Saw this sluice at the local gold show last week....

[fishnfacts]

Just a thought on my part as I plan on ordering a 36' Prospector in the upcoming weeks.
Put a couple of these sluices in the hands of some of Tnets most recognized prospectors, I.E. KevininColorado, Foweledup, and Goldpan Dave. Let them be your test market and then when they report to everyone you can become a sponsor and sell the crap out of them or fall by the wayside. Not trying to be an A$$#0!& just saying this would be the best way to answer everyone's questions about your sluice.


148 posts, 148 likes. I must know a little about what I am saying. LOL

 

[russau]

I just wonder if (during low water conditions)you could mount your Prospector on a adjustable stand in the creek and use a small gas powered pump or a bigger bilge pump to run that sluice.

 

[Duckwalk]

i just want to add that the BGT constantly catches the -50 +100 gold without any prior classification.

 

[CA Gold Hunter]

I just wonder if (during low water conditions)you could mount your Prospector on a adjustable stand in the creek and use a small gas powered pump or a bigger bilge pump to run that sluice.

From what others have said on here the biggest a bilge pump will effectively run is a sniper. The prospector would need a gas pump most likely.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Ideally a Sniper seems to need 2000gph, I'm currently making do with 1200 gph. On that basis I estimate the Prospector would need 4000 gph or more. I'd love to hear from someone who has tried it successfully.
(Sorry for adding to the thread high jack, couldn't resist)

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just a thought on my part as I plan on ordering a 36' Prospector in the upcoming weeks.
Put a couple of these sluices in the hands of some of Tnets most recognized prospectors, I.E. KevininColorado, Foweledup, and Goldpan Dave. Let them be your test market and then when they report to everyone you can become a sponsor and sell the crap out of them or fall by the wayside. Not trying to be an A$$#0!& just saying this would be the best way to answer everyone's questions about your sluice.


148 posts, 148 likes. I must know a little about what I am saying. LOL

Send me one, I'm sure Dave and I can run a fair side by side compare. I'd love to see a new innovation be successful!

 

[AMP_kbell]

Duckwalk - I agree that every machine is capable of catching some amount of 50 minus gold - What people don't know is how much gold they are losing.

I have done dozens and dozens of tests at different classification sizes and water speeds where I take weighed measures of gold of all different sizes (mostly 20 mesh and below including 50 and 100 mesh gold) and salt a bucket that has been prescreened to have no gold. First I run a prescreened unsalted 5 gallon bucket into the machine so it has material in it. Then I run the salted 5 gallon bucket followed by another prescreened unsalted bucket. I let the machine run for a couple minutes to clear any material then I pull the machine and clean it. I then pan the gold out, dry it and weigh the gold again. I know exactly how my machine operates at classifications of 12 mesh to 3/4" at the water speed necessary to process the material.

To properly use either the BGT or AMP fluid bed sluice as a highbanker requires a bunch of water - I saw a video on you tube where someone extended the pvc tubes inside the Bazooka to just in front of the flare then used a large pump to run the machine. Of course most of the water is diverted to the material tray and I think he had a ball value to regulate the flow to the tubes. Not sure how well it worked but it shows the ingenuity of the mining community!

 

[AMP_kbell]

KevininC - Let me answer your question/comment "The open system for feeding water to the fluidization tubes seems to me to lead to lower pressure in the tubes vs. a closed system. How is that good?"

The AMP uses a combination of water velocity and even flow across each hole to accomplish optimal fluidization. whatever pressure is generated within the plenum just adds power to the system.
Remember the "water pressure" you are talking about is extremely low since the stream flow is zero pressure when it enters either machine and you can't compress water to add pressure.
That is why I chose to use velocity and even flow in my design.

 

[fishnfacts]

All you are saying sounds good to me, I would like a review by some objective users. I have heard from many that the Bazooka is the best on the market and just words from a manufacturer will not sway me from purchasing the Bazooka. I am a novice and trust what my fellow Tneter's say. They have never steered me wrong.

