Bazooka Setup Questions

[Capricorn]

OK, so I got a chance to take out my new Bazooka prospector (36") this weekend, and I was surprised at the problems I had with it. The creek I was in had plenty of water, so I don't think the flow was an issue. First off, it wants to pop up and float away. This hasn't been an issue with my traditional sluice, its got bars to put a rock on and keep it in place. But the bazooka is like 8 or 9 inches deep and needs to be pretty much fully submerged. This proved to be difficult to setup. I had to pile a lot of rocks around and over it.... So after getting that worked out, I worked to find an angle with the flow that would clear the rocks. I eventually sorta got it working, but still had to clear them by hand every scoop, or maybe every other at most. Should it be self clearing the rocks easier? Then on top of that, I wasn't really convinced the fluid trap was working as intended. I could stick my finger into the trap, but it wasn't exactly 'fluid'. After about 45 minutes of shoveling it definitely seemed to have locked up on one side. When I got my concentrates home I ran them over my Angus Mackirk then panned them. No gold, very very little black sands at all, like almost none. Now I was in a new area, so I can't comment about how much gold I was expecting to see, but it is a productive spot for some people, so I was expecting to see some form of color. I did do some test pans before I setup, and had found a flake in the area I was digging in. Most of the cons seemed to be blond sands and there were a lot of bb sized rocks. Since I was underwhelmed with the fluid bed performance, I started examining the tubes in the fluid bed. I can't feel any holes on the bottom, or see any. But I also can't reach all the way around the tubes. For other Bazooka owners, can you see or feel the holes in the tubes in the trap? I'm really not sure how I set it up wrong, I think maybe a steeper angle might help the gravels clearing, but I don't think it would have done much more to help the fluid trap section out.. Anyone have any ideas? Questions? Similar or different experiences? I've heard so many good things about these sluices, with very little negatives being discussed, so I had high expectations I guess..

 

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[Capricorn]

The flow looked very similar to this video (not my video, just an example):



But the rocks did not clear like that at all. Too little flow over the top? Not enough angle? I'm thinking that I could have used more angle, it was hard to get a rock pile built up to hold the sluice and have a good angle.

 

[arizau]

One of these and a flashlight should work to inspect the holes. https://www.google.com/webhp?source...S513&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=mechanics mirror

 

[Aufisher]

Send us a picture of your sluice running so can make suggestions. Good choice on the 36" much gold ahead my friend.

 

[Honkey3k]

It sounds like you do not have enough drop and you aren't running enough water. Play with both of those over time and you'll find the perfect balance. If getting the 8" of depth that the bazooka requires is a challenge then you may be in the wrong part of the creek...

 

[Capricorn]

The reason that it was a challenge to get it deep enough was because it wanted to float up.

It will probably be a bit before I get back to the deposit I bought it for, but I may be able to prospect a creek next weekend, and if I just want to figure it out, I suppose I can try it out in the creek out back, I've just never found gold in it, so I don't typical want to spend time there

I wish I would have stopped to take a quick video last weekend ;p

Thanks for the feedback all. I still plan to slip a mirror in the box to inspect the holes though

 

[Skiddum]

Hey there. if you look up bazooka sluice modification on you tube you'll find some different Ideas. but the hole floating up thing isn't new. and now you know how to stop it. 1 guys used Brass strap and put on the sides of his bazooka just so he could put rocks on the straps to hold it down.
The other thing is. this is the advice I was given. and the hole mirror thing I don't think it'll work just cause you won't be able to see the tubes. so heres the advice I was given. Build a dam and run it fast and steep. fast enough that the big rocks clear and steep enough to fluidize the trap. don't be afraid to run it that way.

 

[Skiddum]

the more you play with this guy the more you'll become familiar with it. the only real way to know if you have enough of both drop and flow to fluidize the trap is buy running material in it and feel the trap up. doesn't have to be stuff you think has gold in it just material. then once the trap is full stick you finger in it. if your finger goes to the bottom easily then you got it. if not then you need more flow. cause all the materials in the trap should be suspended.

Watch "Looking for Gold - Episode 6 - Bazooka Gold Trap Sluice - Part 1" on YouTube
Looking for Gold - Episode 6 - Bazooka Gold Trap Sluice - Part 1: https://youtu.be/IlKmPslbKe4

this is my favorite video to show people just because he explains the way bazooka works really well and he he shows it. about 10 minutes in he shows how the trap is suspended. he built a little home model so yeah hope you have fun and find lots of gold

 

[justinfisch01]

One thing I did to my Bazooka last season was attach pieces of flexible copper pipe strapping to each side...I did have to drill a hole on either side to screw it on but it was no big deal. So when I put my bazooka in the creek I can then put a rock on each of the straps and it holds in place. Two rocks and I am done. Its a pain to build a dam to wedge the thing in between. Plus I can fold the pieces of pipe strap up against the body of my super mini and put it right in my backpack.

