Sluice Box Punch Plate

[jog]

Was wondering if anyone has any ideas on this issue. I put a piece of aluminum punch plate on my sluice that I am using on my trommel project, I was unable to get a steel piece. I was doing some testing today and there was a pretty good accumulation of small rocks on the punch plate, they don't appear to wash off like they would on steel. Can a person put a coating on the plate or maybe sand real smooth or just leave it.

 

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[B H Prospector]

Hi Jog,
Sounds to me like your problem is too low of water volume or the flow is too slow. Maybe your pitch is too flat. I've used aluminum punch plate on a highbanker and it does build some small pebbles on it but I was running it a little flatter. I would just rack them off with my fingers. I don't believe I would want to coat it with anything or even sand it although sanding probably won't hurt it any.

B H Prospector

 

[Hoser John]

You must stress relief the plate for it to clean properly-just break the hole edge(90 degrees) with a drill bit 2 X the hole diameter and viola a huge improvement--takes a bit a time but ez 2 do on a drill press. We had a cnc program that relieved all the holes on our dredge line punch plates and a great improvement-but nuttn' perfect in this life---but death John

 

[russau]

i did this to my drywasher under the Lexan(drilled full of holes) i used to support my Muslin sheet. thanks John,i forgot about this idea and ill do this to my S.S. punchplate that is my 1/4 inch classifier that i use for my screening for the O/U sluice. ill do it today! the weather is gonna be nice for a change!..............wow, that was fast! iy only took about 15 mins. todo that job! looks much nicer!! thanks for reminding me John!

 

[Gravel Hog]

Would have to see it to help answer this.
If you are dumping material onto the punch plate from above rather than flowing across then yes that could be the problem.
To add to that if the feed of material is all concentrated to the center then you will have material pushed to the outside edges and might remain there.

Might need to flare out your incoming slurry so it flows across evenly instead of being directly dumped from above dead center. A damper might also aid in this.
Maybe increase the flow after that, if needed, would have to see it as I think you have plenty of flow. No Video?

 

[russau]

i had a friend that also had this problem with his HonCoup highbanker. i suggested that he tip that screen a little more towards the tailend of his HBer.he says it helped.