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SHERRYs THREAD - My Gold Prospecting Journey

Anytime H&F! I actually use my hand dredge 95% more than a shovel. If I'm working in water, I suction all the material out from around the rocks then I squat or kneel in the water and hand throw out all the larger rocks or place in a bucket, suction, throw out rocks over and over and I can crank out a hole 2-3 times faster than anyone using a shovel. I typically don't use a tip on mine, just a 45 degree elbow with a 2.5 gal bucket and 1/2" classifier either submerged or placed as near the area as possible. I even expel it directly into the sluice if I can. If I start the hole dry away from the river, I shovel down until it is deep enough to hold water then I can pour buckets of water washing down the side walls to suction up. After a little while when the hole and water is deeper, I will suction up only water and blast it against the walls to again bring down the material and expand the width of the hole. All while sitting down on my cushy seat and saving my back!!!
 

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RSMSherry said:
Anytime H&F! I actually use my hand dredge 95% more than a shovel. If I'm working in water, I suction all the material out from around the rocks then I squat or kneel in the water and hand throw out all the larger rocks or place in a bucket, suction, throw out rocks over and over and I can crank out a hole 2-3 times faster than anyone using a shovel. I typically don't use a tip on mine, just a 45 degree elbow with a 2.5 gal bucket and 1/2" classifier either submerged or placed as near the area as possible. I even expel it directly into the sluice if I can. If I start the hole dry away from the river, I shovel down until it is deep enough to hold water then I can pour buckets of water washing down the side walls to suction up. After a little while when the hole and water is deeper, I will suction up only water and blast it against the walls to again bring down the material and expand the width of the hole. All while sitting down on my cushy seat and saving my back!!!
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impressive, love how each person develops their own strategy...I'd love to see you in action with your tools/approach. Get a friend to shoot a video maybe?
 

I'm sure your hubby didn't need those leather dress shoes. He needed a couple good pairs of sandals anyways.:tongue3: Thanks for the picts. I need to get busy and make me one of those.

Good to see you survived the heat. Any report from EF?

Glenn
 

Kevin... I'll have to think on the video thing, don't like being in those too much. ;-)

Glenn... The EF has been rather low producing below CC Bridge since the Cattle Canyon flood and still haven't found too much above it. I'll be staying up there this weekend but I'll be hiking up in each day and not near camp until late afternoon/evening. It was real hot on Sat, I came late and left early which us real unusual for me. How's that big hole working out for you or have you moved on to a new spot?
 

RSMSherry said:
Kevin... I'll have to think on the video thing, don't like being in those too much. ;-)
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Understood. Maybe get someone else to be on camera using your tools, in your way, while you shoot the video?
 

I haven't been back up to EF in a few. Last trip was a bust for us too. I saw the guy next to us get like a gram before noon (half that was 1 piece). Of course we had to jump in his spot. Nada, nothing , zilch:icon_scratch:

Went to a somewhat more local spot a week ago just to poke around what is now absolutely dry. I did manage to find a very small chunk dry panning. Now I've got to figure out how to proceed. We'll try metal detecting and drywashing while we can. Not sure how that'll work out. :icon_scratch: Between the magnetite and lead there has got to be more heavies here than any place on earth.

Come on El Nino! Maybe if things work out we can dredge it next season. Not holding my breath though.:thumbsup:
 

You mean the guy who found gold:icon_scratch: It was a regular type metal sluice. It looked like he had some good (GoldHog?) mats.

I believe the problem is in me not the equipment. :BangHead:Still in the paying my dues stage up there.

I just spoke with the FS ranger and my area is, at least technically, open. Since we're on a claim I bet they will want us to jump through some hoops. I'm trying to keep a step ahead of them though so they won't screw up our plans.

In the past it wasn't a problem but I guess times change.
 

I used 1.5" sch 80 pvc pipe for the the body and 1" sch 80 for the plunger and I used the foam pipe insulation as the as the seal and it works great. You need a 1 " slip to thread adapter and a 1" cap You have to glue the slit in the insulation I used gorilla glue and then just cut to fit. I took a 1.25" washer and drilled out the center to slightly larger then 1" I used that as a stop so there is no chance of the seal being pulled out of the body. I can swap out the tips to go larger or smaller and I added the catch on the side to help keep what I sucked up and not loose it as I move the dredge to the bucket.

