Why drywash?

[TerryC]

I can understand drywashing an area FAR from the beaten path but, 63bkpkr excepted, how many of you have the strength or ambition to pack it in? If I'm going in with all my gear in the back of my truck, water is going in with me. Drywashing is only about 80% efficient. Give me a re-cycling sluice setup and water any day! TTC

 

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[TerryC]

Sorry guys. Looks like the downtime gremlins ATE the replies to my post. No need to duplicate. TTC

 

[FiresEye]

Yeah buy you forgot to mention that a re-circulating system in the dry wash environment equals extremely high concentration of particles in a liquidmatrix, which will bring your percentage due to robbing down to close to zip in highly thick solutions.. And most people either do it for fun, fortune, or fame... and each one has a different method. Of course there's the guys who will go where no man has gone before!

The whole point of dry washing is to use the wind and particle size to seperate the gold.. I think it's brilliant... and so was your video on the homemade hand rock crusher... Cheers!

 

[Hoser John]

Why not is the real question . Constant flow offset elliptical panning action has made drywashers much more efficent to at least 95% same as water driven systems. BUT operator is always the determing factor and can cut recovery in half-John

 

[TerryC]

THANKS Fireseye! And John..... you're right on both points... why not? Also, the operator is EVERYTHING when using a drywasher. I don't profess to be expert with sluice, let alone other methods of desert recovery. When my poke's alot heavier I will slow down and may add drywashing to the thrill of the hunt. Tnx. TTC

 

[boogeyman]

Even in a vehicle, it's a lot easier to run a drywasher rather than a recirc-sluice. The other plus is if you're sampling, easier to set up & move. I have a small generator that takes up hardly any room. Can run a vac pac & drywasher off a 25' cord. If your knees are shot like mine, you can modify a handtruck with dual gokart wheels. Everything bungies on it, and off you go. Don't even need the donkey

 

[arizonaames]

The newer Keene drywashers will yield as much gold as a recirculating sluice or even a power sluice. The problem with a recirculating sluice is the matierial put through it. If you use a recirculating sluice in red dirt (clay), like at Rabbit Hole, NV, the sluice will clog up and you will gleen a lot more gold with a drywasher. Also, you can move a lot more yardage with a drywasher than a recirculating sluice. I have all the above and prefer a drywasher in the desert over anything else even in a mining area with a holding pond where I could use my high banker.

 

[TerryC]

The newer Keene drywashers will yield as much gold as a recirculating sluice or even a power sluice. The problem with a recirculating sluice is the matierial put through it. If you use a recirculating sluice in red dirt (clay), like at Rabbit Hole, NV, the sluice will clog up and you will gleen a lot more gold with a drywasher. Also, you can move a lot more yardage with a drywasher than a recirculating sluice. I have all the above and prefer a drywasher in the desert over anything else even in a mining area with a holding pond where I could use my high banker.

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm not against drywashing. I have never used a drywasher. It is evident that drywashing is THE desert method. And, yes, they are much better than the OLD designs... by far! My only concern was that if I'm working out of the bed of my truck, I (personally) will bring water along. (a little side note) Where is Rabbit Hole, NV? Nice place-name... how about Lick Skillet, VA? TTC

 

[Hemisteve]

Rabbit hole is about 8mi. SW of Rosebud.

 

[arizonaames]

4 miles SW of Sulphur and 30 miles NE of Rye Patch Reservoir, where you can catch Michigan walleye in NV while nugget hunting with a detector.