. Would this work or is 16-17" to narrow you think?

 

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[russau]

Wider is better to help spread out the material and to slow the water down to assist the gold to drop out ! And I'd play with the angle of the sluice with finer gold to maybe even having it go up hill to further assist the fine gold to drop out ! And watchout for that water flow being to fast / volume for the fine gold you'll be getting ! GOODLUCK and post your results !

 

[Flatline]

Wider is better to help spread out the material and to slow the water down to assist the gold to drop out ! And I'd play with the angle of the sluice with finer gold to maybe even having it go up hill to further assist the fine gold to drop out ! And watchout for that water flow being to fast / volume for the fine gold you'll be getting ! GOODLUCK and post your results !

Yep, it should really be 20" wide but it would mean double the cost of mats, i'll go with 16-17" and then widen it and use minersmoss and expanded in that area. And maybe a riffle or two.

 

[russau]

with gold being over $2k per Troy OZ. I wouldn't be to worried about that small cost !

 

[Flatline]

with gold being over $2k per Troy OZ. I wouldn't be to worried about that small cost !

With my current economy it is not a small cost :P

 

[russau]

I completely understand that current situation , I think we all have been there at one time or another ! When I was in that situation ,I would use what ever I could scrounge up and when a good deal pops up , jump on it and improve your situation as you can ! There's always a new idea coming up to try !