 

[AMP_kbell]

fishnfacts - I am certainly willing to provide a machine to KevininC and GoldPannerDave for review since it looks like they can easily prospect together

KinC and GPD - A few questions so I can hook you up with the right machine
1. Do you guys only process unclassified material in your equipment? Are you willing to classify for product testing?
2. What is the size of the unclassified material? is it sand mixed with 1 and 2 inch cobble or more like just toss in everything including the 4 and 6 inch rocks?
3. KinC - in an earlier post you mentioned 8-10 was not near enough to keep up with you - Do you guys really process 80 buckets per day (10 buckets/hr x 8 hours) of unclassified material by yourself?
4. Do you currently use a BGT or some other equipment? Which model?
5. What is the common size of gold found in the areas you prospect? (If you say fist size nuggets I'll be on the next flight to Denver Intl!)

I just want to update the group that you can run unclassified material in these machines but personally I don't recommend it because you need faster water to push the material down the tray. Faster water will always reduce the percentage of fine gold capture because it suspends in the water flow. Don't care if its a riffle sluice, BGT or my machine, it happens. If you are willing to sacrifice recovery for speed because the gold you are finding is larger then I understand. The goal of my equipment is to capture all the gold. That is why I classify to the material I am trying to recover and reduce the water speed in the material tray accordingly. I have one customer in SoCal who classifies to 1 inch then shovels it directly in his Expedition sluice. He says gold on his claim is larger and he hates to classify. Good compromise although I told him he will still lose fine gold because of the water speed necessary to push 1 inch material through the machine.

Let me know guys and we'll get this thing rolling. BTW I will be attending most of the GPAA Gold shows next year including Denver.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

fishnfacts - I am certainly willing to provide a machine to KevininC and GoldPannerDave for review since it looks like they can easily prospect together

KinC and GPD - A few questions so I can hook you up with the right machine
1. Do you guys only process unclassified material in your equipment? Are you willing to classify for product testing?
2. What is the size of the unclassified material? is it sand mixed with 1 and 2 inch cobble or more like just toss in everything including the 4 and 6 inch rocks?
3. KinC - in an earlier post you mentioned 8-10 was not near enough to keep up with you - Do you guys really process 80 buckets per day (10 buckets/hr x 8 hours) of unclassified material by yourself?
4. Do you currently use a BGT or some other equipment? Which model?
5. What is the common size of gold found in the areas you prospect? (If you say fist size nuggets I'll be on the next flight to Denver Intl!)

1. Yes, only unclassified. To product test, we could run classified.
2. It varies, but the last time out, we worked some that had 4-6" rocks in it. There is not tons of that, but some. If I run just sand and very small rocks, you generally don't get as good gold as when there are cobbles it.
3. Speaking for myself, I usually don't work 8 hours at the creek. Maybe 4 usually. Kevin runs more material but generally we don't do buckets per se, but shovel directly into the Bazooka from the creek or river. To be honest, some guys do work more hours, shoveling in directly. I will let Kevin answer for himself, but I usually have to drive up to Denver, work the creek, then drive home. No matter who I am working with, it is usually no more than 6 hours on the creek, including setting up and carrying equipment back to the car.
4. Kevin has just about everything in his arsenal. I own a 48" Miner, which no matter how fast I shovel, I cannot keep ahead of. I also have a 30" Sniper for lower water levels. I own a Le Trap which is my fall back if water levels are too low even the Sniper. However, I have not used it in about a year.
5. It is small. The largest I have ever found in Colorado was a thin, flat flake about 1/4" or so across. That was in Cache Creek, not in the Denver area. And if we were getting fist-sized nuggets, I doubt we'd say anything.

