Sunshines PVC Pipe trommel build

[SunshineMiner]

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by.. Let me just start out by saying that I really kind of hate you all. Why? Because you all have all sorts of great ideas and it's REALLY hard to resist the urge to go out and tinker and build stuff... So I gave in. What have I learned about gold panning? Its all about classifying.. IT SUCKS. Solution? DON'T CLASSIFY! Build something to do it for you! Or buy a BGT... But I digress.... So i've started on a trommel.

I'd like to say Damn you to AZviper.. You posted your drill template and it has worked wonders! I'm diggin it. Made it even more tempting as to how easy it looked to pring/tape/drill away!... sheesh.. all those puns.

I picked up a 4'(shhh he gave me 4.5?) section of i believe 8" schedule 40 PVC for $12 from a local irrigation supply place.. fortunately they cut to size so i will be going back for a 10" or 12" later on! I'm drilling out a 10" section at the end for the moment, as I have a 10" wide sluice.. Will possibly drill more if I use a return trough.

I'll be lining the sucker with your standard 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth to help break up clays. Had this on hand already so cost is $0. Not sure how yet, thinking just bolts and washers. Possibly putting a piece or two of aluminum angle iron to stir it even more. Only problem is I will be running a pvc pipe through it to wash the material, so I may save that for a 12" pipe... unless It work so well I go bigger

Hopper will be made out of a sheet of 1/4"? i think thats it.. ABS. Picked it up at a local Tap Plastics store, $28 I'll be using wood and a heat gun to mold it as well as the wood being the support for it.
I'm using 1.5"x1.5" poplar? I just grabbed some pieces that looked nice and sturdy, 3x8' sections x $8, $32
This will be used to support the hopper, as well as be the initial frame for the trommel. I bought some wood frame truss brackets at 10x89c for say about $9
Yikes.. $81 already Wish I knew how to weld so i could just scavenge like Goodguy and make an awesome "scavenge" trommel!

I'm thinking of using a sand filled piece of 1/2" pvc and heat bending it to the inside radius of the pipe and then bolting it in place. I thought about just buying a pipe reducer.. but those things were heavy and about $15.

As for the drive train.. Thats where I threw down because I figured i can get it all in one place, they have all the parts I need, it just kinda worked out.
I'll be using this little guy:
https://www.servocity.com/html/32_rpm_precision_planetary_gea.html#.VOlEhi77GHs
attached to this guy:
https://www.servocity.com/html/timing_hub_pulleys.html#.VOlEkS77GHs.
driving this 38" belt
https://www.servocity.com/html/timing_belts.html
I have them connected via these two items:
https://www.servocity.com/html/0_770__clamping_hubs.html#.VOlE1y77GHs
and https://www.servocity.com/html/1_50__x_0_770__hub_adaptor.html#.VOlFBS77GHs.
and I picked these grey inline wheels with their recommended bearings to sit this things on
https://www.servocity.com/html/2_975__wheels.html#.VOlFHi77GHs
All in all.. that total came out to $90 shipped to my door in about 4-5 days!
Total - $170 so far.. Not bad considering the cheapest motorized unit on the market is over $600! I think I'll be around 350 after I get all the kinks out of it. Hopefully not over 4 :P

As for those pieces.. I'm really happy with the craftsmanship of the items purchase.. I mean hell, they better be decent! They are a "precision robotics" store after all
My two concerns are I may have gotten too slow of a motor to start out with :x. After doing the RPM calculations my 8" will be going 15RPMs and if i pump up to a 10" it goes down to 12RPM.. and 10 RPM for a 12". Seems a little slow? Two options I'm thinking at the moment.
1. Buy a 45 RPM motor for 21/17/14 RPMS for 8/10/12" pipes
2. Buy a 60 RPM motor for 28/22.8/18.96 RPMs for 8/10/12" pipes
Recommendations for rpm speed ranges? I tried looking up info for the critical rotation speed/force aaaand I'm pretty sure i was doing it wrong.. it was giving something like 1000rpms

ANYWAY.. some pics of the pipe.. I started on it last night.. And as i'm finishing this up im stepping out into the garage to hopefully complete my pipe drilling tonight. Thank goodness PVC is an easy drill!

Little over 4'

AZVipers hole template

Definitely need a bigger boat.. err pipe..

So I started out with 1/4" pilot holes. Then started trying to drill with standard 1/2 drill bit. You can kind of see it in the last picture where it didnt quite go through and was twisting the plastic up. Even at high speed. So I went to a 1/2" spade bit. It worked pretty dang good! So i switched over to a.. idk.. 1/8th bit to finish the pilot holes and will finish off with the spade. I have two step bits somewhere.. But as you can see.. they are.. well.. somewhere..



You can see in the middle in the pic below where the 1/2" bit didnt make it through. It forced it on a couple, but said screw it, i felt it would break it.




Thanks for stopping by!

Sunshine

 

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[Reed Lukens]

looks like the ½" holes are too close together. I would drill every other row to ½ and leave the rest 1/4 for strength.

 

[russau]

I get all the PVC pipe I need from construction sites for FREE. go up to the general foreman on the job (being VERY polite) and introduce yourself and ask about the scrap/ left over PVC pipe from the job that's either in or going to end up in the trash . they usually will give it to you. make sure you don't become a pest about asking for it and ask him when would be a good time to check back with him. now just find a place to store it until your ready to build something!~

 

[arizau]

If you are not already planning to add flights to the interior then you probably should. With flights installed the trommel will tumble and stir the material and aid in breaking up clods or releasing incrusted dirt from the stones. The flights are installed lengthwise at an angle such that they somewhat redirect material towards the feed end while the trommel rotates. They will increase retention time in the chamber to help make sure that what can pass the holes has a better chance of doing so rather than some of it just sliding through while stacked on top of other material.
Good luck.

