Classification and Dry Washing

[Hard Prospector]

Went out dry washing with over 2 dozen other guys the other day and man did I learn a lot. Mostly leaf blower types but also some puffer/bellows machines as well. The biggest difference at each dig site I noticed was that some took the time to bust up and manually classify while most just threw the material on top of the hopper grizzly and ran it. This one fella spent most of the day just digging and classifying his material (down to 1/4") then the last couple hours before dark he ran everything and did quite well. Those who just shoveled on top of the stock grizzly also seemed to do OK. What do you guys think?

 

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[gold tramp]

I just rake classify my ore, saves a lot more time for digging ore, the grizzly on your hopper is made to handle the larger rocks and no real need that I see for classifying first I think it just a waste of time, but I don't test what I throw away so I cant say positive that there is a difference.
i will have to do a test some day and see. good to hear you are getting out in the bush there HP...
GT.....

 

[Goodyguy]

When drywashing I would rather spend more time running paydirt than classifying, and like Goldtramp says that's what the grizzly is for.
If the material is in clumps or caliche then you have to break it up before running. Loose sand and gravel will self classify on the grizzly.


GG~

 

[elgatodelnoche]

I classify down to about a sixteenth of an inch. I do not know the exact size, but I do know it is smaller than an eighth. About window screen size. I believe dry washers run more efficiently when the material is all pretty much the same size. I do the same thing when panning too. I have never run into nuggets anywhere I go, so I feel pretty confident eliminating the big stuff right off the bat. I have run bellows dry washers, pull cord and hand crank. And I also run a dry washer off of a gas blower.

 

[jair]

I classify down to about a sixteenth of an inch. I do not know the exact size, but I do know it is smaller than an eighth. About window screen size. I believe dry washers run more efficiently when the material is all pretty much the same size. I do the same thing when panning too. I have never run into nuggets anywhere I go, so I feel pretty confident eliminating the big stuff right off the bat. I have run bellows dry washers, pull cord and hand crank. And I also run a dry washer off of a gas blower.

I have two dry washers and both bellows . And I use my trommel Dry to classify to 1/4 inch then run through my Thompson dry washer .
I can move a lot of dirt that way even though you would think more wore using both .

 

[2cmorau]

good topic, i dig,bust and toss into the dry washer, then i rerun again twice sometimes and then move tailings to the side, heck i have even walked on my tailings to bust up the small clumps, move material, no time to classLOL