Gould highbanker

N-Lionberger

Bronze Member
Dec 1, 2013
1,427
2,074
Arcata, California
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1212-x
Fisher Gold Bug 2
Whites 4900/SP3
Dowsing rods
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
the only thing I've seen that's close are the Dahlke dovetail riffle.
the Gould highbanker could be something else altogether would like to have a look at one.

from the Dahlke page.
"Most sluice systems suffer from a high rate of fine gold recovery losses when pumping large aggregates that tend to cause the values to "boil out" because of the backwash created around the larger rocks. The dovetail riffle creates a J hydraulic elliptical boil pattern that enhances fine gold recovery while pumping large rocks. When the gold is backwashed it slips into the leading edge of the following riffle and remains locked-in until cleanup."
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dredge_57.jpg

Reed Lukens had some on his dredge (at about 16min)
https://youtu.be/2hp0fzLzZBs?t=993
 

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I guess it is different, photo credit from Gold Miner 49 er book 3 by By Reggie Gould.
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Goldtrap.jpg
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goldtrap2.jpg
 

Yup it is a different concept from the dovetail riffles, I have watched Reeds videos countless times I'm building my new river restoration barge out of barrels conduit and unistrut. I would like to have some bent up and welded into my riffle ladder, the dovetail design looks like it would shed large rocks quite nicely. The Gould highbanker has flow interupters followed by slots that allow the heavy fines to drop into a capture area that directs the material to a "poop tube" sluice, it looks like it should work. I am thinking about making one out of ABS to put into a sluice run off of a trommel which I plan to feed with my vortxrex jets. I will most likely not utilize the "poop tube" but use expanded metal on top of deep V rubber matting, which I am also interested in using in the udercurrent on my 4" box, before I have been running 3/4" expanded on top of unbacked veranda carpet and fine ribbed rubber, I'm on the lookout for some stainless or aluminum 1" expanded and some deep ribbed rubber, I read somthing new 49ers put out about using that combination under their double screens with good results.
 

Yup it is a different concept from the dovetail riffles, I have watched Reeds videos countless times I'm building my new river restoration barge out of barrels conduit and unistrut. I would like to have some bent up and welded into my riffle ladder, the dovetail design looks like it would shed large rocks quite nicely. The Gould highbanker has flow interupters followed by slots that allow the heavy fines to drop into a capture area that directs the material to a "poop tube" sluice, it looks like it should work. I am thinking about making one out of ABS to put into a sluice run off of a trommel which I plan to feed with my vortxrex jets. I will most likely not utilize the "poop tube" but use expanded metal on top of deep V rubber matting, which I am also interested in using in the udercurrent on my 4" box, before I have been running 3/4" expanded on top of unbacked veranda carpet and fine ribbed rubber, I'm on the lookout for some stainless or aluminum 1" expanded and some deep ribbed rubber, I read somthing new 49ers put out about using that combination under their double screens with good results.


Theres a video. Of Dave showing it in a members dredge.



In this one.

My favorite. This set up is GRADE #A1 Genius!!



Having The Miners Moss. Set Up to catch and drop through a screen to the under current!!

Set up a sluice like this from a trommel!!
 

So why does he cover the riffles in expanded and then ribbed rubber? doesn't that block material from reaching those riffles?
 

So why does he cover the riffles in expanded and then ribbed rubber? doesn't that block material from reaching those riffles?


are you talking about the two stage?

Its a false bottom. theres material moving under it that has been segregated already. Its just a riffle section for what doesn't make it through the initial screen.

What video? What time in the video?
 

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I think the middle video is a quick conversion to use both the top and lower runs for fine gold.
the top riffles look to be completely closed off, looks like he just used ribbed matting
sitting on a piece wire screen to go over the top of them,
must have been what he had lying around. he also says he runs at 2600rpm,
You can see his box doesn't clear out so the lager riffles were probably just filling up anyway.
Not me I want all the suction I can get, I run full speed, move more materiel less plug ups...

he has another video where he has changed out the top set of riffles.
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In the middle video with the keene sluice starting at 3:12. I understand the over under concept I have my 4" dredge box configured that way. I think your right winners about it being a quick way to insert expanded metal riffles without changing up the stock riffle configuration.
 

Most of the gold mining I have access to is probably 90% 20 mesh or smaller. There is larger gold if on/ near bedrock, but even on bedrock there are little 20 mesh round nuggets also It's only a 4 inch dredge so the box needs to reliably pass oversize untended which it can do stock, at full throttle, but I find slowing things down a bit helps with recovery which again is decent stock. As was mentioned scrap and local rems for mats. You definitely process more material at full throttle though.

Also the box is raised a little to try and keep the undercurrent above water. Mr Hoser used to rant about this on 49ermike, probably for a reason. If you run like mine without the lift there will probably be issues, I don't remember. I agree Dave's double screen with the drop riffle and expanded on v would be awesome though not sure how that exact config would work on a 4" Keene. For example my stock 4" dredge has better fines recovery than my stock 2.5". Sometimes you just don't know until you run it.

Note on full throttle operation : I have 2 Keene motor/pump combos and 1 of them I know over spins at full throttle -meaning at a certain rpm it creates max flow and rpm higher than that creates little to no or possibly less flow , YMMV. This might be deliberately engineered not sure. Flow meters are expensive. Personally I'm fine with the motor having 10-15% more power than it needs.
It's 4 feet to bedrock, 20 inches down the gravel changes and tests 1-3 colors per handful, whatcha gonna do?
 

dredge and enjoy sounds about right ONLY 4 feet down sounds nice, my bedrock is average 20 feet down according to the old timers I wouldn't know I havn't found it yet, after 3 or 4 feet of barren cobbles and flow sand I have some super hard to cut through cemented gravel.
 

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