water re-circulation an material dis-charge issues

[elkoff]

I have a question for all you experienced gold hobbyist . My brother & I are rookie prospectors just enjoying a new hobby. My brother an I, have a 6 foot long Highbanker at 12" inches wide with soon to be Gold Hog matting an the water pump is a 2" trash pump at 158 gallons per minute. We are planning on using 200 gallon octagon water troughs for our settling ponds, and maybe 3 or 4 of them an them holding maybe 200 gallons each. Still trying to figure out a proper filtration system from tank to tank to keep things from getting to muddied in each, also were to put a hole in the tank maybe close to the top so the water flows tank to tank with no issues & how big of a hole to make, still not sure? Also when the material is exiting from the highbanker sluice an trying to keep it out of the water trough & looking for the easiest method possible. Maybe a jack ladder at the end of the sluice to take material away, still not sure? We live in Western Montana were water is every where but oddly we happen to be in an area that has no water were the gold location is. So I guess you can find a maybe a few questions in my post, and maybe you hobbyist might have some insight of some ideas that could make good water recirculation ideas & material dis-charge into something at the end of the Highbanker?? Also what Gold Hog mats would be good for that operation? Thanks

 

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[Bejay]

Well I am not a hobbyist...I am a miner. I look for and find gold. Hobbyists don't receive the protection of the Federal Granted Mining Laws....miners do....even those who do small scale mining.

But I have a lot of experience setting up a recirc system using the tanks you mention.

1st........I use 4 inch ABS or PVC elbows to make a outspout. Two ways of doing it. Either a syphon upside down "U" or I prefer a waterfall overflow "U"...and I have a classifier screen underneath the waterfall.....as a catch filter. On the upside (towards sluice end) you want the elbow to go down into the tub at least 6 inches: this keeps the floating material from advancing to the next tank. I use 3 tanks (tubs) and the 2nd can overflow to the third where the pump is placed.
My 2nd tub classifying screen sets on a rectangular 1/2 classifying grizz that reaches across the whole tub.

If you get a kitchen utensil screen you can skim off the floating material in the 1st tub when needed. Place a 5 gal bucket in the 1st tub to catch the majority of sluice gravels discharge. I hang it on the sluice end and dump after each run of a 5 gal bucket of classified material. I classify to 1/2 inch. Depending on the water flow through the sluice and then you can determine the size of classification. I set up on a slope so that I can obtain the waterfall effect with three tubs (stock water troughs)

I ran for three months straight and never had to clean the pump, other than muck out some extremely fine sediment once that had built up.

Bejay

 

[Hoser John]

Just go to Home depot/osh hardware and buy paint filters in the 5 gallon size. Draw string them to your pipes that attach the tanks(settling ponds) to filter from one to another. When you drain into the last pond use a pillow case as a filter or huge beach towel ,whatever from goodwill/salvation army/garage sale for a dime and good to go. If dealing with extreme bad conditions you might need to untie/clean a couple a times a day BUT sure beats trouble and cost near nuttn'-John

 

[elkoff]

I guess I should have said gold miner cause basically that's what we are doing, sorry lol. I like all the set up ideas as mentioned. Would you have a picture for visual Bejay? When you say screen under the waterfall, is it attached to the elbow or how do you do it & what screen do you use? Ya I think I need a picture if you happen to have one lol. I keep telling my brother we need a trommel NOT a Highbanker cause I feel a trommel would be more productive in the since. He thinks we need a trommel 8' foot long an I say your on crack lol. I think a normal trommel like Summit Mining has, would work fine but he has it in his head MORE dirt we push more productive we can be. I am still deciding Gold Hog mats? Any thoughts on what works best..

 

[Bejay]

The only trouble I experience with screen cloth over the piping is it clogs up with very fine organic matter. The classifier screen I use can easily be cleaned off and having two allows a quick exchange to occur while cleaning off one. My pump sat in a cut out (sides) 5 gal bucket with window screen wrapped around it.....and zip tied. The lid is thus placed back on the bucket with a notch out of it for the pump cord.

Most important is the material you are running. I was running classified Az desert wash material and it is laden with organic matter...some floats and some not so much. So the amount of organic material one has to deal with dictates the effort you must put forth to correct the issue.

Bejay

 

[Sticks]

I tried to reply hope this isn't a duplicate. Bejay is right we are miners and also right about screening recirc. I run 5hp pacer on a recirc with a similar screen bucket on foot valve. just make sure that your screen is smaller than holes on your spray bar. At some point though your water will be too thick with solids and you will start losing fine gold We use the creek for our recirc a distance of over 100 ft. So have several small pools that help filter out wooded debris.