Saw this sluice at the local gold show last week....

[mike(swWash)]

I've never seen or heard of this one before. It's another fluid bed design sluice but, the water in the bed injects from the sides and the bed has a removable tray option instead of removing the sluice from the water for clean outs.
If I'd had a few more buck$ in my pocket, I would have bought one just to try, and the prices are pretty cheap.....if they work as advertised that is, otherwise it's just another wall hanger for the shop.
Anybody ever tried one of these?
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[Reed Lukens]

Nope and at 5 buckets an hour I think he needs to change his web page...

 

[KevinInColorado]

VERY Cool concept but even 8-10 buckets an hour is not near enough to keep up with me!

 

[Aufisher]

I would have to agree the Bazooka eats 5 gallon buckets in seconds not minutes.

 

[rodoconnor]

It kinda resembles the original Schmidt Bazooka.

 

[calsierra-Dan]

If ya know whats up u can run a 5 gal of un classified material in 20 sec and that grabing the bigger ones out !

 

[mike(swWash)]

For sure not a high production product, especially if you have to classify first. Kinda neat idea with the pullout tray but that was the best thing I could say about what I saw in the demonstration.

 

[coolfinie]

Looking at the video clips I don't see what there is to keep the gold trap contents fluidized.

The removable trap tray has lower sides. Are those the exhaust vents?

Can you describe where the incoming water enters the gold trap, and what was on the inside of those side intake vents?

 

[Asmbandits]

Saw this company setup at the last gold show I was at, it works similar to a bazooka and looks similar to an early bazooka prototype Tod showed me. Kinda irritated me honestly.. There seemed to be much interest in his product but seeing one up close I'd say I'll stick to my bazooka.. Made me wish Bazooka was represented at the show as well as imo this thing is basically a wanna be bazooka and the real deal is better all around.

 

[Duckwalk]

Watched the video of him feeding the material through the sluice. If i have to keep bending down to clear CLASSIFIED material off of the grizzlies, its not worth it. Just saying.

 

[mike(swWash)]

Everyone has decided the same thing I did. It's an inefficient fluid bed design, slow production due to the need to classify, but the one redeeming part is the removable heavies tray. Cleaning out without having to pull the BGT and then replacing in the river sounds good. Maybe if there was a frame that the Zook sat on in the river so once it was set up it would always go back to the same settings.

 

[fowledup]

Now now lets not be to hasty! This is designed for those needing to pace themselves while following the beer per bucket method of sluicing! Can't practice that method with, the Bazooka you'd be drunk by 10am. This is the yen to the Bazookas yang- It's all good!

 

[rodoconnor]

Now now lets not be to hasty! This is designed for those needing to pace themselves while following the beer per bucket method of sluicing! Can't practice that method with, the Bazooka you'd be drunk by 10am. This is the yen to the Bazookas yang- It's all good!

The voice of reason

 

[Duckwalk]

Now now lets not be to hasty! This is designed for those needing to pace themselves while following the beer per bucket method of sluicing! Can't practice that method with, the Bazooka you'd be drunk by 10am. This is the yen to the Bazookas yang- It's all good!

Some of us are drunk by 10am on the river anyways...

 

[AMP_kbell]

Just want to clarify a couple things - This fluid bed sluice is completely different than either the original Schmidt design or the Bazooka Gold Trap. Both of these designs are a "closed system", i.e. water is captured underneath the tray and is used to provide water to the tubes - any water not used to fill the tubes is retained in the machine.

The Aurora Mining Products fluid sluice is an open system. Water flows down the plenums (the vents on each side) and enters the fluid bed through the holes. The angle of the plenums is very important because it allows the pressure and flow to be even in each hole. Any water not used in the fluidization exits the rear of the machine (for clarification the front of machine is flare side). This system creates a superior water flow and maintains a constant water pressure. This means material is processed quickly and evenly throughout the box without build-up. This also keeps the bed liquefied. Incoming material is instantly flattened out allowing heavy materials to work their way to the bottom of the tray. Waste material is flushed from the machine after new material is deposited.

I believe classifying material is vitally important to gold recovery, especially fine gold. One of the most important features of this machine is the ability to slow the water entering the material tray without sacrificing material processing in the fluid bed - The vents are not affected by changes in the water speed at the front of the machine. I classify my material to target the size of the gold I am attempting to recover then slow the water speed down on the material tray to process the material - about 1 second from drop to entering the machine at the grizzly. I use a rock placed upstream of the machine to regulate the water speed which creates very precise flows. All material will enter the machine in the first two or three rows of holes. This means material is staying on the material tray and is not being suspended in the flow. Gold recovery (especially fine gold) is dramatically improved. This is all done while having the ability to process a 2 gallon bucket in 42 seconds! (see old Expedition sluice video http://www.auroraminingproducts.com/images/products/videos/AMP_OldVideo.mp4). When I say the machines can easily process 4-5 buckets per hour (Recon) and 8-10 buckets per hour (Expedition) the only limitation is the digging and classification of buckets. As I stated I believe classification is very important in maximizing gold recovery.

The best part is that the Recon is only 18" long, weighs just over 2 pounds and fits in a backpack or 5 gal bucket. The Expedition is just under 24 inches and weighs about 4 pounds. These machines are lightweight, compact and get the job done.

Bottom line: This machine has been scientifically and mathematically designed to quickly process material which very high recovery rates, including fines and flour gold.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

I would say water not retained by the Bazooka to pressurize the tubes flows out of the back (where the "lights" go floating out). Therefore I am not sure how you can call it a closed system.

 

[Duckwalk]

While i appreciate the good design and functionality of this sluice AND agree to the fact that classification is indeed a huge part of gold recovery, i just dont understand why in the videos i watched on the website the person has to keep clearing the grizzlies of material that is already classified. Also, if you are classifying to begin with, why have a grizzly section at all? The sole purpose of a section of grizzly is to classify for you i thought. I mean no disrespect at all but the only time classification is vital is in the panning process, just my honest opinion. I have never used this particular sluice but in comparison to the BGT (which i have plenty of experience with), the ability to move more material much faster wins in my book. once i clean the bed out and pan it out at home is when classification is key. Great looking sluice, just not MY personal cup of soup. Best of luck to you!

 

[Medina Joe]

(Shovel more think less) That what someone said on here before. BGT all the way

 

[AMP_kbell]

Thank You Duckwalk for the comments - I was cleaning the grizzly because I had classified the material to 3/8" and the grizzly holes are 1/4" and 5/16". The material I was running contained large amounts of small slate pieces which are flat and hung up on the grizzly. I was keeping the water speed slow because the area we were working contains mostly 50 minus gold and I am trying to maximize recovery. I film videos there because it is easy to get close to the machine. These videos are used to supplement the written instructions. I am in the process of updating my videos which will be on the website possibly next week.

GoldPannerDave - I call the BGT a "closed" system because all water brought into the machine doesn't exit through the rear of the machine - the only water that can exit is the water that flows through the holes in the tubes. Much more water enters the machine than can possibly exit. With the AMP sluice 100% water that enters the machine exits either through the holes and out the rear or out the plenums (vents).

 

[KevinInColorado]

Any chance I can see one of these in operation in Colorado?

The open system for feeding water to the fluidization tubes seems to me to lead to lower pressure in the tubes vs. a closed system. How is that good?

Also, since you have the grizzly doing your classifying, why not just skip the pre-classification? The preclassification does nothing for what happens in the trap, only on the skid plate which seems irrelevant.