Making my own "Blue Bowl"

[lokiie1984]

So my homemade sluice box needs to wait for the water levels to go down more before i can really test it out. And i thought my next entertaining / time killing project should be a blue bowl. After looking up some designs and watching some videos of the real deal in action, it looks like they are fairly simple to build. Of course nothing is ever as simple as it looks but we will see once it's done.

Sadly i did run into two problems with my terribly low budget, first the only bowl i could find is an oil pan (unused,) it has a good size though. The issue is that it has a spout section in the mold, which i think might mess up the water vortex. I plan to place the hole for the water hose on the far side of that spout so the water can flow all the way around the bowl before it hits that area. If that doesn't work as intended i plan to cut a section out of something, pop bottle maybe, and then block off that area.

I will attach pictures of all the parts at the bottom of the post.

The next issue i ran into was finding the right glue/sealer for a low price. I bought everything at Menards here in town, and they recommended that i try Heavy Duty clear Power Grab, which is some kind of exterior construction adhesive. On the bright side if it doesn't work they said i can bring it back and exchange it for something else.

All in all though the price came to about $8.30 for the bowl, sealer, hose adapters and a funnel. For now i plan to just use our garden hose with a valve to control water flow. The valve will be placed a good two to three feet from the bowl so it doesn't effect the flow as much. Later once i have some extra cash i plan to pick up a water pump of some kind. Only thing that confuses me there is i have no idea how powerful the pump needs to be.

Pictures:




The above pictures are the "blue bowl" parts and below is a nice view of where i went this last weekend to try a little panning. No gold found but it fun to get out there. Plus we found a ton of garnet sand to toss in a jar.

 

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[Duckwalk]

I dont think the spout would cause any major concern. if you feel like its going to be a hindrance you can get a thin peice of plastic thats easily bendable and use caulk or silicon to attach it to the inside where that spout is.

 

[lokiie1984]

I dont think the spout would cause any major concern. if you feel like its going to be a hindrance you can get a thin peice of plastic thats easily bendable and use caulk or silicon to attach it to the inside where that spout is.

Yea i plan to give it a good test with out the plastic blocking the spout and see if it does. I did watch a short video where someone made one with this type pan and it looked like the sand by the spout wasn't moving as well as the sand on the other side. However i don't know if theirs was balanced right or not. Plus they put the water flow on the other side of the spout so the water hit that dip in the pan first, which may have effected things. Other wise it seemed to work well, or well enough anyway.

All i know is i really like watching the blue bowl work, its like a lava lamp with rewards at the end.

 

[AzViper]

I think you need to do some research as the blueprints of the original are online somewhere. The blue bowl is very technical in its design and how it works. Many have tried to build it but they just do not work well. The top of the center cone angle outward, height of the center cone, the angle of the center cone, the sides of the bowl are angled and not straight, the top of the cone angles from the outer edge angles downward to the center hole. The bottom of the bowl is smooth flowing unrestricted up onto the cone.

Placing a funnel as seen in your photo is going to cause turbulence not to mention creating the cone design correctly. I have the blue bowl and personally the Miller Table is easier to use and faster. Check on my signature below building a Blue bowl or building a Miller table.

 

[Hoser John]

Not even close to any of the applicable science utilized in D.A.M. Bowl technology-John

 

[lokiie1984]

No offense to you guys or anything, but its my time, my effort and my eight dollars and thirty cents. You may not agree and you may not put in the effort but it hurts no one for me to try.

And besides a 50% effective blue bowl knock off is still 50% more blue bowl then i have right now so whats the harm in making one. A water vortex system isn't exactly the rocket science you want it to be. Now I'm sure the makers of the blue bowl have gone to great lengths to build the perfect system between the shape of the cone and the bowl and the pump and any other minute detail. However i don't need perfection, i just need something that works and is fun to build.

If i wanted perfection that could nab up every little spec of microscopic gold, i would buy the thing. I don't care if my bowl doesn't work exactly the same as long as it works. And should my bowl not work at all then i have succeeded in killing some time and lost eight bucks, no harm done.

 

[Goldwasher]

Good luck getting that 50%.... I would have to say its not going to work at all...no offense and like you said its your time and money waste it all you want. I didn't even consider buying a blue bowl until I was recovering 10 # of black sand and 1/4 ounce of gold a day on average I was also dredging....anything less and that's what gold pans are for. Your money and time would be better spent making a small recirc sluice or miller table. You posted the thread your gonna have to deal with the responses

 

[Oregon Viking]

This, in my opinion works better then a blue bowl.
Gold Mining Equipment Black Magic Fine Gold Recovery
THIS... I have had better luck with.
Prospectors Choice Clean Up Sluice

 

[AzViper]

This, in my opinion works better then a blue bowl.
Gold Mining Equipment Black Magic Fine Gold Recovery
THIS... I have had better luck with.
Prospectors Choice Clean Up Sluice

My version of what you posted. Just took it to a different level. I have both the blue bowl and the rubber mat Miller table. The Miller table is much easier to use and much faster to recovery the gold. When running the water speed slower the small gold is very easy to get to stick to the mat.

