Dredge Angle and Bedrock Question

[omnicron]

So hey guys here's my dilemma. I had been running my sluice at around 3.5" on my dredge, it seemed to be recovering well but this last weekend I added a small inner tube under the flare. That lifted that side of the dredge about 3/4" now it seems that my recovery went up in the larger fines but the smaller fines were less. I'm just wondering what others are running (or were running for the Cali boys). It seems like my riffles are liking the steeper angle as there was less blond sand in my cons and my riffles cleaned out quick. I am just concerned that it's blowing gold. So now to the bedrock question.

The last time I went up I hit bedrock, continuing were I left off as I moved up stream, I noticed after about 12" the bed rock dropped off, like a step. Now to hit bed rock I had to remove about 24" or so of hard pack. After the drop off I dug a hole strait down with my nozzle (my air still isn't working) dug another 36" for a total of 60" of hard pack and still haven't hit bedrock again. So... Back in the buck line dredge days if the bed rock dropped off would they re-set and dig down to hit it again? I know about 40' upstream the bedrock is exposed. I'm hopping they wouldn't of didn't!

Here's what I recovered after about 12 hours nozzle time



One more question, I talked to a local scuba shop about what my hookah is doing, he seems to think that my 2nd stage regs are set for scuba. He quoted me $50 to convert one for hookah (change a spring I guess). Anybody know how to do this? I know the dangers but I will only be under water a few feet at the most so the risk will be minimal. The thing is I see hookah regs new on ebay for 65 so it seems stupid to pay 50 bucks. Also with my throat problem, I find it hard to breath through my mouth so I want a full face mask as I hope I can breath out my nose. Has any used this cheep one Cressi Scuba Diving Rubber Full Face Mask | eBay
Thanks!

 

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[bill-costa rica]

I have used that type of full face mask for years, they work fine, you do need to have your regulator working right. I set mine to just starting to free flow. buy a new one and then you can mess with the spring yourself and use the old reg for a back up or 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] diver. having someone to move boulders and a hose man can more than double production. do you have a blaster hose ?? if not you really need one. as far as your sluice angle goes it sounds like you had a pretty good setting before you added your tube. put it back to original slope and see if your fine gold recovery goes up.

bill/cr

 

[omnicron]

Yes I have a blaster nozzle, wouldn't dredge without it especially in hard pack in working. As for the fines I'm talking about, it's the lack of the super small fines I have been seeing in my other clean outs, the micron size locked up in the black sands is whats missing this last go around. I'm wondering if the part was not bucket line dredge as the deeper I dredged in this bedrock drop off, it's missing the chunks of broken bedrock that was left by the old dredgers. As for boulders, there are none, the biggest rocks are the size of a football and easily moved one handed.

What kind of working pressure should I see from my t80? I'm wondering if I should buy a new diaphragm as I'm only seeing around 35 to 45psi. I'm having the octo regulator fixed up in exchange for one of the old school regulators that came in the dredge package. He asked me what psi I wanted it to crack at and I just threw out 35psi...I hope that good.

 

[omnicron]

Last night I had a holy crap moment:


No damage done, not even a scratch! Only way it could of got there was when the intake was disconnected.

 

[Oakview2]

How the heck did that get in there I am in Cali and can't dredge, but on my intake, footvalve for my pump, I bought a home depot bucket with top and used hole saw, and punched holes all around the bucket, covered that in window screen, and then punch a hole in top to thread the hose through. Now you can drop it in the creek or over the side of dredge with no worries for plant material, or rocks ending up in your pum.JMHO
PS.. Nice color that creek is throwing, should be interesting if you have a spot that the bucket line skipped. Good health and good hunting.

 

[omnicron]

Not sure how it ended up in there. I'm thinking when it was unloaded from the car and dragged to the creek. Who knows how long its been in there...

 

[bill-costa rica]

musta got into your foot valve when it was off the pump. about the only way i can see it happening.

bill/cr

 

[omnicron]

Yup, the only way it could of.