What do You Want on your 'Zooka?

[goldog]

I asked for it. Kevin, you I trust. So tell me. I'm thinking maybe both sides of the upper deck to get that higher up gold that's been just floating on by.

 

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[Goodyguy]

How about an adjustable angle trap that could stay level even when the rest of the sluice is set at a steeper angle to compensate for a low flow situation?
You would have to add flexible hoses to the ends of the tubes so the intakes would always remain centered with the scoop.

I would not do it on a model designed for sale just because of the detail work involved but maybe for a personal sluice. Just a thought... I have too many thoughts sometimes.... well, most of the time.....actually all of the time

GG~

 

[goldog]

Ya know... you could make it float. Self adjusting.

 

[agolddigger]

Rather than the magnets I'd want something like the vmatting in an a52 that lets you visually gauge how much gold you're capturing without stopping to pan. High exchange rate, only want gold in it - the the gold should be getting caught by the trap anyway so losses don't matter.

 

[goldog]

That seems to be a recurring theme. I'm thinking a recessed area for your choice of V mat or Hog or whatever.

 

[goldog]

I haven't updated here. So before moving on I wanted to let you know tests are going well. I posted a video and some release and catch gold pictures. Bottom line is that the mods worked well.

Removable tubes performed as well as I could have expected. I guess my hole pattern was good. I got back more than I put in plus a handful of lead.

The magnetic deck impressed me. Did just about what I thought it would. Held the gold momentarily then it made its way on into the box.

The 36" vs my 30" Prospector was a big difference. Gotta prepare myself next time I pick it up. It's heavy.

The worst fail was the holder for the rock picker. It kept falling off and floating away.

I have a bunch of mods in the works. What do you guys think of Lexan? I want to see inside the trap. The upper deck and sides. Just at the trap. I'm thinking a window or two.

 

[goldog]

Hearing rumors of a fundamental change in design. I had intended to avoid those big changes in the actual fluid-bed. Some input from both here and outside TNet led me to consider other methods.

It will be interesting to see what others are doing. The BGT is already a "fundamentally" different approach to sluicing. So building on that was/is our goal.

Incremental changes to address concerns about the operation of the fluidbed are being investigated. Even though the existing design is efficient it could be better.

 

[goldog]

So I ask again. For this post I want to focus on the trap. I have been brainstorming some mods involving the tubes or maybe I should say scraping the tubes. Are there other ways to fluidize? I'll share my idea in a bit.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Well, for fluidizing, you could run a air hockey table type floor, but the water would have to be pure with no sediments. I tried that on my model 6 and found out the hard way about water purity. The #76 holes would clog easily, and are a real pain to clean out. Needless to say the test run didn't go too well, but it did work well for a while.

The model 6

 

[goldog]

Drill them out a bit. You'll be good to go. That's somewhat along the lines of what I was thinking.

 

[Capt Nemo]

I wouldn't want to drill them any larger! Much larger and heavies not debris would be the clogging problem. You don't want the gold dropping through or getting caught in the holes. Any depressurization would also backwash material into the holes. While it works good for recirculating, it would not work in a bazooka, because you cannot shut the water off until the bed has been cleaned out. The pump has to keep running until the bed is clear.

 

[goldog]

I was thinking something like an under-gravel filter in reverse. It's made to suck evenly across a flat surface. Water force the opposite way would seem like it would do the same thing. Back-flow is an issue with a bottom fed trap. As well as compaction/lift.

I was using this corrugated plastic as mock up material but noticed all these little channels.


This is very small gauge. But you can get larger. This could provide a water delivery method directed where you want it. Each channel can be released at a point where it will be used effectively.

Obviously the corrugated plastic may not pan out so to speak, but who knows. ?

 

[Capt Nemo]

I've have the same in 1/4" clear polycarbonate. Built a neat lighted bubble wall with it a long time ago. The corrugations are a little tricky to cut and solvent weld. Have to be exactly square cutting long lengths or you cut into the next channel.

 

[goldog]

Tonight I am playing with magnetics again. I had some leftover magnets and, well one thing led to another...

The magna-gate. I'm hoping that when the gate is up it will prevent any gold from making its way out of the trap.



I'm sure there is a chance it will hinder the operation but, like grandpa Schnabel would say, "ya just gotta try". Otherwise we'll never know. I've got some fine gold for a test.



The idea is that a fuzzy buildup of magnetic black sand will block the fine heavies from migrating out of the trap. Like a long fuzzy caterpillar.

These are the same,somewhat weak, Office Depot magnets I used on the deck. This time the "bead" should be +\- 1/2" dia. And just kinda hang on the back wall.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Do you know the law at play with magnets and gold?

It's known as Lenz's Law. Simply, its any conductor that moves through a magnetic field will generate a counter electromotive force that will oppose it's motion through that magnetic field.

So a magnetic field will provide a braking action to any piece of gold moving through it. This would slow it and drop it to the mat in a sluice. Only problem is that our black sand is also magnetic and will stick to every magnet in sight and attenuate the field.

 

[goldog]

This is more the fuzzy caterpillar law.

.

Any piece of gold hitting a magnetic black sand fuzzy caterpillar will get stuck.



I'm concerned it could have some unintended consequences. Mornings bring light to the R&D department. Boiling and/ or packing may be my undoing on this one. I'll need to determine by observation as well as results.

This may be a solution in search of a problem if there ever was one. It's been claimed that Bazookas lose fine gold. I'm not sure if that's all that true for me. We'll see.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Hey! Just had a thought!

Maybe you could use the floor type system after all. Use a fabric floor instead of holes. Something like landscape fabric, or nylon might work stretched tight on a frame. You would need easy access to the trap, or a removable trap for replacement or cleaning of the fabric.

 

[goldog]

I have some weed-block fabric. It's very flimsy so it wouldn't hold up. But it has one way properties that may be useful. Thanks Capt.

 

[Goodyguy]

Thought I would also post this video here....

I really like the way this fellow fluid head addressed the removable trap idea.




My next fbgt will incorporate that design except my trap will be wider than the sluice to allow for a lower water pressure drop zone.
Probably re-design the fluidizing tube layout as well and go with five 5/8" tubes instead of 3 due to the 10" wide trap.

The deck will be angled downhill into the trap starting at the beginning of the grizzly wires.
And of course my wire grizzlys will run flat not uphill. (my signature mod to reduce rock jambs).
More than likely go with a lexan cover over the trap. ( I like to see into the trap while it's running) Have one on my favorite fbgt and I like it.
Probably run it as a highbanker most of the time due to having total control over the flow





I really didn't want to build another sluice but I cant let you guys have all the fun
Doubtful I will recover any more gold than I already do with my favorite but what the heck, it keeps me off the street.

GG~

 

[goldog]

I'm sure thinking of incorporating these ideas Goodyguy.

I'm thinking of trying the angled box for sure. And the drawer.