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Hi again Scott!!! I decided not to go with the material catching tube originally because I was on a really tight budget. After making mine and using it for several months, I had a friend come dig with me and he had one like yours with the catch tube and he also had one with the hose going to the bucket. I tested the catch tube one while he was using his one with the hose going to the bucket. The hose to the bucket one Getting clogged up every couple of pump and he was constantly having to work on it even though he had a screw through the end of the tip to block any larger rocks from entering the dredge. When I tested the cats to dread of his it got build up entirely too quick, like 1.5 pumps through a 3/4 tip. Then I had to stop, remove the catch tube and dump it in the bucket. With the way I have mine set up with the full 2 inch opening in the 45° elbow at the bottom, I get a full stroke of suction over a larger area which typically is equal to about 2 or more shovels of unclassified material. I hold my hand on the top of the upper dredge body and when the suction stroke is complete, I simply spin the dredge over so that my hand is now on the underside of the dredge body and the 45° angle on the bottom and of the dredge is pointing up which helps to hold the material and, then I move it over the top of the 1/2 classifier on the bucket and expel the contents of the dredge. I can fill a whole 5 gal bucket within a few minutes including kneeling in the water and throwing out the larger rocks. As much as I use mine I'm pretty positive that I'd wear out that foam padding right away. ;-)
 

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Congrats to him and his proud parents! Bring him along to guard your gold :)
 

Have him hide around a large boulder with the gold there as a trap. Then wait for someone to touch it and he will spring out like a trap. Then he can be promoted to Veteran fighter! Kidding, congrats on his promotion.
 

Yea, he'd choke a fool out if they tried to mess with his momma... And her gold! ;-)

EJ is also in Wrestling in High School and he came home from school and told me this....

Ok so today I was in Wrestling Class and we did "King of the mat" (which is a game where there is one guy in the middle and one person goes in at a time and who ever gets the takedown wins) and I got 13 takedowns! I'm a Freshman and I more than tripled everyone's score and coach said he has a guaranteed spot for me in Junior Varsity-A and that if I tried hard enough, I could make Varsity-B!

I'm so proud of my boy... I just don't want him to get cauliflower ears! ;-)
 

Hi Sherry,

I made 2 1 with a catch tube 1 without. I used both of them when I went out and had no issue with material locking it up or causing it to jam or wear out. Nice thing about this set up is you can replace the foam in 15 seconds and get back to work. I made 1 other plunger a bit differently but almost like what you made but out of rubber sheet. To hard to draw it using rubber. I will try the leather. That washer stops the plunger from cumming back to far and getting stuck. I am going to try the leather next. I will take a pict when I do. Most likely upping the size to 2" I may even try a 4" pipe and see how hard that is to handle! I did also make a flap vale for a hose and bucket. I have tested it with water and it works fine next is with material. I have a feeling it will be problematic!
 

Pump leathers from a local pump supply store is what I use in mine. Lots of different sizes available. Google "pump leathers".
 

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scoy said:
Hi Sherry, I made 2 1 with a catch tube 1 without. I used both of them when I went out and had no issue with material locking it up or causing it to jam or wear out. Nice thing about this set up is you can replace the foam in 15 seconds and get back to work. I made 1 other plunger a bit differently but almost like what you made but out of rubber sheet. To hard to draw it using rubber. I will try the leather. That washer stops the plunger from cumming back to far and getting stuck. I am going to try the leather next. I will take a pict when I do. Most likely upping the size to 2" I may even try a 4" pipe and see how hard that is to handle! I did also make a flap vale for a hose and bucket. I have tested it with water and it works fine next is with material. I have a feeling it will be problematic!
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Hi Scott, please do let me know how the 4" works out and also the hose/bucket attachment. Thanks!
 

arizau said:
Pump leathers from a local pump supply store is what I use in mine. Lots of different sizes available. Google "pump leathers".
Click to expand...

Yes, pump leathers are best like I said. I have Googled them but I personally just can't pay out that much money right now, thus my noted cheaper work-around. So, where did you get yours and what was the total with shipping? If you don't mind me asking...
 

Hi Sherry. In response to your post to me on DD's thread, here is a couple of links on the LeTrap I have. Since I can't put a sluice in water here (Bazooka if I could) I went with a home made wood stand to surround the LeTrap. If I had to do it all over again, I would buy the metal stand. Anyways I learned a ton, was taught a lot, applied it all and it works GREAT!
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...nally-my-sluice-up-running-catching-gold.html
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/399522-letrap-high-banker-update-repost.html

GL&HH
Jeff
 

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