TerryC said:
TerryC said:
Oh Russau and Frost, you guys are just trying to make this old fart feel better! Tnx. Frost, there is a preliminary step to get the siphon action of those big (4") elbows... first, if you use smaller elbows, the motor will empty the last tub and suck air before the water is replenished! To get the elbows to suck "up and over", you need to make two "covers" for the elbow. Cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to a circle just larger than the 4" opening(s). Glue onto that circle some neoprene rubber, or similar. Hold the elbow underwater and "capture" the water in the elbow using the circles/rubber. Then, move the elbow to the two tubs it will bridge. It is difficult for one person to make this move alone unless you add some sort of cordage so you can keep both circles on the elbow with one hand and use the other hand to hold onto the elbow. BUT WAIT! There's a better (in my mind) way to get water from one tub to the other. TimC put me onto this. Go get a 2" galvanized flue pipe NOT yet snapped together. 20" piece will be more than enough. Cross cut 2 pieces that are 5" long. Cut 1" slots along one edge that will all be bent in the same direction.... outward from the radius of the pipe. Cut a place for this pipe at the top edge of the tub. Use the top lip of the tub as the center, cut a 2" radius hole down and around. You now have a cutout at the rim of the tub that will take the flue pipe. The cutout will be 2" deep and 4" wide. Fashion a rubber gasket for this cutout and temp glue it to the inside of the tub, along the edge of the cutout. Use alot of silicone sealant along the gasket. Place the 5" pipe (now only 4" long because you bent 1" tabs outward) into the cutout and pop-rivet it to the tub. You now have a tub with a "spout" to pour water from one tub to the other. Put the last tub, where the water is drawn, on the ground. The middle one, about 3" higher then the last one, where the sluice runs in, about 6" high. This set up is more labor-intensive than the elbows but well worth it later. Long post but glad to help. (my two typing fingers are blistered!) TTC
The pump is the 2 1/2 hp that comes with the Jobe highbanker unit (in the video). It works just fine. TTC
it depends on your water source! the desert sands have a lot og clay(ie) material in it. if your recycleing the water, it will load up with clay and itll eventually plug up your pump.
Hey Capt. The areas that TimC and I hunt have clay dirt..... about 4 feet down. Ample gold before you get that deep. If you go down into the clay, be sure to break up the clods in a soaking bucket before filling the highbanker. Clay is an evil we must contend with but not insurmountable. When doing the recirculating at the dig, I take in a 250 gallon bottle, usually filled to about 100 gallons. Answer you questions? TTChighbanker in the desert