​

 

[lokiie1984]

Good luck getting that 50%.... I would have to say its not going to work at all...no offense and like you said its your time and money waste it all you want. I didn't even consider buying a blue bowl until I was recovering 10 # of black sand and 1/4 ounce of gold a day on average I was also dredging....anything less and that's what gold pans are for. Your money and time would be better spent making a small recirc sluice or miller table. You posted the thread your gonna have to deal with the responses

That may end up being my next half assed project (that wasn't sarcasm either, i have a masters in half assed engineering.) Now though i wonder if i could combine the vortex system with a sluice system. Either above the bowl (allowing the dirt that runs through the sluice to drip into the running bowl,) or maybe below where the dirt carried out of the bowl by the vortex can run through the sluice before it hits its final resting place. Maybe by combining both systems they will make up for the lack of perfection in either.

Either way i will keep the thread updated, to me building the stuff is half the fun, so even if it doesn't work i still get the enjoyment of making something.

However, if any one knows of a place find just the blue bowl (not the set that everyone sells) i would be interested in that.

 

[Oregon Viking]

My version of what you posted. Just took it to a different level. I have both the blue bowl and the rubber mat Miller table. The Miller table is much easier to use and much faster to recovery the gold. When running the water speed slower the small gold is very easy to get to stick to the mat.

View attachment 1014435 View attachment 1014436
​

That sir I like!!
You have plans I hope?

 

[Goldwasher]

That may end up being my next half assed project (that wasn't sarcasm either, i have a masters in half assed engineering.) Now though i wonder if i could combine the vortex system with a sluice system. Either above the bowl (allowing the dirt that runs through the sluice to drip into the running bowl,) or maybe below where the dirt carried out of the bowl by the vortex can run through the sluice before it hits its final resting place. Maybe by combining both systems they will make up for the lack of perfection in either.

Either way i will keep the thread updated, to me building the stuff is half the fun, so even if it doesn't work i still get the enjoyment of making something.

However, if any one knows of a place find just the blue bowl (not the set that everyone sells) i would be interested in that.

Look up pioneer mining supply in Auburn Ca. original dist. You can buy the bowl sans pump for like $80....or Placerville hardware same price......I lucked out and found one with a pump at a local thrift store for....$25.00 once in a lifetime come up... I actually ended up giving it to Lotus geologist a member here. I had one already but, couldn't pass on the deal. Gave me the chance to help a fellow prospector.

 

[omnicron]

OP, why not try to build this then if you want to waste your time and money:
The Gold Lab
So you know, Hoser has more experience/knowledge then 99% of the people on this forum. My recommendation is to listen to his wise words...

With that said...
You would of been better off with a angle food cake pan. You can pick them up in a thrift store for 50 cents all day long.

 

[Goldwasher]

OP, why not try to build this then if you want to waste your time and money:
The Gold Lab
So you know, Hoser has more experience/knowledge then 99% of the people on this forum. My recommendation is to listen to his wise words...

With that said...
You would of been better off with a angle food cake pan. You can pick them up in a thrift store for 50 cents all day long.

HA HA HA HA HA BWAAAAHA HA HA............and so forth

 

[lokiie1984]

Ran a test today with some normal dirt and then with some dirt where i placed some gold in it. It worked out very well for what i could tell, i obviously don't have a blue bowl to compare it to but it separated the gold from the dirt and that works for me. I don't have any super fine gold to try it with but I'm sure with proper water speed and screened material it would do alright. Good enough anyway.

 

[AzViper]

Ran a test today with some normal dirt and then with some dirt where i placed some gold in it. It worked out very well for what i could tell, i obviously don't have a blue bowl to compare it to but it separated the gold from the dirt and that works for me. I don't have any super fine gold to try it with but I'm sure with proper water speed and screened material it would do alright. Good enough anyway.

The true test is to have the con and gold at the same size. Does no good to have heavier gold than the con. Sure your going to recover the gold. Screen it all down to 50 mesh and run it.

Let's see pics of the bowl.

 

[lokiie1984]

Pictures will most likely have to wait til tomorrow, I had to re-glue the cone in place after the test. I didn't give it enough time to cure so it came loose. Which worked out anyway as i needed to rough up the cone surface more anyway. Took it to the grinder and it seems to be holding the glue better then before.

Next up on the list of DIY stuff is some some screener/classifiers. I'm just not sure where i could find screen that 50 to 100th of an inch in size. Right now the smallest i have is a window screen, which i think is around 30. I may end up having to just buy a couple classifiers if i cant find the screen myself.

 

[lokiie1984]

The local panning store here sells Jobe classifiers for 24 dollars each. Seems like it would end up being cheaper to just buy those. The smallest he goes is 70 but I'm sure that would work out for what i need, grab a 50 and 70 to use with the bowl. I would like to pick up a set some day but as a person that lives on 60 bucks every two weeks, that might take some time.

 

[AzViper]

The local panning store here sells Jobe classifiers for 24 dollars each. Seems like it would end up being cheaper to just buy those. The smallest he goes is 70 but I'm sure that would work out for what i need, grab a 50 and 70 to use with the bowl. I would like to pick up a set some day but as a person that lives on 60 bucks every two weeks, that might take some time.

You can buy a set of 9 classifiers for about $88.00. At $24.00 your paying way to much money. This is a club member within our club who sells these. I have two sets and no issues at all.. FREE SHIPPING INCLUDED

9 CLASSIFIERS <<<< Link

 

[Duckwalk]

You can get any size screen you want at McMastercar.com but will pay through the nose. Buy the classifiers as they fit the bucket and just about indestructible if you buy the USA made stainless steel mesh screens.

I had a thread by the name of "just purchased" that showed some classifiers from amazon for pretty cheap. I got 3 for like $35 or 40. Normally they are $20+ each