Bazooka seems the best but can it be improved?!

[Master-Peter]

Rocks, sticks, moss and roots can be used to make a great dam. Less weight to carry, nothing to lose or break!

Thanks for the pictures, and you are right! But ... rocks and sticks can break, and do not seal like a plastictarp. For moss and roots one has to "damage" some nature and risks to be ****ed by any treehugger passing by.

I like your idea on the holes

... heared that several times before (but) from the ladies ... (and could not resist ....)

 

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[Master-Peter]

Regarding the trap design ....

After all the discussion so far I currently think to make the trap straight and about 8" wide and 12" long. I think about a tray design with adjustable chambers to have the chance to play with single trap vs double trap vs triple trap (even if I dont expect to much gain from last). But I expect that running a 6"/4"/2" combination vs a 3"/3"/3" vs 2"/4"6" vs 6"/6" and 8"/4" vs 4"/8" vs 12" combination might bring some interesting results. (I wished one of you guys would do this on rich ground... just for the science)

For the sake of science I'd double run some 20 gal dirt into a safety bucket (to make sure there is no gold anymore) than add some known weight of gold to these tailings and rerun all. Than measure the traps seperate. That should give a good point what settles where in what percentage. Afterwards mix all together for the next setup and rerun. Afaik this has not been done before but should add a lot to our knowledge.

I know, that some might say this effort is not worth the gain. But imagine, if one makes "only" 1oz gold out of a sluice in its lifetime and gains only 1% more (for the same effort in shoveling), how would this compare to a 2,-- $ price tag for a additional divider in the right place? Now what would be about a kg then? We'll never collect all but 1% can be real money even on the small, but in any case on the larger scale. And who would buy a +200$ sluice hoping for "only" 1oz in its lifetime?

For the tubes I think 4 * 1" should give more than average agitation in the fluid beds.

Any comments or suggestions?

 

[Goldwasher]

Using moss and roots is not destroying anything?....Standing up to someone who says you are is doing something.......
I build these boxes and use them several times a week. Spending time with them in the field vs. trying to improve the design will net you more gold in the long run!!!!

Like kevin has said THINK LESS SHOVEL MORE!!!!!!!!!!
The way the trap and tube holes are designed is to keep the trap fluid with out scouring. Holes on the side or in a spiral will actually prevent fluidization....
You guys can argue and tinker all you want... I just want to point out that I know the inventor( re-designer if you will owner of the patent) I know the bazooka inside and out literally.... I would be careful of making too many " improvements"
Funny thing now that we have seen about 8 homemade boxes in person.....we tend to sell a box to anyone who has built their own once they see a factory model in the water.

 

[johnedoe]

Using moos and roots is not destroying anything?....Standing up to someone who says you are is doing something.......
I build these boxes and use them several times a week. Spending time with them in the field vs. trying to improve the design will net you more gold in the long run!!!!

Like kevin has said THINK LESS SHOVEL MORE!!!!!!!!!!
The way the trap and tube holes are designed is to keep the trap fluid with out scouring. Holes on the side or in a spiral will actually prevent fluidization....
You guys can argue and tinker all you want... I just want to point out that I know the inventor( re-designer if you will owner of the patent) I know the bazooka inside and out literally.... I would be careful of making too many " improvements"
Funny thing now that we have seen about 8 homemade boxes in person.....we tend to sell a box to anyone who has built their own once they see a factory model in the water.

Finally!....... Now can we close this thread and start shoveling more and thinking less.........

 

[Goodyguy]

Fig. From original patent ..........
*NOTE that the hole position is horizontal and there is no uphill grizzly.

(Double click diagram to enlarge)





There is always a better mousetrap just waiting to be invented......
There are over 4,000 mousetrap patents currently with 400 or so new ideas submitted each year.
CLICK HERE

 

[Master-Peter]

Using moos and roots is not destroying anything?....Standing up to someone who says you are is doing something.......

I don't say they're right, but where I come from, every tree has its own hugger, just wating for someone they can give **** to. But I noticed from the dredge discussions they made it over the Atlantic recently.

I build these boxes and use them several times a week. Spending time with them in the field vs. trying to improve the design will net you more gold in the long run!!!!

You are right with that. I wished I could too ... maybe after retirement.

Like kevin has said THINK LESS SHOVEL MORE!!!!!!!!!!

I love the thinking part. Especially understanding why things work the way they do is for me far more enjoyable then just using a black box.

