Too damp? How about drying it out...

[mike(swWash)]

Maybe something like changing out the spray bars in a steel trommel with propane burners to dry out the dirt?
My mill burns hog fuel in the boilers that go through a hog fuel dryer first. It's a rotating heated steel drum to remove the moisture to near zero.

Just a thought that might keep you working year round.

 

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[CyHawkGold]

Sounds good, but I don't know what hog fuel is.

 

[Hard Prospector]

Great idea but much if the issue is access to the desert diggs. Roads are poor (or non existent). Having to trailer anything in, like a trommel, is usually unrealistic given the country and circumstances. Throwing damp pay dirt on top of 3'x8' sheets of corrugated steel roof sheets works well and dries pretty fast set in the sun. Also relatively lite weight and goes neatly on top of roof rack or back of pick up.

Saw an old timer once heating up damp material on his claim doing this; took the hood off an old 1970's station wagon, turned it over and shoveled damp pay on top and spread evenly. Then started a fire underneath and man did that dirt dry out quick! Even saw him heating a pot of soup on that hood along with it.........should of took a picture.

 

[Goodyguy]

The first desert gold placer prospectors winnowed the dirt.
That was before the mexican air jig or papago existed.

Just keep tossing the damp dirt up into the air with a blanket to dry it and then let the wind blow the lighter particles away.
Of course it had to be classified first, the clumps broken up and the wind needs to be blowing.

Once the blanket was no longer usable it was burned to recover the small particles of gold embedded in it.

 

[mike(swWash)]

Hog fuel is ground up wood waste that's either too wet or too poor of quality to use. It's usually just dumped on the ground where it usually gets soaked and starts to rot before they get a chance to use it for something besides boiler fuel.

 

[russau]

Back when I could go dry washing in New Mexico during the Winter months I used a sheet of galvinized sheet metal to shovel my next days material on to to help it dry out . the next day I'd move this material over to my dry washer to proccess and while doing that I'd shovel more material on to that sheet to dry for the next day. When low on money and in another state or two you got to do what you need to do to get-r-done !