 

[SunshineMiner]

Reed - I got finished it up before I checked back in :/ That actually sounds like a good plan, and probably what I SHOULD have done as while the pipe still feels very sturdy, there are three holes where I wasn't able to get a good center away from the other whole and do to not have a unibit, the spade kinda chipped away some plastic thus connecting 2 holes in 3 seperation areas. While it's not quite a 1/2 opening.. it may let longer/skinny rocks to slip through. I may take a metal "rod" and center it over the holes.

Russ - I was hesitant to do that tbh. But I'll give it a shot for my next tube *shrug*

Arizau - good points. Will work on some ideas.. I may try just small wood flights at first, not sure if putting them in at an angle will "warp" the pvc pipe.. I don't think so, it's pretty sturdy, but we'll see

Soooo I'm currently stuck in Iowa. Me and my father took a flight to NY to pick up a car she no longer needed. 3000 mile trip back to Cali. Cars in rough shape after dealing with crap Manhattan streets and all the salt they out on the roads. That and a female who rarely checks fluids or lights can make for an interesting trip! Started out with a knocking noise on the front passenger side. Coil springs were BROKE on BOTH lower steering arms, luckily the shop has them in stock because it happens to Fukuses a lot back there appatently. $600 later we'really on our way. Engine was running rough, but no lights and we were able to stay at speeds/but did have a little power issue in terms of going up hills. Finally the car just up and died on Hwy 80 near Demoines. Currently in the garage and I might even miss the AMRA outing this weekend in Coulterville, CA EDIT: As I'm loading pics we got a call saying it might be fixed? He replaced the ignition control module as the number 3 chamber wasn't firing at all apparently now o.0 It's snowing like crazy so it's probably a blessing We'really gonna try her in the morning. Holed up in a hotel staying warm.

BUT I got some work done for the base frame of the trommel before we left. Not sure yet what i'll use for adjustable legs, but I'm thinking conduit/brackets with a set screw, with pvc for the legs, could use conduit there too, but going for the lightweight *shrug*

 

[SunshineMiner]

So I've been at it for the past couple days. Feeling pretty good about it :P Ended up needing a longer belt.. lesson.. always buy a bigger belt.. you can always stretch out the slack.

Will be using a piece of rough top conveyor belting (i.e. vortex matting) to wrap the tube for belt grip.
View attachment 1127949

Building the frame up at both.ends to help support the.water pipes/hopper



Got the plastic bent up for the most part.. it's not pretty.. but I think it'll do the job nicely




Thanks for stopping by!

Sunshine

 

[SunshineMiner]

Saved for update

 

[SunshineMiner]

What can I say.. Total slacker over here lol. Updates!? Who updates.. I've got a trommel to finish! Oh wait... I did!!

So i finally was able to take her out last friday and get her up and running.

Video kind of explains itself I think ^_^

 

[Gold Maven]

Good job.

Just for future reference, Gold miners don't wear flip flops.

 

[SunshineMiner]

What can I say it was beautiful weather! They also don't usually wear vibrant green hats... Nor do I usually have my pants like that. I do apologize for that! I'm trying to wear them out since they're not the greatest pants. Lightweight and thin, but they have a built in belt that isnt worth crap. and the material isnt durable at all. *shrug*

P.S. Can someone please move this to the Trommel Forum... I'm going to try.. but in case it doesn't make it.. Which it didn't.

P.S.S. Whats an update without the results, right!?

Top tray with the 1/8in punch plate over vortex


Bottom Tray with Gold Hog Mats


Soooo.. It finds gold.. Now I just how to work out the kinks and dial in the efficiency.

 

[Reed Lukens]

If you put a rib made from a smaller pipe at the outfeed end it will clean up the over flow of water. Then loose the plywood or cover it with some aluminum or steel flashing and buy a chunk of wax and wax it to get the cobbles to feed off. You can try the wax on the plywood but you will have better slip with a smooth metal surface. The wax is a key component.

 

[SunshineMiner]

Thanks Reed! So far I just took some ducktape and added it on the inlet side to increase the size of the ring. I also took an extra bolt and put it on the inside of the "downstream" wheels to offset it away from the wood. I took it out last friday with another buddy to our Delta Gold Digger outing and it worked flawlessly. I'm currently panning out the concentrates, and my buddy sent me a pic, its looking promising on both our parts Only issue again was having to clean off the tailings board. No wheel jams except with larger rocks which were easily removable. And I need more paddles, and perhaps a bit more chicken wire inside the next pipe to break up clays. If i still get clay balls I'll pick them up and put them in a bucket and run an electric drill with a paint stirrer on it!

I'll be going out again this friday. Will have another vid and pics.

 

[Mcromano20]

Update trommel question

What can I say.. Total slacker over here lol. Updates!? Who updates.. I've got a trommel to finish! Oh wait... I did!!

So i finally was able to take her out last friday and get her up and running.

Video kind of explains itself I think ^_^

Hey, I know this is an old thread, but I figured I would give it a shot and see if I get a reply. I liked the idea of the 12v motor you used, and I noticed on that site there was a similar motor to the one you provided a link for that had much more torque. How did the gear motor end up working for you? Ever get it under a decen load to see what she coiuld handle?

 

[SunshineMiner]

Hey Mcromano20! Thanks for the interest. It has worked out great so far! I will say the only issues i ever had with it were as you could see in the video where rocks were getting stuck in the wheels, and the baby kept spinning :P Its so far kept up with everything i've thrown in it... but then again, im not throwing boulders in Only issues i've had is where i start to get low on battery, and by then i usually call it a day :P

As per the load, i've just put my hand on it a couple times trying to stop it.. its pretty hard to, usually i have to use both hands with gloves because of the friction