Largest practical dredge/highbanker??

[akflyer]

Since we all know that volume of dirt moved is king.. What is the largest practical nozzle that can be used on a highbanker set up? I have never found a shovel that fit my hand real well and I am talking about "dryland" dredging. The current set up I have is pretty close to the GH viper pro but I can build the sluice any size I want to for it. I have been using it as a 2" but would really like to step up the action on it. Shooting in the dark and buying 3 and 4" hoses and nozzles gets spendy quick.

So, let hear what you "dream" highbanker would be if you wanted to run a lot of material (through a nozzle). I want the dryland set up as it keeps me well away from the actual creek and issues that come along with being in the creek, besides, I want the ancient stream bed stuff if I can get to the bottom of it.

 

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[AUAlaska]

I was thinking about buying this 4" nozzle on a highbanker, i have a spot on one of my claims that would be ideal for a highbanker running a large dry land nozzle. i currently run a piglet highbanker with a 2" dry land nozzle set up but you cant move much dirt.



https://www.promackmining.com/mining_supplies/product/hydro-force-400-dryland-suction-nozzle/

 

[winners58]

seems like the main issue is pumping material out of a hole or from different elevations getting it into the highbanker.
the most versatile would be the 3" hydroforce nozzle if you can find one,
could use a regular 4" suction nozzle with a cheep second pump for extra water.
I have a 4" nozzle I've used off stream on a dry split channel, making a little pond and small creeks,
put my sluice lower than were I was working, I also put in a lag bolt at the tip, (cant see in muddy water)

 

[akflyer]

I can make the nozzle as well. I can run the banker downhill from where I am sucking up the dirt too (about 90% of the time). Was tossing it around between 3" and 4". I guess half the fun is getting out and testing and seeing what kind of a mouse trap one can build.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I modified my suction nozzle with a bypass like the hydroforce nozzle and while it works great picking up high bank material it tends to surge the box an awful lot and crippled my recovery, blew 2/3rds of the gold out the box. creating a pool to suck out works a lot better.

 

[akflyer]

I modified my suction nozzle with a bypass like the hydroforce nozzle and while it works great picking up high bank material it tends to surge the box an awful lot and crippled my recovery, blew 2/3rds of the gold out the box. creating a pool to suck out works a lot better.

I noticed the surge as well using my 2" but with the gold hog mats, I have caught all the tailings and run them without any losses. I think the reverse ramp helps to keep the surges from blowing out the box. I have extensions on mine as well as the flare so if it gets blown out from the upper end, the lower is catching it again. Will see how it does with the 3" or 4".

 

[winners58]

I noticed the surge as well using my 2" but with the gold hog mats, I have caught all the tailings and run them without any losses. I think the reverse ramp helps to keep the surges from blowing out the box. I have extensions on mine as well as the flare so if it gets blown out from the upper end, the lower is catching it again. Will see how it does with the 3" or 4".

I like the goldhog idea and would be good to include a boilbox area like that for surges.
might have to go with a wider sluice to handle the water flow, maybe a 14"? or split the flow between two sluices side by side.

 

[Reed Lukens]

I used a 6" dredge as a dry land dredge just fine. With the 18" lower on the Viper, yours should handle a 4" as is just fine. Most of the gold will still be caught above the reverse riffle. I would go as high as legally allowed, recirculating water for a 6" can be really rewarding in the right place.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/51084-albums2895-picture1093956.html

Then there's the 4" with twin 9hp HP500 Proline pumps recirculating
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/417245-black-water-gold.html

 

[akflyer]

Good info and awesome reading Mr. Reed! I got a good deal on 3" and 4" hoses and nozzles, will be adding the 3/4" pipe and ball valve to them for the "dryland" dredging. I can flood the holes with an additional pump as well if it comes to that. Its time for me and my daughter to get out and dig for "pirate treasure" (she is 5 and loves to dig )

 

[seafox]

last year when I went out had the 2 inch pump from harborfreight and a 1.5 inch nozzel that i used on the sluice after highbanking most of the time. the highbanker was a total of 35 feet long with 1 and 12 inch wide sections with one 18 inch wide section 5 foot long at the end total of 42 square foot of catch surface. I loke the sluice to be long enough that the surges even them selves out.

 

[Bejay]

Just a little off the topic but the dry dredging concept has merit. Instead I use a vac system and empty the material into buckets that I haul down to where I have the dredge set up.....sometimes miles away. I dump the material into the water at my nozzle area and the dredge eats it up quickly,.....(it can be classified into the buckets if desired). I will admit I have not used the dry nozzles. But my system has always worked well.


Bejay

 

[Hoser John]

The old Dahlke made a great 4" dovetail style h/b back about 10 years ago but seen nothing that's a real h/b style since. It worked our butts off for sure just trying to keep up with 2 shoveling and 1 tending/rock moving-John