 

[Skiddum]

Nice. Ive found that a dam at least a little 1 around it really helps the water flow

 

[Goldwasher]

Just plop a big rock on it where you want it set up. One that will hold it down. Don't worry about damaging it a 90 lb rock wouldn't be to much. Set up the rest of whatever dam you need. Make sure you have drop. you can run pretty flat with fast water but, drop + good flow is perfect. If you put the sluice in the water and water comes out of the trap before the water even runs over the top deck...well the tubes are working....If you pick up your box and tip it water comes out of the trap the tubes are working.

If you purchased a sluice box....its black shaped like no other sluice you've used...if it has a metal tag on the side that says BAZOOKA on it...well, guess what THE TUBES WORK!!!!!!!!!
I promise you don't need a flashlight to help it work any better!!

 

[Capricorn]

Well I just keep working at it I guess. I could probably have used more drop it sounds like. I did stick my finger in the trap, and while it didn't seem totally fluid, I could still move it around and stick it down to the bottom, so it didn't seem 100% locked up either. To satisfy my own curiosity I did use a mirror to look at the holes in the tubes, they are there! hehe, probably about 1/4" diameter close to the end of the sluice, and 1/8" towards the grizzly's. Anyway, I really wanna get this working right, I know of a good deposit in a gravel bar that I can setup right next to and just shovel directly, so when I get it going I should be able to capture some real good gold.

 

[Capricorn]

One question, I see people talking about having gravel in the trap. Are folks adding larger gravel pieces into the trap out the exit port?

 

[vaquero44]

I had issues with the rear of raising up in the back too I got 2 hinge locks that you would use on a padlock for your shed door or something and bolted them on and the slit on towards the end I drive to big spikes or rocks to hold it down ..........angle and a good V of water will move the rocks over the grizzlys also when you see the material exchanging out through the front you will have a small pile build up also just keep it clear to run smooth and that can hinder your fluid bed too and try to get a feel of feed rate my problem was with my first outing on my 36" sniper not angle and flow and just over feeding it so clean out was a lot more frequent but I did manage to catch fly poop gold so I know I was getting it....just keep playing and experimenting pretty soon I'm going to mount some tubes in the back with a couple of ball valves to control flow and experiment with its just been to darn cold

 

[Skiddum]

these guys especially gold washer and Kevin know there stuff especially when it comes to Zooka. I've learned from them and I've used mine 3 times now the first time it kept getting clogged but that was my fault. I listened to Kevin and gold washer, build a dam and run it steep. I've never had a problem since.
I run a 24 inch sniper. great for backpacking and a mini for sampling. so much faster than panning out places. and the mini is so small and needs so little water its super easy to set up. I'm deciding on ether a 36 or 30 inch prospector. my wife is letting me buy it first cause it's my birthday in 2 days.

 

[Skiddum]

One question, I see people talking about having gravel in the trap. Are folks adding larger gravel pieces into the trap out the exit port?

no what that is talking about is before you start running stuff with gold possibly in it it's best to run some regular dirt into it. just to get some gravel and stuff in the trap. usually I just grab 2 or 3 scoops of the river bank and run into it. then I start filling up my bucket and then run it. I like using a bucket for the sniper just because me filling up the bucket gives the trap some time to clean out and I don't have to clean up anywhere near as much. But the gravel/ little rocks just helps keep the trap from compacting on you cause those little rocks are just moving around on the bottom and won't let the black sand and stuff settle completely. it'll stay on the bottom but the rocks keep it broke up and help keep everything moving around nicely

 

[Goldwasher]

One question, I see people talking about having gravel in the trap. Are folks adding larger gravel pieces into the trap out the exit port?

no...just shovel into it the process sorta sorts its self out!!

 

[goldog]

I found the "floating" was really the trap falling in a hole once it collects some heavy material. Be sure to support the end to prevent this. Holding it down with rocks works too but tucking some flat rocks under the end worked better for me.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Well I just keep working at it I guess. I could probably have used more drop it sounds like. I did stick my finger in the trap, and while it didn't seem totally fluid, I could still move it around and stick it down to the bottom, so it didn't seem 100% locked up either. To satisfy my own curiosity I did use a mirror to look at the holes in the tubes, they are there! hehe, probably about 1/4" diameter close to the end of the sluice, and 1/8" towards the grizzly's. Anyway, I really wanna get this working right, I know of a good deposit in a gravel bar that I can setup right next to and just shovel directly, so when I get it going I should be able to capture some real good gold.

Definitely more drop needed...most common newbie mistake. Rocks at least as big as golf balls should clear without your help. That is the best indicator you are getting enough pressure in the fluidbed tubes for fluidization as well. If the small stuff isn't clearing on top either move to an area with more water current or add more slope to your set up.

Run it steep and deep!

 

[Hard Prospector]

I saw a guy at the creek "pre-load" the fluid bed trap of his Bazooka prospector with some small ball bearings, he seem certain that it increased the traps effectiveness. This I had to see so I loitered around till the clean up. Out of the trap and into the bucket he screened the ball bearings then panned down the concentrate, the flash of gold left in his pan was very impressive. Did running the Bazooka with some ball bearings in the fluid bed trap help increase the take? I'm not sure but from what I saw it certainly didn't hurt.