My FIne Gold Recovery System - Blue Bowl - Fossickers Gold Pan - Photos

[AzViper]

This is my fine gold recovery system. Thought this would be easier than using a 5 gallon bucket. As you can see I have a leveling system to level the center cone as this is very important when using a blue bowl, simply place a level on the top of the cone and level the bowl both directions. I am using a Fossickers Gold Pan as a small sluice to capture any fine gold that I may lose while learning how to recover gold at different size concentrates. Yes the Fossicker gold pan is overkill but it can be removed easily and used as a pan if needed. The raised drain keeps the concentrate contained within the black tub while keeping it from entering the recirculating tanks. The pump in the photos has been replaced with an Atwood submersible 1200 GPH pump. The first video shows the entire system.

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The video where I was processing the paydirt I screwed up and answered a phone call after making an adjustment in the water level. Lost all the gold out the bowl, but it was recovered and rerun.

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[AzViper]

Well I watched your vid again, and noticed a zip code 95603 on the rim. That is the new owners in Auburn Ca, as my father would not have let a bowl be shipped out in that condition. Did not realize they are using the old business name on their bowls. Will have to talk to them about this.

Mark H.

Mark it was not a big issue. More of an inconvenience to remove the flimsy edge, all part of the molding process that was missed in the final production of the bowl. As you can see I took a totally different approach to using your Dad's design of the Blue Bowl. The leveling system holds the bowl level and secured.

 

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[Hefty1]

Yea those 3 leveling legs were designed to sit on top of a 5 gallon bucket out in the field being water fed off a pump from a dredge or pump alone. Yup if ya dont secure it, it is constantly being bumped throwing off the level.
I like your system.

 

[AzViper]

This is my first attempt with the Blue Bowl using 50 mesh concentrate. At 5:30 you can see all the gold in the bowl but I received a phone call shortly after adjusting the water flow. On my return all the gold washed out from too much water flow. The Fossickers pan I am using as a mini sluice caught all the gold and I will be able to rerun the concentrate. Again remember to watch in HD.

 

[Alex Burke]

removed my threadjack lol, I like the systems posted in this thread 5 stars AzViper

 

[AzViper]

I have had some request on the dimensions of the 1/2" PVC stand used to support the Blue Bowl and the Fossickers Gold Pan. I have uploaded photos and cut sizes of the 1/2" PVC. I used the small black tub from Home Depot. This is a mixing tub found in the drywall / concrete section of Home Depot. The first number will correspond to the number on the photos, The second number will be quantity, and third number length of the finished cut PVC.

Here is the key to building this stand and keeping everything square. Dry fit the entire stand. This will allow you to tweak the stand so it sits flat and allow you to do a visual that everything is square. It will also allow you to test fit it in the black tub, (make sure the frame sits flat to the bottom of the tub and not resting on the curve bottom of the tub. You can tweak the PVC by twisting at the fitting to get everything align and square. Once your happy with how it sits and sits in the tub take super glue and glue all joints. Use penetrating super glue and not the jell super glue.

As for mounting the blue bowl I used stainless steel 3" long 10/32 screws with nylon locking nuts. 6 stainless steel washers and 6 stainless steel 10/32 wing nuts. Pay close attention as to how I have my Blue Bowl mounted and where the water inlet is located. This makes a difference as to where the water dumps onto the Fossickers Gold Pan as seen in the last photo. Using a flashlight you can see where the light is hitting on the Fossickers Gold Pan.

1 - 4 quantity - 12.75" PVC pipes - .75=3/4"
2 - 4 quantity - 6" PVC pipes
3 - 2 quantity - 6.5" PVC pipes - .5=1/2"
5 - 4 quantity - 1.5" PVC pipe - .5=1/2"

I forgot to list the 90 degree fittings and T fittings. You need 4 - T fittings and 8 - 90 degree fittings. You do not need the T fittings at the bottom front and I would use 90 degree fittings.

