Lets design the ultimate sluice...

No as I said didn't work for squat and buried in my pieces and parts trailor-absolutely sure I still have it as just sealed it up for a long winters nap with all the other goldfarbs. Somebody wanna play with it can open/move and rummage it up as don't matter to me just sittn' there n the freezing cold-John
 

Do you remember Von Housen Auto Parts in Redding John?
 

I would love to hear your input on this concept GG. I am messing around with a few drawings, but nothing worth posting yet. I think of the vacuum cleaners that use this idea to spin the relatively heavy dirt and debri out of the airstream before it exits through a filter. Now apply that to a gold seperation device that spins the heaviest bits out of the water, leaving the lighter stuff to flow out. Since water is much more dense that air, I envision a pipe with water spinning inside that is relatively small in diameter (around 6" maybe) where sand/sediment is introduced at the top, and as the material descends through the cylinder the centrifugal forces move the heavy stuff to the outside wall, where it passed through the wall of the cylinder in classified slots to catch basins. Employ a metal detector on the outlet so that any nuggs are caught. MD trips a servo that momentarily kicks the flow of water and sediment into the fluid bed catch basin, and then returns it to regular exit.

Here is an over simplification of what I'm working on......

On the washing machine, the inner steel drum is modified to allow water to run out over the top edge. A smooth waterproof plastic liner is then fit into the inside of the steel drum and is outfitted with rubber ridges. (specific details of the ridges are proprietary at this time) Water is then introduced into the drum and then the drum is set to spin at the correct rpm. Your black sand concentrates are then added to the spinning tub of water and the centrifugal force causes the material to be forced against the sides of the tub with the heavies staying down low and the light material running up and over the outside edge of the tub until the only thing left in the tub has a density of over 18 times that of water.

GG~
 

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GG that sounds similar to what they run in some commercial ops! Google the Falcon Fluidized Bowl Centrifugal Concentrator to learn more. This will both validate your ideas and maybe inspire you on good refinements...they claim gold recovery down to 10 microns!
 

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I think using centrifugal forces to separate out the heavies will require some kind of motor to run the system. Which will be fine for some areas, but a death blow to others. The biggest selling point for existing sluice technology is its ability to do its thing using the water in the creek/river with no other power inputs except dumping sediment into it. I think GG and the Gould Bazooka and my idea are all on the right track, its just the motor requirement for pumping will always remove it from the equipment list of many who prospect in areas where that is verboten.
 

UncleMatt,

I designed my centrifugal machine for home use only to speed up running stockpiled concentrates collected throughout the year.
Time for me in the field is too precious to spend doing anything other than running paydirt. I take the concentrates home for later processing and final gold recovery during the winter months.


GG~
 

Excellent point GG! So some kind of sluice for on site processing, and then home for final processing of cons with the centrifuge machine.

The question is, have available sluices already reached efficiency levels that need little or no improvement then? Since the final stage will involve other devices? Or is there room for innovation still? Food for thought.
 

Excellent point GG! So some kind of sluice for on site processing, and then home for final processing of cons with the centrifuge machine.

The question is, have available sluices already reached efficiency levels that need little or no improvement then? Since the final stage will involve other devices? Or is there room for innovation still? Food for thought.

I would say that there are better sluices and more sophisticated specialized equipment for gold recovery available today than ever before in history. Is there still room for innovation? .....always. :icon_thumleft:
 

I just got my new super prospector, and two things occur to me: 1) If water flow is fast enough, nuggets too large to pass through the grizzly will wash out. Now astrobouncer uses the mechanics cloth, and says any large nuggs catch at the front edge of the grizzly. Until I have some real world experience with this sluice, who am I to argue? However, some kind of simple detector might be in order for the end. You could use simple pinpointer electronics, since any nuggs that exited the grizzly would roll right over the detection area. 2) This sluice might benefit from some adjustable legs, just like some I have seen modded up on this forum.

Oh, I am still wondering if magnets could not be put to good use as well in some way. Still pondering that one.
 

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Metal detectors will also sound off on every hot-rock that rolls out. Magnets will very quickly load up with black sands, but some people do use them.
 

image-3132090095.jpg
 

I was thinking to do it too. Has anyone asked the manufacturer their thinking on this mod?
 

Taking Astro's advice

Couldn't tell from the photo but it helps to make sure the vertical wires on the screen are on the outside of the mesh and the horizontal ones are on the backside.
That way rocks wont hang up on the wire as easily.
 

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Couldn't tell from the photo but it helps to make sure the vertical wires on the screen are on the outside of the mesh and the horizontal ones are on the backside.
That way rocks wont hang up on the wire as easily.

Get out of my head GG
 

tt , you might put a classifier under the discharge of the Bazooka and periodicaly check it. Where I'm at [Idaho]I haven't found any nuggets but I have found several saphires. Ain't nothing easy!
 

In another sluice thread GG brought up side wings, which I think are a good idea. Has anyone ever tried a ramp upstream from the sluice? Like the wings GG has mentioned, but extending downward from the sluice mouth upstream so more water would be scooped up into the sluice. So when used with the side wings, it would serve to form a 3 sided entry flume. This may be overkill, and not needed, but just brain storming. If you were using a bazooka on a stand, for example, it would help anchor the sluice and keep water from flowing under and lifting it off the stand legs.
 

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