SHOP VACS FOR MINING

[jog]

I have a claim that is an old hydraulic mine, it has very good bedrock with about a foot of overburden on it in most places. I have located two different spots where there high pressure water washed the overburden to the sluice box. I have tested the overburden all the way down to bedrock and have color throughout all the way to bedrock. There is no way to get water up to this location so I have been thinking of using a large shop vac and my generator to start cleaning off the bedrock in the area's I have tested. I would some how set up the shop vac so it would be in the back of my truck, I would keep dumping it until I have a pretty good load then go down to a holding pond that is at the other end of the claim where I could run it through my trommel. I am looking for ideas for the shop vac part of it because I'm sure there are some great ideas out there.

 

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[goldenIrishman]

What about setting it up so you have a section of flex hose on each end with PVC in the middle to prevent it from collapsing over a longer distance? Flex from the vac in the truck to the PVC then back to flex at the working end. I'd also put something over the working end to prevent large rocks from clogging you up. Make the screen removable so you can add a crevice tool for cleaning out the cracks in the bedrock.

As far as the actual vac goes... Get the most heavy duty one you can get your hands on! It might be pricey at first but it will pay for itself in the long run. Lowes carries a 16 gallon / 6.5 HP one for about $180.00

since most shop vacs have a filter and as we all know filters like to clog up when hit with fine dust (something i'm pretty sure you're going to be sucking up) Take a regular vag bag and place it over the filter. Hold it in place with rubber bands. Every time you dump the vac, take the bag off and shake it out really good before you put it all back together. That will help save your main filter and keep the suction up over the long haul.

 

[PikesPeakCharlie]

In my younger years , I vacuumed alot of gold off of a false caliche bedrock in New Mexico, it worked great ,would then take the dirt back to run through a drywasher and then a camel. I dont know if you can still find/buy one ,but we had a backpack shopvac with a 5 gallon bucket attached to it,we would throw it on and vac right up the drywash. Good luck !!

 

[CApicker]

I use this little guy and just dump the contents into a 5 gallon bucket. They take the standard Dewalt rechargeable batteries so if you have a couple of batteries you can swap out while one is charging.

 

[goldenIrishman]

I'm not sure, but I think jog had something a bit more "Industrial" in mind.

 

[jog]

Thanks for the great suggestions, and yes I am thinking of moving a lot of material. A lot will be done with pick and shovel but it's the last few inches and those cracks that I really want to get. What happens if you were to run one without the filter? Also I can put my truck right on top of anything I want to do so getting close is not an issue.

 

[Oakview2]

Could you doze the overburden into piles and then use the vac to work the bedrock. Once you highgrade the area, you would always have the piles to either haul out and run, or drywash, or recirculate. Just a thought as I have no idea how big a area you are working.

 

[jog]

This is the area that I will be starting on, I would like to clean everything back to th face on the left of the pic.

 

[gold tramp]

Looks like a great spot to drywash.
GT..........

 

[jog]

I have never dry washed before but I've seen it done, the dirt at this site feels and looks like volcanic ash so maybe that would work? I am hoping to bring in a mini excavator to help get me back to the old channel gravel.

 

[AzViper]

Drywashing the soil needs to be dry. Looks somewhat damp and with winter coming on drywashing will not work.

 

[Oakview2]

Looks like a great claim, good luck and good hunting. I forgot you were in Oregon, so the soil will probably not dry out enough to drywash....

 

[gold tramp]

I have never dry washed before but I've seen it done, the dirt at this site feels and looks like volcanic ash so maybe that would work? I am hoping to bring in a mini excavator to help get me back to the old channel gravel.

if its not real moist you can make row piles dry it out, and run your material twice that's what I do.
if your gold is heavy, it should drop out no problem.
They are fun little tools and its always worth a try...

Cpt Herbs Desert prospecting tips.

 

[B H Prospector]

When using a vac go as short as you can for two reasons. First the shorter the suction hose, say no longer than 6 ft the better the suction will be. Too long and you will build up static electricity if there is fine dust being vaced up. Also never use PVC in a vac operation. The static will build up in it to the point that the PVC could explode. I have seen it happen and I have also seen where the static jumped from the PVC and hit a fellow and knocked him out. Not a good system to use. Gounding doesn't help much either.
Nice Looking claim Jog. Looks like real good material. I also have a former Hydro claim. Nice not having too far to bedrock.

Good Luck!

BH Prospector

 

[jog]

I think my best bet is to pick up the material and clean the bedrock real good, then haul it down to the pond where I will use my trommel. Does anyone know if running a shop vac without the filter will cause gold to be lost?
It's about a half mile drive down off the high bench to the pond at the other end of the claim. Here is a pic looking down to the pond from the high bench.

 

[63bkpkr]

Jog, first that is one interesting looking piece of ground you have there as well as a lot of work you have ahead of you. Second, I believe the filter is there as it covers the source that creates the suction that draws all the materials into the tank with the heavies falling to the bottom but the fines are airborne and naturally collect in the filter. If the filter is not there then the dust should come right on out through the suction creating system, could cause excessive wear.

On shop vacs that had a secondary release hole I've installed a "knee high" nylon stocking on it to keep the dust from filling the room so it should knock down ultra fine gold. With as large an area as you have there the quantity of ultra fine gold could be high and I would not want to loose it.

Those filters that surround the suction head get quite nasty and laden with all sorts of stuff so as suggested earlier something slid over the filter to allow a 'quick clean' would be a good idea, a larger nylon stocking might also work.

I once had a need for a great quantity of used nylon stockings so I asked around work hoping that multiple ladies submitting them would make the collection work go faster. One day I returned to my office and found the door mostly closed. On opening it I found nylon stockings strung all over my office. "Thanks Ladies"!

Of course you know you've a lot of work ahead of you and that the ground is packed at least somewhat so the vacuum is going to suck off the surface some but then the ground will need raking to loosen it. I wonder if a section of a rake could be attached to the suction hose along with the rake handle to help tire you out, I mean loosen the ground?................................63bkpkr

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

 

[AzViper]

This is why I placed a deflector on the inlet to force the paydirt downward away from the intake of the gas blower. Any type of filter on the inside of the vac will clog up quickly. What might work is some type catchment on the exhaust of the vacuum to catch the ultra fine gold that might get blown out. Also the key is keeping the vac suction intake as far from the paydirt that is in the bottom of the canister.

 

[russau]

Thanks for the great suggestions, and yes I am thinking of moving a lot of material. A lot will be done with pick and shovel but it's the last few inches and those cracks that I really want to get. What happens if you were to run one without the filter? Also I can put my truck right on top of anything I want to do so getting close is not an issue.

Jog if you run a vac without a filter, small bits of rock/sand/debris will hit the fan blade and eventually break the fan.i found this out the hard way.now i also carry a spare fan blade/filter and prefilter sock to go over the filter element!and youll still need to clean it off often!

 

[jog]

Thanks guys for all the great info, I have never tried running a shop vac without the filter but wasn't sure what would happen if I did. I'm thinking maybe one of the foam secondary filters like what they use on a lawnmower engine for going around the paper filter that could just be washed off. That land dredge would be the ticket but I would hate to see the price tag on it plus the rental of the compressor. Question-I have never tried it but I would guess that a shop vac will not vacume unless it is attached to a drum of some sort, could it be operated without one?