Ramblings from Bandmenter

[Bandmenter]

Greetings from North Central Iowa. I have read a lot of threads here on TNet and thought I might as well post something in a journal. I have had the gold fever simmering in me since I was about 12. Not living in gold country, it never really festered.

My daughter, 28 at the time, became interested in mining and prospecting from watching Gold Rush and other shows like it. So I was poking around on the inner web looking for the nearest location to go and prospect. Typing in Midwest gold offered up a ton of things that I did not know, like people actually do this in Iowa and with limited success. Now I must say at age 50, I thought that the fever had passed only to find out it was just dormant. It wasn't long and I had the full on fever again.

Built a sluice last winter and went out to strike it rich. Only to find out with every adventure you're left with the desire to change this, modify that in the ever quest to be effective and efficient. So i did alot of reading, talking to the experianced as well as trial and error. I have learned so much with lots more to learn. Its been a good summer, will be doing some winter prospecting as well, weather permitting.

Bill Jeffries aka Bandmenter

Dig deep, keep the color.

By the way, my daughter also likes the show Swamp People but I will not be going alligator hunting.

 

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[Bandmenter]

Sluice design

Just thought I would show my sluice design. Not a lot of money invested in this design as I have access to a company that is very reasonable in price of materials and the means to bend it. This sluice is 5 foot long by 12" wide, I have one that I have had bent that is 4 foot as well, 5 foot is over kill. My plans are to assemble it over the winter and do some additional mods to the hopper.

Dig deep, keep the color

Bill

 

[MidMoTreasure]

Very nice. What kind of matting are you going to use? I assume you are using the expanded metal/matting setup.

 

[Bandmenter]

Hey Midmo,
I started out with a hybrid grating over miners moss which did work great, however living in the want to be gold belt, I was catching a lot of stuff that I would have to sort through later. After long conversations with Kevin Bell at Aruroa Mining Products, he recommended the Vortex mating alone. This worked out very well as I was able to leave the sands in the river. One time my daughter and son in law went out with the old system, we came back with 2 five gallon buckets of material. Mostly quartz and Garnett sands, a ton of work classifying and no more gold than the Vortex matting. The vortex matting captures the very fine gold quite nicely and washes the light sands away. This allows me to carry home more cons and less crap.

I am on my cell phone at this time, I'll post some pictures when I get back to my computer.

Dig deep, keep the color.
Bill

 

[Bandmenter]

Some more photos of the sluice. The sluice is mounted to a sub-frame of rectangular aluminum tubing, this creates the bed for it to have extreme rigidity. This design allows it to except a lot of abuse and still maintain its shape. I support it on adjustable legs of 1" round tubing, I can rapidly change the angle of the sluice without the need of tools. The hybrid riffle system comes from a bread crate which is then bolted through the belly with 1/4" screws and wing nuts.
The hopper can be tied down for easy transport, the support can even serve as a handle. A crap ton of material can be run through this system quickly and easily.

Any questions, I can send better pictures, just ask.

Dig deep, keep the color.

Bill

 

[MidMoTreasure]

Very nice, I bet that does do good on the fine glacial gold you all have up there in N.Ia.

 

[Bandmenter]

MidMo, it does work well. The gold is dropping out in the first foot or so. This is why I think the 5 foot is overkill. I will be working on the 4 footer soon, as I assemble things, I'll post progress pictures.

Bill

 

[bpete]

Very nice setup. it is great to see what everyone is running before I make any descisions on equipment.

 

[GrizzlyGoldTrap]

BandMenter, very nice looking equipment-looks well made. Looking forward to seeing some gold in that sluice!

 

[Bandmenter]

Thanks for the kind words. Living in Iowa having gold in the sluice that I can actually see would indeed be cool. I will continue to dig deep and keep the color.

Bill

 

[Bandmenter]

Mr. Stinky, stay tuned as I will be posting, in detail, the build of my next sluice. I am glad you admire my work as I don't mind sharing as most of the ideas I copied from others. Just the good ideas mind ya.