I just want to update the group that you can run unclassified material in these machines but personally I don't recommend it because you need faster water to push the material down the tray. Faster water will always reduce the percentage of fine gold capture because it suspends in the water flow. Don't care if its a riffle sluice, BGT or my machine, it happens. If you are willing to sacrifice recovery for speed because the gold you are finding is larger then I understand. The goal of my equipment is to capture all the gold. That is why I classify to the material I am trying to recover and reduce the water speed in the material tray accordingly. I have one customer in SoCal who classifies to 1 inch then shovels it directly in his Expedition sluice. He says gold on his claim is larger and he hates to classify. Good compromise although I told him he will still lose fine gold because of the water speed necessary to push 1 inch material through the machine.

Let me know guys and we'll get this thing rolling. BTW I will be attending most of the GPAA Gold shows next year including Denver.

I am sure Kevin will be responding soon, if he isn't while I am typing.

 

[Duckwalk]

If you want testing in different parts of the country is be willing. I also have an A&M sluice which I classify to 1/2" for. I can compare to it if you like. I've already posted the size gold I get locally. I usually run a bazooka sniper with rocks varying from 2" to 4" in my area. I do not classify and sometimes have to clean the Grizzlies.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Thank You Duckwalk for the comments - I was cleaning the grizzly because I had classified the material to 3/8" and the grizzly holes are 1/4" and 5/16". The material I was running contained large amounts of small slate pieces which are flat and hung up on the grizzly. I was keeping the water speed slow because the area we were working contains mostly 50 minus gold and I am trying to maximize recovery. I film videos there because it is easy to get close to the machine. These videos are used to supplement the written instructions. I am in the process of updating my videos which will be on the website possibly next week.

GoldPannerDave - I call the BGT a "closed" system because all water brought into the machine doesn't exit through the rear of the machine - the only water that can exit is the water that flows through the holes in the tubes. Much more water enters the machine than can possibly exit. With the AMP sluice 100% water that enters the machine exits either through the holes and out the rear or out the plenums (vents).

I see, you were talking about the water that goes into the bottom chamber that cannot get into the tubes to fluidize the bed. Yes, you are correct there; obviously I was talking about the water that went through the tubes exits with the lighter material.

Pascal's Principle states that pressure is transmitted throughout a fluid, undiminished. Moving fluids create pressure, and so the moving water provides pressure that is transmitted through the trapped water in the bottom chamber, to the tubes, to fluidize the bed. At least that is my understanding. I could be wrong. (Ask my wife!)

 

[fishnfacts]

Now we are talking I can hold of o my purchase until I se the reviews.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

If you want testing in different parts of the country is be willing. I also have an A&M sluice which I classify to 1/2" for. I can compare to it if you like. I've already posted the size gold I get locally. I usually run a bazooka sniper with rocks varying from 2" to 4" in my area. I do not classify and sometimes have to clean the Grizzlies.

That is a good idea. In fact, I would be willing to work with one sluice with Kevin and have the second one sent to Ducky. That might get better testing done in more varied conditions. I think Ducky probably has more clay than we do--after all, he is in Georgia!! (only partially joking about red Georgia clay).

 

[Duckwalk]

That is a good idea. In fact, I would be willing to work with one sluice with Kevin and have the second one sent to Ducky. That might get better testing done in more varied conditions. I think Ducky probably has more clay than we do--after all, he is in Georgia!! (only partially joking about red Georgia clay).

We do have plenty of clay here. I usually hit clay pretty quick within the first foot or two. depending on the density of the clay, the local gold really only travels through the first inch or so. as Kevin knows, some places in the stream go much deeper!

 

[AMP_kbell]

GPD - Pascal's Principle only relates to contained fluids as shown in this picture:



As pressure is applied on one end the pressure travels through the fluid at the same pressure to the other end.

Stream flows are not contained and pressure cannot be exerted so Pascal's Principal does not apply. Stream flows actually have literally no pressure because in they exposed to the atmosphere therefore they can have no pressure above atmospheric. Since flows are entering the machine at virtually zero and water cannot be compressed the pressure within any machine remains at zero (+ that extremely minute atmospheric pressure). This goes back to why I chose velocity and exacting flow. The design of the plenums actually increases the water velocity and since the volume is the same over its entire length the flows through each hole are exactly the same.