 

[AzViper]

John I removed the pump from the table top and replaced it with a submergible pump, to much vibration and noise. The Atwood pump is very quiet and can be picked up at wally world. Go to page two and check out the video. The video shows an entire overview of how everything is setup today. If you have any more questions PM me as I will be happy to help you.

 

[dredgeman]

Looks good and cheaper than this one.

 

[AzViper]

Looks good and cheaper than this one.

Yeah seen the Youtube video of that thing. Not sure what to think of it and the price other than to say someone would be nuts to buy it...

 

[MrWareWolf]

I have had some request on the dimensions of the 1/2" PVC stand used to support the Blue Bowl and the Fossickers Gold Pan. I have uploaded photos and cut sizes of the 1/2" PVC. I used the small black tub from Home Depot. This is a mixing tub found in the drywall / concrete section of Home Depot. The first number will correspond to the number on the photos, The second number will be quantity, and third number length of the finished cut PVC.

Here is the key to building this stand and keeping everything square. Dry fit the entire stand. This will allow you to tweak the stand so it sits flat and allow you to do a visual that everything is square. It will also allow you to test fit it in the black tub, (make sure the frame sits flat to the bottom of the tub and not resting on the curve bottom of the tub. You can tweak the PVC by twisting at the fitting to get everything align and square. Once your happy with how it sits and sits in the tub take super glue and glue all joints. Use penetrating super glue and not the jell super glue.

As for mounting the blue bowl I used stainless steel 3" long 10/32 screws with nylon locking nuts. 6 stainless steel washers and 6 stainless steel 10/32 wing nuts. Pay close attention as to how I have my Blue Bowl mounted and where the water inlet is located. This makes a difference as to where the water dumps onto the Fossickers Gold Pan as seen in the last photo. Using a flashlight you can see where the light is hitting on the Fossickers Gold Pan.

1 - 4 quantity - 12.75" PVC pipes - .75=3/4"
2 - 4 quantity - 6" PVC pipes
3 - 2 quantity - 6.5" PVC pipes - .5=1/2"
5 - 4 quantity - 1.5" PVC pipe - .5=1/2"

I forgot to list the 90 degree fittings and T fittings. You need 4 - T fittings and 8 - 90 degree fittings. You do not need the T fittings at the bottom front and I would use 90 degree fittings.


View attachment 808424 View attachment 808426 View attachment 808427 View attachment 808801

Just curious, what did all that pvc tubing & T's and L's end up costing ya? GREAT setup. Thanks for the shopping list!
Hope there is lot of color in your pan..

To answer my own question:
$2.00 -- 1/2" PVC pipe = 94 inches .. so a single 10 footer should work..
$2.28 -- L's are .28 each
$1.40 -- T's are .35 each
$6.00 -- bottle of gorilla glue
$10.00 - hack saw to cut up the pvc..
$4.72 -- Wingnuts are 1.18 ea.
$5.00 -- stainless bolts
$5.37 -- chain for sluice
$29.99 - sluice
$15.00 - 200GPH pump
$69.00 - ebay blue bowl
$6.00 -- 28W x 20D x 6H medium black tub from Homedepot
$16.00- hose fittings for pump, and tubing for pump..
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under $180

 

[AzViper]

Just curious, what did all that pvc tubing & T's and L's end up costing ya? GREAT setup. Thanks for the shopping list!
Hope there is lot of color in your pan..

