Designing a dry washer from the ground up... need some ideas

[ncclaymaker]

Need some help here...

1. What shape do you think the riffle should be? Metal is my preferred medium.

2. The sluice body and shaker sections will be heavy duty aluminium from a repurposed vehicle ramp approximately 14 in. (35.5 cm) X 65 in (165 cm). Long by most standards

3. 12 VDC concrete vibrator motor assembly to shake and break on the upper deck. Variable speed. The shaker/breaker deck should be capable of reducing the input dirt clumps to fines. This a challenge on most designs that I've seen, even with a trommel screener attached. Can't capture anything if the gold particles are still inside of the dirt.

4. Use of electrets to charge or hold the gold particles. This may work or may not... opinions abound. Mine is charged from a 40kv source.

5. Blower... electric squirrel cage or a small electric leaf blower. Power supplied by a small electric generator from Harbor *reight.

6. Weight is not an issue. Hopefully, will be loading with a small garden hoe (back hoe), not by the plastic bucket load.

Need a lot of opinions and outside of the box ideas to get something built that has a high probability of producing.

 

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[Goodyguy]

I like to make my aluminum DW riffles 1/2" tall, set at 110 degrees, 1/2" dead air space, riffles 3" apart.





My suggestion is to have a way to regulate the air flow. Too strong and you blow out the fine gold. Too weak and you don't properly aerate the material enough to allow the gold to sink to the bottom.



Here is a thinking outside the box video that I found useful........

[video=youtube;IHcFJaUXQeg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=IHcFJaUXQeg&feature=emb_lo go[/video]







GG~

 

[1637]

iam allways interested in more infor on riffles.dont the riffles get full of just dirt if there is a large dead spot.i mostly use drywashers.i think i will try some black tape to make dead spots.
thanks brad

 

[Goodyguy]

iam allways interested in more infor on riffles.dont the riffles get full of just dirt if there is a large dead spot.i mostly use drywashers.i think i will try some black tape to make dead spots.
thanks brad

The principal of having a dead air space is to prevent the fine gold from being moved back into the air flow once it has been trapped under the riffle.
With that being said, I see no real reason for it if the air flow is regulated properly.

GG~

 

[1637]

funny i always thought that the plates that are after the riiffles were uses for the dead zone.i guess they are mostly there to glue the cloth to. now that i watch that ,i see he is using black tape before the riffle to make the dead zone.i hope to get out saturday and use this infor.i build two tray one 1/2 and another that 3/8.i use the 3/8 when there is a lot of gravel,my machine is a puffer that i build.
thanks for the infor brad

 

[leadnugget]

i would make it with a removable riffle tray.
when you do a clean out you can just blow in the top riffle
and see what kind of gold you are getting, rather than having to pan it out.
the kind that keene makes are very nice.
why would you want an electric blower?
with a gas leaf blower you are more portable, lightweight and you could build it as a
crack vac.
in most areas, there is more gold on bedrock than in all of the overburden.
also when you vac bedrock it brakes up any dirt clumps.
the down side is its slow.
one thing i recall seeing last year for fine gold recovery was bending 1/4
inch wire hardware cloth over the last 2 riffles.
it rides bigger rocks over the riffles.
seems like it would work well. have not tested it myself.
the back hoe sounds like fun.
you must have a big deep wash with lots of room to work.

 

[leadnugget]

i should have watched the video goodguy posted before i posted.
i now know were the guy i saw mining with the wire mesh got his idea from.
too funny.

 

[Goodyguy]

Dredging into a Drywasher

The Gold vac is the way I find the best gold.

I'm now working on an idea to build a super gold vac using a 7hp gas motor off an old pressure washer and design a custom jet log to create a dry land dredge that feeds directly into my modified drywasher. (no more shoveling dirt)

Creating the proper suction is the tricky part but I have a few ideas up my sleeve.

Picture something similar to this for the power unit producing in excess of 1000 cfm at 200mph to feed the pressure side of the jet log.........


I'm off to scavenge some parts...... c-ya later

Go for the Gold
GG~

 

[Goodyguy]

The Gold vac is the way I find the best gold.

I'm now working on an idea to build a super gold vac using a 7hp gas motor off an old pressure washer and design a custom jet log to create a dry land dredge that feeds directly into my modified drywasher. (no more shoveling dirt)

Creating the proper suction is the tricky part but I have a few ideas up my sleeve.

Picture something similar to this for the power unit producing in excess of 1000 cfm at 200mph to feed the pressure side of the jet log.........

I'm off to scavenge some parts...... c-ya later

Go for the Gold
GG~

Changed my mind on the dry land dredge part, going to be happy with just building a super vac.

 

[xracer550]

Changed my mind on the dry land dredge part, going to be happy with just building a super vac.

maybe the photos will be of help :

 

[1637]

theres alot going on here,can you please give us a tour?
brad

 

[Goodyguy]

maybe the photos will be of help :

That looks similar to the Harbor Freight dust collector impeller and housing that I have in mind to marry up to my 8hp gas motor.
I have been trying to get one that's for sale on c-list in Las Vegas for only $50 but he wont answer my e-mails.

 

[Goodyguy]

Since I haven't been able to get the blower I want for the super vac. I'll put that build on hold and in the mean time convert my blower drywasher into a puffer. I have hated the noise for some time now so a little peace and quiet will be a welcome change. Still plan on using my noisy gas vac to get down into the cracks and crevices though.

I'll start a new thread once I get the build underway. I'm not going to use pulleys to regulate the rpm's of the motor. I have ordered a 12v motor speed controller to do all that so I can go direct drive and have less drain on the battery as well.

Also have designed a simple and unique way to operate the bellows that will be not only be easier on the motor but also serve as a novel way to increase fine gold retention in the sluice.

GG~

 

[leadnugget]

looking forward to seeing your new ideas.
i have been brainstorming on a new ultra lightweight
sampling drywasher. maybe using the vac hose as the
blower hose. may be to much velocity, would need dampeners,baffels.
it would be nice to carry only one hose.