Question On Upright Angled Gravel Screen / Sifter / Sieve - To Automatically Fill Buckets With -1/4 Inch Material

[PickAxeCA]

Anyone use an upright, angled gravel screen/sifter (like in the video below) that sieves material and directs material into your bucket(s) underneath automatically. Seems to me that you could get into a good rhythm hurling shovels at a sifting screen.

Note - I'm talking about the simple gravel screens made using a wood frame and 1/4 inch hardware cloth aka metal mesh, not anything mechancial (no shaker decks), and using gravity and downward momentum to classify material automatically.

Example of gravel screen in action: (not my video, not my product, not affiliated with the manufacturer).

In wet areas such as BC, Canada I would add a wet tote at the bottom of the slide with a shopping basket to wash off the muddy oversized material and soak clays. Lift, shake, dump.

FYI - in the video the guy hurls 6 shovels in 23 seconds, which would easily be 8-10 shovels+ in 1 minute, classified to minus 1/4 inch, using gravity and momentum, no bucket shaking required.

Because the screened material would be all minus 1/4 inch, and not totally saturated with water the buckets would be lighter to carry to your concentration process (e.g. gold pan, sluice, highbanker, etc).

Watch video to see an example of an angled, upright gravel sifter screen in action:


Curious to hear your thoughts about angled gravel screens, and whether or not you use one to enable you to move more yardage per day - regardless of whether you use a regular gold pan, production pan, sluice, highbanker, gold cube, etc.

 

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[Assembler]

The more dry the material is the better this will work is my 2 - cents.

A course screen will work better.

 

[PickAxeCA]

The more dry the material is the better this will work is my 2 - cents.

A course screen will work better.

Assembler - good points, I agree.

The material has to be clean and dry enough for a gravel screen to work.

This is the case in most areas where I prospect.

 

[Assembler]

Assembler - good points, I agree.

The material has to be clean and dry enough for a gravel screen to work.

This is the case in most areas where I prospect.

It is a real problem here in western Oregon.
Good luck.

 

[oneguy]

This guy also made up a system to run wet material similar to the dry system but I didn't check the vid. I thought the system was nice, clean, simple, and pretty damned effective if relatively easy site access...?

 

[PickAxeCA]

This guy also made up a system to run wet material similar to the dry system but I didn't check the vid. I thought the system was nice, clean, simple, and pretty damned effective if relatively easy site access...?

Yes, for a claim that is easily accessible by truck, the wheelbarrow screening system looks pretty efficient.

 

[arizau]

I use a slanted screen when out drywashing and it works pretty well. A caveat is that you will likely have dirt clods that get rejected along with the oversize gravel and rocks. Those clods potentially contain gold so I often break up larger clods and re screen them. For that matter, I also often re process the drywasher tails (in hopes the clods break down further) when it appears to contain a lot of clods.

Good luck.

 

[PickAxeCA]

I use a slanted screen when out drywashing and it works pretty well. A caveat is that you will likely have dirt clods that get rejected along with the oversize gravel and rocks. Those clods potentially contain gold so I often break up larger clods and re screen them. For that matter, I also often re process the drywasher tails (in hopes the clods break down further) when it appears to contain a lot of clods.

Good luck.

@arizau - I would want a wet tote or tub below the slanted screen, with a lift basket, e.g. a shopping basket with 1/4 inch openings, to soak the oversized material. Lift, shake dump. That would eliminate any issues with dirt clumps not going through the gravel screen, and would soak any mucky material, clay or caliche for longer. Appreciate your comments! -Xplore

 

[alloy_II]

The more dry the material is the better this will work is my 2 - cents.

A course screen will work better.

Spray bar to wash fine gold free from the larger rocks.

 

[N-Lionberger]

If you ad a spray bar you might as well be running a highbanker. I have been planning on making a wooden frame angled screen for feeding buckets for up here in Nor Cal as the summers are getting pretty dry. I have actually used my drywasher along the Trinity River one particularly dry summer.

 

[Reed Lukens]

I like angle screens, but the dirt is so compact here that without at least shaking it or running a gloved hand over it, I lose too much. If you want a hand operated machine, you could also try a small trommel.
I run my little Gold Fox all the time.

5'' STANDARD model you choose classing barrel | Gold Fox USA LLC

New 2021 5”gold trommel with Xtreme Omni wash system (triple angle) and quick flush drain.New 2021 piping layout for spray bars with larger hoppersFeatures rock waste chute hopper water controlgear to gear drive systemGold Hog mattingadjustable four corner legs support8 trommel angle...

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But if you just want to classify in the bush, then this little home made one is something to think about -

DIY Trommel on a shoe string budget - Colorado Prospector - Gem and mineral prospecting and mining forums

www.coloradoprospector.com

 

[PickAxeCA]

I like angle screens, but the dirt is so compact here that without at least shaking it or running a gloved hand over it, I lose too much. If you want a hand operated machine, you could also try a small trommel.
I run my little Gold Fox all the time.

5'' STANDARD model you choose classing barrel | Gold Fox USA LLC

New 2021 5”gold trommel with Xtreme Omni wash system (triple angle) and quick flush drain.New 2021 piping layout for spray bars with larger hoppersFeatures rock waste chute hopper water controlgear to gear drive systemGold Hog mattingadjustable four corner legs support8 trommel angle...

www.goldfoxusa.com

But if you just want to classify in the bush, then this little home made one is something to think about -

DIY Trommel on a shoe string budget - Colorado Prospector - Gem and mineral prospecting and mining forums

www.coloradoprospector.com

I like angle screens, but the dirt is so compact here that without at least shaking it or running a gloved hand over it, I lose too much. If you want a hand operated machine, you could also try a small trommel.
I run my little Gold Fox all the time.

5'' STANDARD model you choose classing barrel | Gold Fox USA LLC

New 2021 5”gold trommel with Xtreme Omni wash system (triple angle) and quick flush drain.New 2021 piping layout for spray bars with larger hoppersFeatures rock waste chute hopper water controlgear to gear drive systemGold Hog mattingadjustable four corner legs support8 trommel angle...

www.goldfoxusa.com

But if you just want to classify in the bush, then this little home made one is something to think about -

DIY Trommel on a shoe string budget - Colorado Prospector - Gem and mineral prospecting and mining forums

www.coloradoprospector.com

That's a nice hand crank trommel, I'll bet you could classify a lot of material very quickly with it.

I work in some areas where the material is relatively loose, so an angled screen would work well.

I'm planning on putting a wet tote at the bottom of the angled screen with a lift basket to soak and wash off the oversized material. That way, you only have to shake and then dump the +1/4 inch material which will be much lighter without all the -1/4 inch sand and gravels.

Appreciate your comments.