dredging

[greydigger]

Wow, after seeing that last video I am not sure about dredging...

Anyway, hi folks that know. Got a question.

Whats the good and bad for air vacuum vs. water vacuum?

Don't want to throw money at a store and call myself good to go.

Thanks for the advise.

Greydigger

 

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[russau]

air bubles will cause your fine gold to float and stay in suspension! and youll end up losing it.

 

[Hoser John]

Air assist is reserved for extreme depth dredging. It makes the box look like my x wife when the alimony check is a day late--FROTHING AT THE MOUTH!!! John

 

[flyspekau]

LOL Hoser

Hey its not all bad 2 hours out of 4 days that I have ran it was all I lost to trouble, the dredge is running pretty good just now i'm running out of water in the creek its dropped 3-5 inchs in the last week

 

[greydigger]

"Frothing at the Mouth".

Uh, I guess some waters have suds in them, maybe I don't understand the problem tho.

I thought dredging for gold meant bringing up the soil, sand, silt, etc. from the bottom,

running it thru a hopper/classifier and down a sluice box.

Never thought to clean it with detergent. Or maybe detergent type stuff is in the waters already.

I have made venturi type pumps with both water and air to clean detritus from ponds and

to vacuum and filter fine graphite powder in machining processes.

Neither goes thru the pump as the material pumped could damage impellers.

Just was hoping to get opinions from those who have experimented with both methods.

Am not sure of the depth of the water pump I have in mind, will do a lift of 5' to the pump

and a push in air up to 35', maybe some trade-offs there.

I am sure air would have to overcome pressure at depth.

90 psi @ say 5 cfm? Could be made much less.

Some of you maybe divers and studied this stuff.

I am only looking at creeks/small rivers of 6' depth max.