12 INCH TROMMEL BUILD

[SLNugget]

Nice build, AZ. I am late to this party, but would recommend putting slots in your spray bar instead of so many small holes. The issue my partner and I have with our recirculating reverse helix trommel is the vegatation in the material run through the trommel trying to plug stuff up. And ours already has the slots in it. It is only a problem if we forget to check the paint strainer we use on the end of the transfer tube from the outflow tub into the tub containing the pump assy. The strainer sometimes fills with material and comes off the end of the tube flooding the entire sys with trash. Definitely need a clean out plug on the spray bar as silt will also cause minor issues. We are digging near Wickenburg now, but I am wanting to come down to the Greaterville area sometime soon to check it out

Stan

 

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[AzViper]

Nice build, AZ. I am late to this party, but would recommend putting slots in your spray bar instead of so many small holes. The issue my partner and I have with our recirculating reverse helix trommel is the vegatation in the material run through the trommel trying to plug stuff up. And ours already has the slots in it. It is only a problem if we forget to check the paint strainer we use on the end of the transfer tube from the outflow tub into the tub containing the pump assy. The strainer sometimes fills with material and comes off the end of the tube flooding the entire sys with trash. Definitely need a clean out plug on the spray bar as silt will also cause minor issues. We are digging near Wickenburg now, but I am wanting to come down to the Greaterville area sometime soon to check it out.

Stan

Stan,

Most likely those holes will be opened up in the spray bar. I will have to see how much flow I have and the pressure of the water coming from the spray bar before I make a decision. Each end of the bar will have a clean out. I do have a plan to contain the crap from entering the pump and clogging up the holes. The pump will sit within a 15 gallon barrel of which this barrel will sit within another 30 gallon barrel. The 15 gallon barrel will have 2" holes drilled around the perimeter of the barrel near the middle. A very fine stainless steel screen will slide over the 15 gallon barrel covering the 2" holes. The top of the 15 gallon barrel will be higher than the 30 gallon barrel so the water will have to pass through the 2" holes to keep the pump submerged in water. This 30 gallon barrel will be at the end of a triple barrel system that siphoning from barrel to barrel. At the end of the sluice will be a 100 gallon Rubber Maid trough a buddy gave me. Within this trough will be a 5 gallon bucket catching the crap from the sluice that will have to be pulled and dumped as it fills up. That's the plan for right now, but like most plans they need to be fine tuned as its a work in progress.

Keith

 

[AzViper]

I finished up my sluice box as for cutting the mats. I still need to install the three round tubes one on each end and one in the middle to beef up the sides of the sluice. I also need to build a stand with adjustable legs.

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[AzViper]

Using schedule 80 T fittings so I can have cleanouts at each end of the spray bar. Got to pick some # 8 bolts, washers, and nylon lock nuts to replace the non harden bolts I used during the build so everything is ready to go when the trommel goes in to production.

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[AzViper]

Dropped off the cylinder to have the shop re-roll the cylinder to true the cylinder back in shape. The guy in the shop had issues with whom had rolled it in the first place. He tried to re-roll it but could never get the slight egg-shape out. He told me that what should have been done from the beginning was to roll the first 3 inches and the last 3 inches first then roll the entire piece of metal. This is not some fly by night shop as I got to take a tour of this 10 acre complex. I was shown the CNC laser room, the CNC punch room, etc. So what the shop is going to do for me is cut three rings the same inside diameter of the sprocket so I can position the two rings just inside of the wheels at each end and a ring in the center. This will true up the area where the wheels ride and the center ring will also true up the center area but also gives me a an area to place my bushings to keep the trommel from walking. To me I think it would have been cheaper for the shop to re-roll the cylinder instead of using this Nitrogen Laser that is very expensive to operate.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Glad they designed a good solution for you anyhow!

 

[AzViper]

Glad they designed a good solution for you anyhow!

Kevin it will all work out. The guy in the shop said the problem with re-rolling the cylinder is getting the pressure correctly after the metal has been welded. He said he could have easily distroyed the cylinder by applying more pressure. The problem all started at the beginning as the shop foreman had no clue the nature of the cylinder as the person I had talked to did not convey how important it was in getting the cylinder round. Then the shop foreman handed the job over to someone who did not know the equipment well. Jobs such as these most of the time they do not except, I got them to roll the metal because they do lots of work for the company I work for.

