Hi Banker issues. I am going crazy.

[therobertsmith]

So, I decided to purchase a GoldBuddy mini banker with the 1250 pump. I have had the unit for about a month now and I have been playing with it as much as possible. Over the winter I gathered buckets full of dirt and rock from the creek and river to run through a machine once it was purchased.
I am using the Buddy in the garage on a recirculation mode since we are in a bad drought and the creeks are well Dry. So on to my issues.
First: it seems I am not getting enough water flow. The Buddy has a 90% fitting for the intake hose to plug into at the top. To me that doesn't seem sufficient for a good flow. The ones I see are a straight plug in.

Second: when it is running my pump may last 10 minutes before taking a dump on me. The material I am working with has been classified down so there are no large particles in the water container. The thing is the dirt and stuff being run is blood red nasty. One or two scoops and the holding water look like chocolate milk mixed with thick blood.
I can only assume it is either causing my pump to not circulate right or the 90% bend is causing the pump to overheat from back pressure.

Third: riffles are getting clogged and I am having blow by. I have put a 5 gallon bucket under the sluice to catch run off and I noticed a ton of black sand at the bottom.
I have tried different angles and different heights but not sure at this moment.

Now I did find gold. Finally and it was a nice picker. I almost fell out the chair. But since then it looks to be all flour gold or pyrite. I did try some fishing weights and smashed them and cut them to different sizes and added them to the banker as it was running. It did its job and I recovered them all. I am having a heck of a time with this and trying to justify my purchase to the wife too
One thing I am seeing is the material likes to stick together. If you let it sit it is almost like concrete. Once you start the run it hits your first riffle and builds up from there. The only way to see it is to stop the flow and look since the water is blood red.
Long post sorry guys. So my first thing I am going to do is take the 90% hose attachment and use a straight connection. I need to figure the pump issue out and I am not sure if the thick water is an issue as well. My other is trying to figure the right drop for this material. Once I get a new phone I will take picture of the issues if I can't get them resolved.
Thanks guys. It means a lot to me and it will be even better when I can show my wife a nice amount of pay. She laughed when I showed her my picker but it gave me gold fever. I think I have watched every youtube video and have read so many articles I am going crazy.

 

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[therobertsmith]

Couple pictures from last night. We tried different angles and heights.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Flip over your expanded metal, it's backwards in the pic. Run the pump in a separate container to keep the mud out. You can put it in a bucket in the container but you need to keep the mud away from the pump at all times.

 

[therobertsmith]

I finally took a 5 gallon bucket and put the pump in it but it still while run about 10 minutes and then go south on me. Could be a bad unit. I have also flipped the metal just to see if it would change but I will do it again to see what happens this time. (Thanks for the advice) I haven't noticed much of a difference. It seems the stuff I am running through it is as thick as concrete. Maybe I will slow the rate down that I am adding the classified material into it.
I just hope we get some rain so I can put her in the creek and run her there.

Thanks for the advice

 

[winners58]

take your material wash and classify through a 8 mesh screen, you can do a 5 gallon bucket in notime.
I classify down to a kitchen strainer when I run my dredge concentrates then pan what doesn't go through the screen.

 

[russau]

it sounds like the screen o the internal filter for your pump is getting clogged up. open it up and check it out! you need several tubs to help get that material to settle out.

 

[Hoser John]

Double buckets with pump in second contained within a paint sieve sack to prevent compaction within the pump. Them el cheapo pumps plug up with clay so you may even have to go to 3 buckets. Try a sock held in place with rubber bands on the feed in pipes from bucket to bucket and clean as needed. Tinker toys are a pain.John

 

[therobertsmith]

Awesome. Thanks for the advice guys. I will give it a shot later today and see what happens.

 

[2cmorau]

try and keep pump as close as possible tothe hopper, like others have posted, prewash it does sound like your loading up on the motor

good eye Reed

 

[Doug Watson]

Make sure you have the polarity on the pump right. They will pump when hooked up backwards but not good.

 

[therobertsmith]

Finally got her in the creek and ran material through it. Although it wasn't classified stuff the pump worked okay. It seems as though the pressure isn't high enough to wash the screen and riffles from the junk I do not want. Within 5 minutes it was stopped up and nothing coming out the end. The water pressure at the hose before hook up is awesome but once plugged in it seems to drop. The elbow fitting is held in place by a smaller fitting then they are glued. I am having a hard time believing a 90 degree elbow attached to a smaller fitting is best for this. I also had to run my angle a lot more steep to help the extras run off.
Man I need a old timer out my way for some lessons.

 

[goldgit'r]

Join our forum Eastern US Prospectors, I am sure we have members in your area that would be glad to help you out!
Admin if I am not suppose to post this please delete.

Wes

 

[therobertsmith]

Awesome. Thank you
Just joined. Thanks again. You can never have to much information.

 

[Goldwasher]

You don't need an old timer. You have to accept the fact that you just plain need a bigger pump...

 

[therobertsmith]

I would agree with you on the bigger pump. Going to do some redesign on it today since it is raining for the first time in 3 months. I am always one to second guess my decisions but I guess go big or go home plus I can regulate the rate.
So, question about rate flow. Should I regulate it by a ball valve or by a voltage regulator such as a dial or resistor pack? Maybe go from 3,6,9,12 volts? I am good with 12volt electrical stuff being a car tech. My thinking is restricting flow with a valve would possibly burn the pump up. What do yall think?

 

[Goldwasher]

I guess if you want to use a regularor. I use a valve for my blue bowl and have been using the same pump for 5 plus years

 

[goldgit'r]

You will not need a valve for the pump nor do you need to regulate the speed. A 12 volt bilge pump is not a high pressure pump. Just buy the biggest bilge pump you can find and afford and adjust the sluice to work with what you have. You do not have a production sluice with a high gph motor so you will need to feed it slowly and give it time to process the material. IMHO

Wes

 

[therobertsmith]

Thanks yall. I took the 90 degree elbow out and am installing a straight fitting.
I am looking for a better pump now and when I do sit and think I should feed it slower and just adjust as needed. Thanks for the advice. I sometimes get a head of myself with all of this since it is my therapy from my accident.

 

[therobertsmith]

One other thing: after classifying my material down with a #20 is it necessary to run the riffles? Would it help more just to leave it out to help collect more?
Sorry for all the newbie questions but my wife is laughing at me for my toys. I just want that one hit and laugh. She has now named me after that guy from Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer.

 

[goldgit'r]

Is your material concentrates?

Wes