Dealing with roots

[NuggetN8]

I've got a creek that I go to and do really well at but the only problem I've run into is that there's tree roots pretty much all the way down the creek. I'd imagine that there would be a lot of gold in them but they're impossible to deal with! I know people say you can burn them and pan the ashes out but these are like big roots with huge masses of smaller roots clumped together an they're just glued to the bedrock. I've tried using a hatchet to chop them up but they're tough! Any ideas? There's pretty chunky gold there and I'm sure nobody's been under those roots for a while.

 

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[419GottaMinute]

Use the hatchet to detach the roots from the tree, then a big flat-head screwdriver or pry bar to get them off the bedrock. I have a 5 gallon bucket half full of water so I can beat the roots against the sides of the bucket and wash them at the same time.

All of this is hypothetical, of coarse, as I do not condone the abuse of trees ;-)

 

[Reed Lukens]

If you're dredging then blast a hole around them where they meet the water as deep as possible or where they are the biggest and then wrap a cable around a bunch of them at once and pull them out with a winch. Some break but it loosens the dirt and bedrock at the same time as it opens the cracks. Then just blow them apart with high pressure water or a pressure washer to get the gold out.

 

[NuggetN8]

If you're dredging then blast a hole around them where they meet the water as deep as possible or where they are the biggest and then wrap a cable around a bunch of them at once and pull them out with a winch. Some break but it loosens the dirt and bedrock at the same time as it opens the cracks. Then just blow them apart with high pressure water or a pressure washer to get the gold out.

I am dredging but I'm gravity dredging so it would be a little bit harder to get that pressure anywhere I needed it. I suppose I could run the hose up above where there's a 9ft waterfall then neck it down to a smaller hose and put a pressure nossle on it.. I would probably suck the creek dry though because between the waterfall and where I'm working I'd have about 20+ft of drop.. Might last long enough to do the job..

 

[Reed Lukens]

hmmm, gravity dredge with a pressure washer for a blaster... now there's an idea

 

[419GottaMinute]

Nate: did you reduce your main line from the waterfall? Think I might try my hand at gravity dredging this summer. All the info I have found online about gravity dredging is for large scale dredges, I only want to use my 2.5" . Any info is GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Goldwasher]

Hatchet, Crowbar, Bucket! Chop, Pry,Wash. Repeat

 

[NuggetN8]

Nate: did you reduce your main line from the waterfall? Think I might try my hand at gravity dredging this summer. All the info I have found online about gravity dredging is for large scale dredges, I only want to use my 2.5" . Any info is GREATLY appreciated!

I just have a 50ft length of 3 inch dredge hose at the moment because the place I'm going has a lot of drop just about everywhere. Gravity dredging is pretty fun and easy once you figure it all out. It works with about 4ft of drop but if you get about 7+ then you'll suck out a hole in no time! If the place you're going to doesn't have a lot of water and you have really good drop be ready to slap your hand on the end of it to keep it from draining your hole and sucking air or you get to restart.. If you bought 3 inch instead, what I use to plug the end of my line to fill it when I start it is a canned vegetable can with a hose clamp and it fits perfect. I also chopped one of those up for a cheap intake to keep big rocks from getting sucked up and plugging the line. Just have to open both sides with a can opener and bend the edges of one side up so it only lets stuff in less than 3 inch. (Just temporary of course.. I was a little excited to get out there and dredge when I got all the hose I needed so I scavenged the house for a quick fix) If you have a place where you can get 6 or 7+ feet of drop than you will need your sluice to be set up just like a normal dredge or prepare to lose some gold! If you get that much drop and just set the end of the hose in a normal sluice without the water hitting something before going through it will blast everything right across your box. I made this mistake and it wasn't pretty.. When I was done I only had material in the last 1/3 of my sluice.. If you have the right setup it's pretty easy and fun. Learn from my mistakes and you'll be good to go. Right now I'm fixing my setup so I can dredge again some time this week. I'm hoping that rain we got a few days ago made my creek flow a little better.. Good luck!

-N8

 

[419GottaMinute]

Nate: thank you so much. I will try it out and post my results here

 

[NuggetN8]

Nate: thank you so much. I will try it out and post my results here

Glad to help! And if you have a place with more of a gradual drop it wouldn't hurt to get more than 50ft of hose. And do NOT buy corrugated tubing I tried that first and it gets less than half the suction that you would get with smooth dredge hose. Dredge hose can be really expensive and heavy to carry around but it's worth it.

 

[oldbrundogg]

N8, if you don't mind me asking where did you get the dredge hose. I don't have much money to spend I was thinking of trying the army surplus or maybe Craig's list. This might be just a one time operation, so even if the pipe lasted for just this one job I would be happy, also my little Keene sluice isn't set up for a crash box so I would have to figure something out for that, any suggestions would be appreciated.
OBD

 

[NuggetN8]

N8, if you don't mind me asking where did you get the dredge hose. I don't have much money to spend I was thinking of trying the army surplus or maybe Craig's list. This might be just a one time operation, so even if the pipe lasted for just this one job I would be happy, also my little Keene sluice isn't set up for a crash box so I would have to figure something out for that, any suggestions would be appreciated.
OBD

I would suggest looking on eBay there's some great deals on there if you find the right one.

 

[NuggetN8]

Or you could borrow it from someone. If you're only going to use it once than I don't think it matters where you buy it from it may not be worth the money.

 

[oldbrundogg]

Are you talking hundreds of dollars for maybe 100ft, not really sure how to use eBay but I'm sure one of the kids knows.

Thank you very much for the input N8 !
OBD

 

[NuggetN8]

Are you talking hundreds of dollars for maybe 100ft, not really sure how to use eBay but I'm sure one of the kids knows.

Thank you very much for the input N8 !
OBD

The best deal I see on there right now is $60 for a 20ft length so you would need to get quite a few and link them together for 100ft. Might want to try Craigslist too could be a better deal there.

 

[Fullpan]

I've got a creek that I go to and do really well at but the only problem I've run into is that there's tree roots pretty much all the way down the creek. I'd imagine that there would be a lot of gold in them but they're impossible to deal with! I know people say you can burn them and pan the ashes out but these are like big roots with huge masses of smaller roots clumped together an they're just glued to the bedrock. I've tried using a hatchet to chop them up but they're tough! Any ideas? There's pretty chunky gold there and I'm sure nobody's been under those roots for a while.

As for tree roots - I bought one of those flexible, finger rings on both ends, kind of hand saws you slip under the root and see-saw through the smaller (3''?)
roots - laid it down and lost it first weekend. Don't know if they make a more commercial, robust model, but I felt the concept was good.

 

[419GottaMinute]

Those saws are more for pvc, string saw or cable saw I think they are called

 

[KevinInColorado]

Speaking of PVC, that would be another good gravity dredge pipe choice at $1.50/foot...a straight run will give the best pressure of all where you can do that.

 

[NuggetN8]

Speaking of PVC, that would be another good gravity dredge pipe choice at $1.50/foot...a straight run will give the best pressure of all where you can do that.

Yeah it would be a good choice if you had a claim or something where you could just glue it together and leave it there. It wouldn't be too fun taking it out every time you leave. Hose is easy just roll it up and go.

 

[419GottaMinute]

Factory bell ends should seal well enough for suction...