 

[AzViper]

In building my triple tank to recirculate water for my Trommel / Sluice it’s important I keep the water going into the spray bar free of debris. The idea to draw the water into the inner 15 gallon barrel through the two inch holes below the water line so it’s free of floating leaves, sticks, etc. These two inch holes will cut around the circumference of the barrel and will be covers with a removable screen that slides over the barrel. The 15 gallon barrel needs to be tall so water does not flow over the top into the inner barrel. The siphon tubes need to draw the water from the middle of the barrels as well so it’s away from the floating debris. The 5 gallon bucket under the Sluice Box will collect the dirt and rock that’s discharged from the Sluice. At the end of the discharge end of the Trommel will be a wheel barrel to haul the ½” and bigger rock to dump. It will all be checked with a MD for larger gold.

This is my 15 gallon barrel. Still need to cut the two inch holes and make the screen.

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[elgatodelnoche]

Congrats on a great build and my prayers and thoughts go out to your brother.

 

[SLNugget]

You certainly do nice work, Keith. R U going to have a manifolded water line connected to the sluice to increase flow/volume over the GH mats? Or do U feel there will be enough flow and volume with just the water from the spray bar?

 

[AzViper]

You certainly do nice work, Keith. R U going to have a manifolded water line connected to the sluice to increase flow/volume over the GH mats? Or do U feel there will be enough flow and volume with just the water from the spray bar?

Great question as I do not know until I have it all together. The GH mats needs lots of water. Will not know until its running, but that option can easily be addressed. The pump has an output of 8000gph but its being necked down so I need to watch the amps on the motor and will adjust the spray bar holes accordingly for flow/pressure to keep the amps in check.

 

[AzViper]

Congrats on a great build and my prayers and thoughts go out to your brother.

Thank you. My brother is doing better. His prognoses is still unknown until he has his next PET scan. He is eating and slowly gaining some weight and strength but still very weak from the Chemo and Radiation and having lost 45 pounds.

 

[AzViper]

Decided to test the pump that will be used on the trommel / Sluice. The barrel holds 11 gallons with the pump inside. The pump took 5.5 seconds to drain the barrel. After I was done testing I drilled the twelve 2 inch holes that will have a screen over the holes.

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[goldenIrishman]

Keith... It looks like you opened up the fire plug on the corner in that video! you should have great flow with that thing for sure! How much longer before we see ya back out in the field man? Good chance that I'll be heading out there next week for the entire week. Barry has some friends that are heading out that way and staying at the camp for a couple of days.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Looks great Azviper, can't wait to see it in action.

 

[AzViper]

I do not think those siphon tubes will do what you are expecting.

Sure they will Jcaz. We are already siphoning water in a three tank system in my buddy's sluice and it works so much better than having a pipe between the tanks because in that system the water is skimming the top water. This will just be on a larger scale using 4" siphon pipes to keep up with the flow of the pump. Until the entire system is up and running I am sure some adjustments will need to be made. I may have to put a diversion tube from the pump back into the tank due to the flow from the pump to keep the amps down and not go over the FLA of the pump.

Plus on a siphoning system we do not have to worry about getting tanks level as the system is self leveling using the siphon method.

Looks great Azviper, can't wait to see it in action.

Thanks... I hope to get it done soon but with me building everything its taking me time of which I am limited on time with everything else going on.

 

[AzViper]

Keith... It looks like you opened up the fire plug on the corner in that video! you should have great flow with that thing for sure! How much longer before we see ya back out in the field man? Good chance that I'll be heading out there next week for the entire week. Barry has some friends that are heading out that way and staying at the camp for a couple of days.

Jeff with what's going on with my brother of which just dropped another bombshell on me minutes ago I have got to get these 10 custom chairs that match the poker table I built for a friend done. Been putting them off cause she was going through a complete remodel of her home. Its now complete and I have got to get the chairs done.

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[Sample Pan Dan]

Nice chair, Viper! I'd love to see the poker table.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

You're right there are pics on first page. Beautiful, very impressed!

 

[Doitlaynstyle]

AZ, I picked up 2 thats right 2, 5-hp rototillers for $60 this weekend. Have you ever looked at the gearboxes on those? See where I am going with this.......