 

[AMP_kbell]

Duckwalk - Clay is normally not a problem for the machine, however I normally tell people to really liquefy their material to create a soupy slurry. This will allow the super fine gold to begin moving in the bucket, drop out when poured on the material tray and fall into the box. The lighter clay just gets washed out the rear of the machine. On my website you can see in my Old Expedition video we have clay pockets in our material too.

We can talk more when the machines go out. I still want to hear from KevininC

 

[KevinInColorado]

fishnfacts - I am certainly willing to provide a machine to KevininC and GoldPannerDave for review since it looks like they can easily prospect together

KinC and GPD - A few questions so I can hook you up with the right machine
1. Do you guys only process unclassified material in your equipment? Are you willing to classify for product testing?
- I don't normally classify but am happy to do so for testing.

2. What is the size of the unclassified material? is it sand mixed with 1 and 2 inch cobble or more like just toss in everything including the 4 and 6 inch rocks?
- I do pull out the bigger rocks manually. By unclassified, I mean manual removal of baseball sized and up with golf ball sized and smaller being cleared by the water flow. Open to your advice on this of course!

3. KinC - in an earlier post you mentioned 8-10 was not near enough to keep up with you - Do you guys really process 80 buckets per day (10 buckets/hr x 8 hours) of unclassified material by yourself?
- I rarely get to work a whole day but 10/ hour? Yes, absolutely! This is often done by shoveling directly into the sluice...no classifying or bucket carrying

4. Do you currently use a BGT or some other equipment? Which model?
- I regularly use my Bazooka Prospector or my Bazooka Sniper. Several times each month (I know, lucky me!)

5. What is the common size of gold found in the areas you prospect? (If you say fist size nuggets I'll be on the next flight to Denver Intl!)
- have a glance at my prospector's journals and you'll see it's about half -50 and half +50 with a few pieces of +20 here and there.

I just want to update the group that you can run unclassified material in these machines but personally I don't recommend it because you need faster water to push the material down the tray. Faster water will always reduce the percentage of fine gold capture because it suspends in the water flow. Don't care if its a riffle sluice, BGT or my machine, it happens. If you are willing to sacrifice recovery for speed because the gold you are finding is larger then I understand. The goal of my equipment is to capture all the gold. That is why I classify to the material I am trying to recover and reduce the water speed in the material tray accordingly. I have one customer in SoCal who classifies to 1 inch then shovels it directly in his Expedition sluice. He says gold on his claim is larger and he hates to classify. Good compromise although I told him he will still lose fine gold because of the water speed necessary to push 1 inch material through the machine.
- This makes sense to me...fair enough. The way I run my Bazooka does lose some of the -100 gold which means it's not an ideal tool for beach gold in Oregon or Michigan for example. How does yours do retaining -100 gold?

Let me know guys and we'll get this thing rolling. BTW I will be attending most of the GPAA Gold shows next year including Denver.

Looking forward to getting to meet you in Denver next year. I love to
The creativity and science you are bringing to bear here.

Meanwhile, I will PM you my address.this will be fun!

 

[INDEAD]

GPD - Pascal's Principle only relates to contained fluids as shown in this picture:

View attachment 1196305

As pressure is applied on one end the pressure travels through the fluid at the same pressure to the other end.

Stream flows are not contained and pressure cannot be exerted so Pascal's Principal does not apply. Stream flows actually have literally no pressure because in they exposed to the atmosphere therefore they can have no pressure above atmospheric. Since flows are entering the machine at virtually zero and water cannot be compressed the pressure within any machine remains at zero (+ that extremely minute atmospheric pressure). This goes back to why I chose velocity and exacting flow. The design of the plenums actually increases the water velocity and since the volume is the same over its entire length the flows through each hole are exactly the same.

Great use of Science( Newtonian Fluid BABY!!!) GOOD LUCK.