How to: blaster nozzle

[2020hindsite]

Finally broke down and bought a blaster nozzle for my dredge.
The question seems very basic and elementary but I used my garden hose attachment in the past and was really only successful spraying water everywhere and not accomplishing much production blasting.
Wouldn't the high pressure water blasting at the hard pack scatter gold and debris everywhere?
Is there any videos of people using blaster nozzles to melt hard pack?
I tried to YouTube and Google but mostly I got strange or sexual videos 😆
Thx guys

 

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[Mgumby16]

Generally you want to have your nozzle right next to where you are blasting and be immediately sucking up the dislodged material. That way it doesn't have a chance to move far.

If you can't to that take it in cuts and after you've loosened a section back up and re blast the area you have already dredge making sure to push all the material toward the front of your hole. That way when you start dredging it up any gold that got shot around has been blasted back to the working face of the hole.

 

[rivets]

To quote Hoser John


" Ifn' ya ain't blastn' your just a mutzn and a putzn"

 

[russau]

The service port (3/4 inch) you are using dosent have much force behind it! Years back , I made "Y" fitting for this and run my blaster hose and valve from it! that way I get all the power my pump would put out. My current dredge that I sold to a friend ( Bill_Saf)had a Dave Frank "vortexrx" venture on it and it has 2 service port openings on it. a 3/4 and a 1 inch and it had all the power youll ever need for a blaster hose.

 

[Hoser John]

Get the largest hose diameter you can get as 1/2" is wimpy. A control valve(look inside for biggest opening you can find) hooked up to a el chaepo Harbor freight lawn sweeper brass nozzle(mini firehose style nozzle) and good to go. Keep it underwater or wear goggles out of the water. Cover the area blasted with a gloved hand to prevent a mud bath. lotza luck-John

 

[Jason in Enid]

I have always had plenty of power from the garden hose connection on the pump, but what goes after that connection makes a HUGE difference, like HJ said. Get the biggest garden hose you can find, 5/8 or 3/4 is best. Put a LARGE brass valve on the end. It should allow the full diameter of water to pass through. The cheap garden valves are tiny and will really restrict your flow. On the end of the valve, put a brass nozzle, but look at them, they are not all the same! Some are just solid with a straight hole bored down the middle, and this is NOT what you want. Find one that is tapered from the full opening on the hose, tapered down to the tip. I like the real brass nozzles that are about 3 inches long.

Position your dredge suction below the nozzle, as it breaks up material (it wont fly around like on land) it will naturally flow down into the suction. Always blast towards the suction nozzle.

 

[rivets]

Excellent points ... I installed 1" lever ball valves to my 145 PSI 3/4" garden hose which ( not tried it yet ) supplies my blaster ... seeing its all in the internal diameter ... but don't cheap out on the hose ... get the good stuff that can take a bit of pressure as it will hold the pressure in it better ... that will otherwise be lost by the cheap

 

[russau]

The service port (3/4 inch) you are using dosent have much force behind it! Years back , I made "Y" fitting for this and run my blaster hose and valve from it! that way I get all the power my pump would put out. My current dredge that I sold to a friend ( Bill_Saf)had a Dave Frank "vortexrx" venture on it and it has 2 service port openings on it. a 3/4 and a 1 inch and it had all the power youll ever need for a blaster hose.

I should have stated that the "Y" was on the 2 inch output port of the pump for MAX vol/pressure!

 

[2020hindsite]

Thanks guys. 2 follow up questions...
1- what do you guys think if Keene blaster nozzle kit ( sp21K )?
1- will it fit on a threaded proline HP200 pump? I assume with some pvc connections...

 

[russau]

For $125 (SP21K). you could make your own a LOT cheaper!!! a steel 2 inch "Y" a close 2 inch nipple a 2 inch to 3/4 adapter a couple of 3/4 hose ends and 2 3/4 inch valves(one on the pump outlet and 1 on the hose end) and the Habhor Freight tapered nozzle like has been mentioned. you could probly do it for under $50.

 

[rivets]

Just to add another plumbers tip


A 3/4" ball valve owing to the ball has a diameter less than the pipe ... and for this reason I went with 1" ball valves ... plus you can get a 1" by 3/4" male hex nipple to adapt between valve and hose or go with a 1" male hex nipple to adapt to a 1" by 3/4" hose adaptor and keep internal diameter unrestricted