The way the trap and tube holes are designed is to keep the trap fluid with out scouring. Holes on the side or in a spiral will actually prevent fluidization....
You guys can argue and tinker all you want... I just want to point out that I know the inventor( re-designer if you will owner of the patent) I know the bazooka inside and out literally.... I would be careful of making too many " improvements"

Funny thing now that we have seen about 8 homemade boxes in person.....we tend to sell a box to anyone who has built their own once they see a factory model in the water.

That sounds like some improvements went wrong, or some built without understanding the concept. Should make you lucky ;-)

Finally!....... Now can we close this thread and start shoveling more and thinking less.........

As I said ... I like the thinking and understanding part ...

 

[Master-Peter]

Fig. From original patent ..........
(Double click diagram to enlarge)


View attachment 1152496


There is always a better mousetrap just waiting to be invented......
CLICK HERE

I like this one. Unfortunately someone reinvented that thing.

 

[allenkeeton]

I like this one. Unfortunately someone reinvented that thing.
View attachment 1152510

you posted the same one i was gonna post. yeah, that one is definitely the funniest and probably most effective.

 

[Master-Peter]

you posted the same one i was gonna post. yeah, that one is definitely the funniest and probably most effective.

Effective only if one takes the effort to teach the suicide-rat before, that it must push the prey instead of pulling . So even a patent leaves room for improvement.
If I find no gold where I live, I might work on this rat trap and become rich that way.

 

[Goodyguy]

Back to the original question of whether the Bazooka can be improved. Probably slightly. But really the Bazooka does a fine job just the way it is and the old adage of "if it aint broke dont fix it" applies.

I have been accused of having the motto of "If it aint broke fix it anyway" and to tell the truth I have been known to fix an unbroken item until it was completely useless.

So my advice is to take Goldwashers advice to heart and follow Kevin's advice of "Think less, Shovel more" and remember my take on the Bazooka is "No Classifying, No Riffles, No Mats, No Worries, Just Gold"

But if you are like me and love to tinker then be prepared to accept the consequences both good or bad. So far I'm way ahead in the good idea vs bad idea category and will continue to innovate and try to improve upon any and all mining, and prospecting equipment that I deem suitable to re invent the wheel upon.

I just cant help myself it's in my blood, I've been a tinkerer all my life.

Go for the gold,
GG~

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

Removable fluid bed:

 

[Master-Peter]

What ABS to use?!

When looking for ABS sheets I found 2 different surfaces. Any thoughts or experiences on that?

smooth surface

roughed surface

Thanks
Peter

 

[KevinInColorado]

The rough surface makes a great skid plate. I'd use the slick surface for everything else.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Master Peter, any progress on your zooka build?

 

[russau]

All of the ABS comes like that! atleast all of the material that ive bought.

 

[Master-Peter]

Master Peter, any progress on your zooka build?

Funny you ask right now, Dave. I'm just starting the project again. I was to busy giving scuba courses over the summer, so no progress so far. Some days ago I got out my notes and decided it's time now to give it a go. Diving season here nearly ended and I'd like to try my own built before snow. So something will happen soon - I think.

All of the ABS comes like that! atleast all of the material that ive bought.

Here they offer both. They say that the rough ones are a ASA/ABS combination and are more weather resistant than ABS only.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

OK, but let us know how things progress. Winter is going to be tough to run the sluice in the water in the Hannover area, I would think, so I hope you get it finished before the weather makes it too hard to use it.

But since I think there's not much gold in that area, are you planning to take it to the Harz Mountains to see how well it catches gold? Winter probably locks that area in pretty good, too. I had German friends who would go near Salzburg (but still in Germany) in the winter because there was no one (tourists) around in winter. Then they would sluice and pan for gold. That is a long way from Hannover.

 

[Master-Peter]

Of course I'll do. There might be some ideas, questions or mis-/conceptions coming up in the making. I'll share that experience.
I will probably not run the sluice in the Hannover area. The country is so flat here that you can see tomorrows guest today.

My target are the Harz Mountains where I was raised. I recently came across some old survey stating that gold has been proved in some creeks I used to collect mushrooms at in my younger days. For sure not much, but gold proven waters to get a sluice running.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Of course I'll do. There might be some ideas, questions or mis-/conceptions coming up in the making. I'll share that experience.
I will probably not run the sluice in the Hannover area. The country is so flat here that you can see tomorrows guest today.

My target are the Harz Mountains where I was raised. I recently came across some old survey stating that gold has been proved in some creeks I used to collect mushrooms at in my younger days. For sure not much, but gold proven waters to get a sluice running.

Go for it!!

 

[triple d]

If you want to improve the Bazooka. Only way buy two. To match the conditions. I did makes things so much easier.