noob tryin to build a dredge and or highbanker

[SCBUZZ]

Hey guys. Yep you got it I'm pretty much a noob. My son and I have a year under our belt of looking every where but where we need to. But that just changed. We found our first gold weekend b4 last in Northern GA , and we found more this past weekend in Western NC. My son and I and another SC prospector that turned me on to this site named Astrobouncer met @ thermal city and sluiced for about 8hrs this past weekend and found about double what we did in Northern GA. All total about 20 small flakes.

Now on to the new question. My son and I would love to build a dredge and or highbanker. Money is tight and I have to do it on the cheep. I just bought a 2.5 horse clean water pump that pumps about 60 gal per minhttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98013 from harbor freight for $129 bucks on sale. Got 2 year warrante with it. I know its off brand but if it tares up I got 2 years to keep taken it back. I need to know if this will be OK and if so what else I need and where can i buy it on the cheep. Got a kid in collage and tryin to pay the house off so money is a big object.

We have also built pretty much our on highbanker set up I think we got all that stuff together . We have a keen 4 ft sluice and we made the box from a heavy gage plastic storage bin from Lowe's that cost like $16.00 and then ran PVC to it and connected a hose fitting to it that works on same connection as our blue bowl. The grizzly was an old grill grate and a new grate cover that my son bought that cost like $6.00 . All together we got like $60 for the box and grizzlys and $10 in plumbing and $120.00 in the sluice.

Thanks ahead of time for the help. This site has been a great support and resource hope to meet ya all on the river at some point.

 

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[Astrobouncer]

Hey fellas help Buzz out if you can, hes a great guy.

I was hoping someone here with more knowledge on building a dredge then me could chime in and tell Buzz what all is needed. Kinda like a check list.

The things I can think of that you would need that you dont already have would be :

A frame (aluminum preferably, probably pretty easy to fabricate this)
some kind of flotation devices (maybe tires or some kinda water barrels/plastic jugs filled with air)
a small motor ( I dont know what size they use though)
a crash box for the sluice you already have, easily made out of wood or aluminum.
Suction/pressure hosing (might have to special order this)
Air compressor for deeper water (not sure if you need this really).

 

[SCBUZZ]

Yea that is what I was looking for. The pump and motor I have . If that is it is the correct one and will work for this? I have seen some pictures of some home made dredges but I have never seen one in person. I have the sluice and the pump like I said if it is the correct type. Just thought someone one that frequents this forum may have built one . I'm not looking for hand outs. I just need the knowledge.

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Hey Buzz, I am a noob too. Just about a year and a half in and have collected about a gram of good yellow gold. First off, when getting serious about making your own equipment for cheap, which I have. Is to build your own tools. They make all the difference in the world. Some tools you simply have to buy, rivet gun, drills, clamps, snips etc. Google homemade sheet metal brake. There are some easy to understand instructions on how to build one. This will bend sheet aluminum for you. As far as making a unit, whether it be a drywasher, highbanker or dredge....the easiest way is to find someone that will lend you one for a week to allow you to reverse engineer. I belong to a local prospecting club and found a nice gentleman that let me borrow his drywasher and built this machine here: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,315547.0.html
What is nice about having the equipment right in front of you, verses a set of build plans is that you can see it, measure it, understand it and basically copy it. The right tools are absolutely necessary. So, work on those first. Best of luck

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Just wanted to add, if you have a local prospecting club available to you, join it. I believe joining my club was one of my better decisions. HH

 

[SCBUZZ]

Thanks and yes they are. We have done some self work already. And I have some of those tools . Thought about making a freestanding dredge until I can get or make the floats. Just wandering what would work good for legs.

 

[Jack Hamilton]

I wonder that too. I frequent the local recycle yard weekly looking for odd parts. I have seen sluice boxes with legs that have a thumb screw adjustment that will let you set your pitch and level your sluice. That may work, but with a dredge I'd think you would want floats so you can pull the unit around with you. There was a guy who made a nice homemade dredge here on the forums, but I cant remember his name. In saw his thread soon after joining here about a year ago. Ames? He is from AZ. Might try using the search feature here, with keywords "homemade dredge". He used empty soda canisters 10-15 gallon? Where he got them? Gonna have to find his thread. He did a real nice job though and may be able to provide you with help if you were to pm him. again...best of luck, and do share pics along the way and when you finish. I'd like to make one myself even though dredging is now outlawed in CA.

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Found it for ya Here is ArizonaAmes homemade dredge. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,229054.0.html

 

[warsawdaddy]

You might also find some plans here.

http://prospecting.50webs.com/1prospecting.html

 

[SCBUZZ]

Thanks for those posts very very helpful. I got somethin to shoot for now.

 

[SCBUZZ]

Just an update . I found a place that sells the 30 gallon drums and I found a frame that only weighs like 30 lbs that with a lil TLC will I think be the basis for the dreginator .

Another question I have is do I need to have another set of riffles made for my 4 foot keen sluice box . It's set up as a sluice and I have read that there riffles are diff than dredge riffles . Anyone got ideas or pics on something I can use to make my on interchangeable set for my keen?

 

[SCBUZZ]

It's a keen 4 foot sluice . the $140.00 one. Just using what I have till I can do better.

 

[AV8R]

It's a keen 4 foot sluice . the $140.00 one. Just using what I have till I can do better.

This is the sluice I have, too (Keene A52). I'm looking to build a highbanker / 2 inch dredge combo with this.

Buying a pre-assembled crashbox or combo box will run $280 plus shipping. NOT gonna happen for me since I am dropping a lot on an engine and pump (I'm leaning towards the Honda powered pump.) So, I want to make my own box, spray bar, and support legs.

Do y'all have any opinions on if I should made a combo box, or two separate boxes (one for dredging, one for HB)?
What's the best (and cheapest) option for support legs?

Also, I was thinking of making a couple different size dredge nozzles out of PVC like this guy made: http://www.creekscavenger.com/dredge.html



Buzz, I'm in Dawson County Georgia. If you want to get together and brain storm (more like "light sprinkle" in my case ) just let me know.

 

[SCBUZZ]

I will post some pics when we get more of the work done. I think I have even better idea , thought of by my son. Maybe by next weekend. I will have some more for you guys to look at. Depends on work . 12hrs day leaves lil time for fun.

 

[SCBUZZ]

Need more help with this b4 I start spending money for hose and heads and connectors . My pump is a 2.5hp 550gal a min pump. What would be the best hose size for my set up? 3inch or 2 inch?

 

[Sierra Sam]

Home made Highbanker

Made from old road signs, a plastic planter box with old BBQ grill grizzly and hollywood bed frame. Comprised of three - 11 in by 3 ft sections, with the addition of a two foot funnel, it can also be assembled as an 11ft long tom.

With grizzly made from leg sections of broken road barricades.

Water supplied by a small Honda 1" pump

The most difficult part of the project was bending 1/8" aluminum sign substrate to 90 degree channels by hand. Not a task I recommend. Find someone with a break. Or, of course, use store bought sluices.

 

[SCBUZZ]

Thanks for the ideas and welcome to TreasureNet Sam.

 

[extractor]

Way good thread!

 

[Astrobouncer]

I like that custom setup, Sam. Looks like you could run a whole lot of material through that before having to worry about a cleanup.

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Thats an awsome highbanker Sam I think I will make a couple more sections for my sluice so it can be used for various things. Did you bend your sign metal on a brake?