How to build a Gold trap?

[salty_pirate]

I was curious about placing some underwater traps at key points in a stream and retrieving them later.
I haven't found much on the subject except possibly using a thick wound rug that would collect black sand and gold.
I'm just more or less trying to find a way to get the stuff at the bottom of the creek without dredging. Without altering the path of the water is it possible to dig out a portion while the water is at a low or dry point and place something that can be retrieved at a later point and actually be effective?

 

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[Oldyoungtimer]

Well i left a home made sluice in the creek once to i guess do what your thinking. Came back about 2 weeks later panned what was in it and got gold i was petty stoked lol. The only thing i worried about was the thing packing up but it wasn't to bad. It rained a lot too i think that may have helped. Good luck with that. Also i think back in the day old timers would do that often.

 

[kazcoro]

YOu could get a piece of corrugated culvert pipe, cut it in quarters, and anchor them somehow. I have heard that people know of areas where culvert pipe is in gold bearing areas, and after it rains, they go and suck up the material caught in the corrugations. I would think it would work like a charm. Wouldn't cost you much, nobody would think of cleaning them out, or stealing em.

 

[TheNewCatfish]

Seems like you would have a serious problem with lighter material clogging the sluice. Once it fills up with sand, your gold will just be carried away by the flow of water, (a situation referred to as flatboarding). True. Some gold would be trapped under the sand, but the vast majority of it will blow out the end of the clogged sluice. Instead of using a sluice, why not imitate what naturally occurs when a tree falls across a creek. Every prospector knows to remove the tree and dig under it. Why not take a large PVC pipe, fill it with ready mix concrete on site and drop it into the creek. In theory, the gold will smak into the obstruction and be buried beneath it. The waterflow should also increase dramatically where it passes over the rounded obstruction, keeping your trap clear of sand, rocks and gravel. Of course, the most efficient way to clean out the trap would be to use a battery powered suction device. Sort of a hand held micro mini dredge to suck the gold out from infront the trap without disturbing the trap itself. OMG ! I think i've talked myself into tryin this!!

 

[TheNewCatfish]

Also. The stream would have to be pretty small and narrow, or else you've got to figure out a way to funnel the water into the trap so it passes over the obstruction with some velocity. I'd suggest adding a couple of 3/4 X 10 inch planks standing upright on either side of the trap. You can probably find somekind of fence anchor at Home depot or rebar rod hammered into the creekbed to hold the planking in place. Since the design and intent of the trap would not be to catch or impede fish, i don't think the Possum Cops will mess with you.. but you better check that out before you go installing gold traps all over the place.

 

[TheNewCatfish]

Finished a free hand rough sketch of what the trap should look like. Initially you'll want to build a single proto-type and test it. That will be the most expensive unit to produce. Using materials from Wal Mart or Home Depot you're looking at around a $50 dollar investment. After that, subsequent units should drop to a cost of around $35 dollars apiece. You can reduce the cost even further if you have access to any scrap lumber, like from a construction site or an abandoned structure. Provide me with an e-mail address and i can fax you the diagram. Good Luck.

 

[salty_pirate]

Awesome very good ideas thanks all! [email protected]

 

[mikeothmer]

Most county and state roads depts. replace old culverts when rusty and can be had from them for little or nothing

 

[NeoTokyo]

Have you thought about doing some underwater sniping instead of setting traps?

If you are already digging down to bedrock then why not snipe first, they lay the trap if you still want to.

 

[goldenIrishman]

I've been thinking to doing something like this. The difference for me is that it's in a wash that is subject to flash floods. I've found a section that has a natural "step" to the bedrock and then goes into a flat area. The sand at the bottom of the wash is about 18 inches deep and the flat area runs for about 40 feet or so before it has another little drop. I'm thinking of building up a rock and sand dam to form a pool on top of the bedrock that would be about 15 feet long. I hope that will give the water a chance to slow down so the gold will drop out onto the bedrock. I have no idea if this is going to work but in theory it should. The location is on our property so none of the Govt agencies will be able to whine about anything since I'm not stopping the flow but only slowing it down before it continues on down stream. Think that will work?

 

[NeoTokyo]

Any area where the water slows or has a pocket of water that is under the main current (Like behind a large step in bedrock) gold will fall out.

Its worth a shot.

Have you found gold in this Wash already?

 

[goldenIrishman]

Any area where the water slows or has a pocket of water that is under the main current (Like behind a large step in bedrock) gold will fall out.

Its worth a shot.

Have you found gold in this Wash already?

Yes we have. It's fine stuff so far but we're tracking it down. Have found lots of Garnets as well. Being as that this wash only has water during a flash flood, it's not reading like your typical stream that has a constant flow. It's making the hunt rather "interesting" shall we say.