Vibrating feed hopper testing

Mgumby16

Full Member
Jun 26, 2014
204
326
East Coast
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
So i love building innovative equipment for prospecting almost as much as i love prospecting.* I usually try and build things that solve problems that i see with current designs or builds that help me get to hard to reach places.**

One of my biggest issues with any high-banker/ mini trommel set up is that regardless of the size of the hopper and depending on the angle you would either have baby feed material in from a five gallon bucket or you would be clearing off the grizzly bars constantly with your hands or a combination of the two.**

Ive noticed most of the big equipment fed plants and trommels use a vibrating feed system to provide a nice even feed of material regardless of the amount dumped in the hopper.* But i have found that no one makes a system like*this for smaller equipment and small scale prospectors, so i decided to build my own small version and see how it works.**

This video is the first time out testing my build and i will say it needs some modifications, but the overall concept worked amazing.* My buddy and me couldnt keep up with feeding it, probably need about 4 people shoveling into it.* It will take up to three 3/4 full 5 gallon buckets at a time.* Should be an awesome tool for leveling old tailing piles, and when paired with a mini trommel should really help with emulsifying clay.**

Hope you all enjoy the video, please comment and let me know what you think, and like, share and subscribe.

 

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N-Lionberger

Bronze Member
Dec 1, 2013
1,365
1,959
Arcata, California
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1212-x
Fisher Gold Bug 2
Whites 4900/SP3
Dowsing rods
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Looks pretty cool I was thinking about doing somthing similar. A couple suggestions, on my pvc spray systems I reinforce the connections by drilling a little hole and putting in a screw to keep them from popping apart at inopportune times. Also I have seen it in a previous video you posted up, you have your pump intake down stream of your sluice box, its just going to suck up your tailings isn't super great for the pump.
 

Zahal

Tenderfoot
Feb 13, 2019
6
5
Hudson River Valley
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Great idea... very innovative. I wonder if this would improve my 4" dredge yields while dealing with heavy, viscous clay and shale. I've seen what comes out of the hose, and sometimes clay is still stuck together in small pieces. Probably loosing fines in the clay... this may just be the tool to up the yield.

Thanks
 

seafox

Full Member
Dec 5, 2015
106
50
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
the build is nice and like the vibratting idea but Insteed of the spraybars especally on the side and on the upper end seem to be wasting energy and for the puuper part maybe pushing material out too fast. just my opinion but say having two firehose nozzels point up hill at the bottom of the drum would shoot under the material tumbling it and also you would not have the problem of back splashing water everywhere. seemed like you constantly had rainbows from the spray each time you put material in. getting soaked in the summer may be ok ( though I think it tires you working in sodden cloths) but spring and fall is already cold enough especally if the water is below 50 degrees. the other thing I have found is a good hoe to pull the washed material out when its clean is easyer than a shovel and allows you to stand clear of misdirected water
 

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