Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 5, 2012 12:57:44 GMT 10
Tried it out at the back of my mates place , used a small generator for power. Defiantly need to do away with those internal mixing bars but need some sort of agitator in the bowl like a bit of thick chain that can be unhooked for the final set ling of the heavies . We ran it through the small high-banker in the photo just by bucketing some extra water , wish the mixer was a hand powered job as the whole process could then be non power assisted . Dirt was gold poor , not worth showing the lousy return  Bobby.  |
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Post by rc62burke on Mar 5, 2012 19:07:41 GMT 10
Hi Bobby
Hope it all works out for you, just a tip on what I see in the photo,
I think you have to much angle on the lower part of your sluice, it should be about 1" fall for every 1' in sluice length & play with from that starting point.
cheers
Lee
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Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 5, 2012 19:26:39 GMT 10
Hi Bobby Hope it all works out for you, just a tip on what I see in the photo, I think you have to much angle on the lower part of your sluice, it should be about 1" fall for every 1' in sluice length & play with from that starting point. cheers Lee Thanks for the advice , that's Arthur & his sluice in the pic , I've questioned him before on that angle & his comment was stuff the tiny bits  I kinda like his detecting style better , the bloke can go all day when its over 40c in the shade ! bugger that  Bobby. |
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Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 5, 2012 20:00:15 GMT 10
Another pic of Arthur , see the dirt in the tub at front .  |
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Post by donnybrook on Mar 6, 2012 9:58:52 GMT 10
Bobby,
Perhaps if you removed the lifters you could insert a wire cage inside something similar to trommel mesh, it woud break up the clay and sort the larger sized rock materials and in much the same way as a trommel does hold back any larger precious PM's. Just a thought.
donnybrook
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Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 6, 2012 14:40:59 GMT 10
Bobby, Perhaps if you removed the lifters you could insert a wire cage inside something similar to trommel mesh, it woud break up the clay and sort the larger sized rock materials and in much the same way as a trommel does hold back any larger precious PM's. Just a thought. donnybrook Not a bad idea Don , the hard part would be fitting it into the bowl shape for easy removal ? |
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Post by rc62burke on Mar 6, 2012 14:56:57 GMT 10
Bobby, Perhaps if you removed the lifters you could insert a wire cage inside something similar to trommel mesh, it woud break up the clay and sort the larger sized rock materials and in much the same way as a trommel does hold back any larger precious PM's. Just a thought. donnybrook That's a damn fine idea, I think the best way to fit it would be to make it the same as the opening as the mixer & make it a straight cylinder, bolt or better clip it to the front lip, the free space in the bowl would be where you catch the classified stuff. cheers Lee |
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Post by donnybrook on Mar 6, 2012 15:21:40 GMT 10
Bobby,
Make it the same size as the front opening as Lee also suggests. That would leave a wider bowl space at the bottom to retain the heavies. Make some flat plate staples and wing nut them to the drum and mesh. It should work like a charm. Innovation. All prospectors seem to have an incredible ability to design things.
donnybrook
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Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 6, 2012 19:57:19 GMT 10
Good ideas Lee & Don , The original idea was to concentrate down large amounts of dirt fast & use as little water as possible . I was then just going to tip the mixer to remove the top layer of rocks & lighter material but a internal cage that works on slides may be the quickest way to dump out the rocks ? those rocks work as agitators to break down clays before being discarded  so they are part of the whole process . Now there has got to be a better way to get rid of the top layers of washed dirt then just tipping it out  I need to do some thinking about how to do that with one smooth action  Bobby. |
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Post by donnybrook on Mar 6, 2012 21:08:14 GMT 10
Bobby its a pity you could not reverse the motor when required just like a concrete mixer does.When they put it in reverse it discharges the concrete. They have spirals inside. It could be done with two pieces of angle iron if reversal was possible (they would also be lifters as in a trommel) but the only other way would be to clean the wire cage. However if you tilted the drum when running it might do the same thing and discharge.Water is important as is the case with a gold pan. The material must be kept sufficiently fluid to enable your gold in a the pan to bottom.
donnybrook
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Post by numbnuts on Mar 7, 2012 7:13:55 GMT 10
This my two bobs worth and it works for me ,cut the paddles out of the mixer and get the bowl as smooth as possible,no sharp edges from the paddles,once you get that sorted you then put a bowling ball in ,or a couple of bowls balls and run it like a mini ball mill,just keep adding dirt and water,you can run it this way for a fair time depending on the amount of rocks that build up ,you don't loose gold,drain and classify your material and start again ,cheers
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Post by donnybrook on Mar 7, 2012 14:05:29 GMT 10
Hello numbnuts,
The trouble with all is going to be clay and getting material down to size. Balls bowling or ceramic in a rotating mill are great. I have used grinders which flattened to gold and then a table using a Wilfley and you cannot get all values. The materials need to be seperated from the parent material (matrix) unless you are only after yellow. I use a small hammer mill. Clay and rocks will carry the material forward and out of the drum. Gold needs its own space (the back of the bowl). It needs something to remove surface tension such as detergent , or oxalic acid and hence fall. Its needs fluidity. Thats why we mesh before panning. Again only my opinion but I have taken Bobby's concept on board and will develop something similar in future years. Clay is called sticky (S) crap and the forum will say poop. A problem for all prospectors historically unless you are a baker and want to add some raisins to the bread or scones you are mixing up.
Sorry mate I disagree.
donnybrook
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Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 7, 2012 15:42:21 GMT 10
Thanks guys for all the input , first off I'm going to get a old mixer & remove all the lifter bars , this may be a bit hard to do with a grinder through the hole so might have to cut the bowl down then weld it back . There are plenty of rocks mixed with the gold dirt so will see how they go at breaking down clays etc .. before making a cage . or doing other stuff to it . As Don said give it a squirt of detergent each mix then after the right amount of rotations lower the mixer to the horizontal & let it throw out most of the material before lowering it to get the heavies from the lowest point of the bowl  It this works I'll be happy ;D if not then will do other modifications until it does ! Also I'd like to be able to attach a wheel to the shaft to make it hand operated by just slipping off the belt to the motor , two reasons for this :- 1. To cover the day when all power assisted forms of fossicking are banned  2. And the main reason so I can keep going when something breaks down Have Fun Bobby. |
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Bobby
Super Sluicer
Posts: 316
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Post by Bobby on Mar 7, 2012 16:55:28 GMT 10
Plenty of these rocks in the dirt ;D  |
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Post by donnybrook on Mar 7, 2012 17:24:42 GMT 10
Bobby,
Lots of good (good good gold) gold Sulphides there. Take your time Bobby. A lot of gold is salt and pepper.
donnybrook
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