Dig deep, keep the color. Bill

 

[Bandmenter]

Just thought I would post a quick vid of the the beast in action. Working a stream in southeast Iowa, while on a camping adventure with friends.


I'm the one in the hole.

Dig deep, keep the color. Bill

 

[GrizzlyGoldTrap]

What part of SE Iowa? Grew up in Keokuk... You'll need to come out west next year and we will get you into some Colorado gold.

 

[Bandmenter]

Grizz, we were down at Lake Rathbun, Cedar creek is up by Marysville. We were down for the weekend and I take my gear every where, not going to pass on an opportunity to wash gravel. Will have to see about a trip to Colorado, would love to put the high banker through a real world test. Thanks for the offer.

Dig deep, keep the color. Bill

 

[Bandmenter]

Out running errands today, I took a couple of days off for my wife's surgery. So I am returning to the house, had to divert for one last stop in a neighboring town when I suddenly remember of a spot I want the look at from Google maps. I realize I am only 4 miles from this area. I thusly divert the truck again, pointing it south, busting loose on the gravel roads that will take me to a place I have never been. I am quickly distracted by a winding stream, cutting through some prime farm ground. I slowed way down to get a better look when I spot the farmer giving me the evil eye as if I were up to no good, so being the respectable fella that I am and knowing the culture of my surroundings, I wave like I know him. As is customary, he waves back. I continue on my journey, which is really about another 200 feet, i turn into this river access park, Sportsman Park by name, truly just a place to fish and set in canoes.

I climb out of the Ram, walk towards the waters edge when I notice a mound adjacent to the trail of flood sands. Interesting, i thinks and proceed to scout the area. Scouting is all i really had time for, i walk down the path to you know scout. I then suddenly realize what i am walking into. By now you might be on the edge of you seat wondering if i just discover a still or meth lab, nope, something bigger than that. What I had come across was a curious looking ridgeline to my west side. Further examination of my surroundings, out of place granite boulders and just plain luck, I surmise the I have found a terminal moraine. Having just read about them 2 weeks ago and the fact that I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in the past , I considered myself an expert. See what ya learn by reading TNet posts, brilliance.

I also found that there is a section of the river has rapids, boulders with pockets of gravels in front of them, ripe for the classifying. So I make my way back to the truck from the most excellent adventure I had just been on to determine I must take something of value from this place. I recover from the bed of the truck a shovel and 2 buckets, I fill the buckets with the contents of the mound. I throw them in the truck and drive on, proud of myself.

Dig deep, keep the color. Bill

 

[Bandmenter]

Worked the material a bit last night, just trying to get the excess crap out of the material. Of coarse not expecting to find any pickers living in Iowa. Screen with an 1/8" classifier, very little pebbles and gravel. A bunch of twigs and rooting but that's what I was expecting. Naturally I will continue to work the sample looking for positive results. The nice thing is this site is relatively close and should give me years of fun.
Dig deep, keep the color. Bill

 

[MidMoTreasure]

Any shiny stuff?? I hope your wife heals up soon. I have been off from panning a few weeks due to deer season. It's more popular than Christmas 'round here.

 

[Bandmenter]

Wife is doing great. Still at the hospital, working on discharging her now. When I get her home and settled I will start the gold processing. I'm hoping that there is gold because this area looks to be ideal for prospecting and mining. More after I work with it.

Dig deep, keep the color. Bill

 

[KevinInColorado]

Get yourself 30 and 50 mesh classifiers...the home panning is so much easier and more productive that way.

 

[Bandmenter]

I have such already, however I also use a clean gold type sluice that I fabricated in the basement mining den. Doing all things on a budget, if the wife knew the kind of money I could spend on this hobby, she would spend equal or greater amounts on clothes, purses and shoes. She already has that as a hobby.

So I watch the YouTube's for ideas and build it myself. This material could be classified as zero con's as it is what fell into my bucket from the shovel. I will do the classifying as you suggest if only to reduce the amount of material I would be running down the magnetic sluice.

Let me know what you think of the video and process.

Dig deep, keep the color. Bill