To answer my own question:
$2.00 -- 1/2" PVC pipe = 94 inches .. so a single 10 footer should work..
$2.28 -- L's are .28 each
$1.40 -- T's are .35 each
$6.00 -- bottle of gorilla glue - Just dry fit everything and then use thin Super Glue so it flows into the joint. You want to dry fit it and make sure everything is seated into the joint.
$10.00 - hack saw to cut up the pvc..
$4.72 -- Wingnuts are 1.18 ea. - Wow maybe $.25 each x 6
$5.00 -- stainless bolts - Hmmm $.36 each X 3
$5.37 -- chain for sluice - Less than a $1.00
$29.99 - sluice - Fossickers pan $19.00
$15.00 - 200GPH pump
$69.00 - ebay blue bowl
$6.00 -- 28W x 20D x 6H medium black tub from Homedepot
$16.00- hose fittings for pump, and tubing for pump.. Wow you must be shopping at, We Rip You Off... At most $6.00

 

[dicklaxt]

I have a couple of questions,,,,,can you dump additional concentrate into the blue bowl while it is running,can it be dumped all in one pile,how much concentrate can be placed in the blue bowl, dumping of additional concentrate would seem to cause a disruption of water flow is this a problem? That's a start of many questions to come I'm sure.

dick

 

[mxer47]

I have found a tablespoon if material saturated with water while running. Keep adding material never allowing more than about a 1/6 if an inch around the base of the cone (unless it is gold). Too much material just slows down the water and processing. I have found a quick panning prior to the bb can reduce your cons by 60% and speed up the process and a magnet used with the cons completely wet or completely dry helps too. Have fun and get comfortable you'll be there a while.

 

[AzViper]

Having built the Blue Bowl system and the Miller Rubber Mat Table the Blue Bowl became a dust collector. The Miller Table is much easier to use as seen in the video. I know there are those the will swear by the bowl but I have both. The video was just a test, to get the really fine gold you have to slow the water speed down for the fine gold to stick.

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[Rdg Sluicer]

I bought a blue bowl a while back and have recently been spending a lot of time running old cons through it. I hate to admit it but I am really not impressed with it. Its way too slow for large quantities of material and not really worth it on smaller amounts since I could probably pan it faster. I have salted a few of my scoops and I dont think I am even getting all my gold back! There has to be a better solution for processing buckets of cons and a faster rate than the blue bowl.

 

[AzViper]

There has to be a better solution for processing buckets of cons and a faster rate than the blue bowl.

That was my thinking as well. Why I built the table in the the video above. I use the table two different ways. Fast water to screen the bigger gold while back in camp. Recover the con and hold the con for the raining days where it take longer to process.

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

That was my thinking as well. Why I built the table in the the video above. I use the table two different ways. Fast water to screen the bigger gold while back in camp. Recover the con and hold the con for the raining days where it take longer to process.

The BB is just never going to be as fast as I want. I just spent the evening tearing V-Rib and scraping silicone out of an old clean up sluice I don't use anymore. I will hit Wallyworld tomorrow for some of that mat, put the stand back on and be good as gold.

 

[AzViper]

I sold my Blue Bowl system last week while up at the Nascar races in Phoenix. Ran an ad in CL and the the guy who bought it was excited to get it. He was going to drive down to Tucson. I told him I save him a trip and bring with me. Got all my money I had spent on it. Bottom line it works but its slow and finicky on the water level. Time has passed up the Blue Bowl, in its day it was the best the prospector had to recover fine gold.

 

[MrWareWolf]

Good to know about the blue bowl.. thanks for the info!

 

[AuSomeness]

I've enjoyed reading this post. I saw your video on the blue bowl set up you created on YouTube before I found this thread. I recently purchased a blue bowl and I like it. There are a few quirks about it that make it not as easy to work with as I would like. I'm not an expert at panning (yet!), so the blue bowl has been helpful for me. I will definitely be checking out your videon the miller rubber mat table. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Props Master]

That’s a great setup. I’m going to take some tips from you on this.
If you have a second could you please check out my post about my DYI Blue Bowl I’m having issues with.
Yes I could just a buy a BB and be done with it. But I like to build and figure things out. Maybe you could give me some dimensions and specs from your actual bowl to see if that’s where I’m having the issue. Thanks in advance.

Update***
After Reading someone else’s post on their blue bowl, I know want to build a milners table which should be fairly easy for me however I still would like to figure out what’s wrong with the blue bowl just because I’d like to know why it’s not working. Sounds like a Milners table is the way to go.