Winter project/ spring preparations

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Waynos

Sr. Member
May 28, 2015
266
721
Keene New Hampshire
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Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Garrett AT Propointer
Lesche Sampson T shovel
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In the process of trying to get approved for a first time buyers house loan.
That said I gotta pinch some pennies where I can and still get my remaining supplies I need to prospect in May.

Things I have;
Pans (15",14",10")
1/2" classifier
Snuffer Bottle
2 gold vials
Shovel

I still need the following things,
Sluice box
Hand dredge/crevice tool
A few buckets with lids

Sluice box;
Debating on a cheap no name via Amazon for around $55
or try to find a used A51.
I really want an A51 or A52 but i may have to settle for a no name

Hand dredge/crevice tool;
Found some cool videos on DIY hand dredge/crevice tools.
Costs around $30 to build vs $50 at my local shop.

Buckets;
I've emailed a bunch of painters and drywall companies with no avail and no luck at restaurants and produce stores.
Trying to avoid home cheapo buckets @ $10 for 2with lids lol

I have some cash to buy with but not quite enough for the supplies I need yet.
I don't want to turn in my jewelry I found metal detecting, otherwise I could probably get close to an extra $100 roughly.

Maybe tax returns I can talk the wife out of a few hundred lol
 

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Home cheap buckets over here are only $3.00 no lids don't need them any how. I get at least 2 seasons out of them. Check at Dunkin Donuts they have 3 gal. buckets they get coffee in. The only other thing that you really could use is a sluice but not necessary You have the basics.
 

Another source for buckets are large hotels that do their own laundry. AzViper gets tons of them from the hotels in Tucson so it can't hurt to check it out.

You might also want to consider some finer mesh classifiers. By classifying the cons down to like sizes, panning is much easier as well as more effective. If you're just using them for panning, you can get the smaller 6 inch ones and save a few bucks that way while improving your stash of gear.
 

I made my first classifier took the top 4'' of a homer bucket and riveted some 1/4 square fencing to the inside and there you go instant classifier.
 

I would check dunkin donuts , or other simular places , they usually have lots of buckets .
 

My local donut shop sells cleaned 5 gal buckets for a buck...worth it for a clean one. Food service buckets are much better because they are made of thicker plastic so they handle miner's uses and abuses much better. Don't buy the junk at the home improvement stores, just don't.

PS yes, those orange buckets make you look like a noob. Sorry but they do.
 

I keep saying it, but it's true. I really like the 6 inch curugated tube flayed in half for a sluice. It holds all the gold and catches gems. It cleans and concentrates.
You can literally see how much gold you are getting each time you go for another bucket. When you see a couple of specks of flour 2/3 the way down it dump it in a bucket and fill er up again. I worked rich ground and it got allot of gold that first year. Run it with a fair volume of water but flatter and slower than usual. Like an underwater sluice box. But water only half way up the side. Bigger rocks up to 3 inches just roll right off without disturbing the gold. It's real cost effective. I prefer a skeletonized aluminum frame., light and ridged.
 

KevinInColorado said:
Food service buckets are much better because they are made of thicker plastic so they handle miner's uses and abuses much better. Don't buy the junk at the home improvement stores, just don't.
Click to expand...

Lowes and Home Depot both have "food grade" buckets for about $5 each... Online it always says they have them in stock at the store, but I have no idea where they
actually keep them in the store, and I have no idea if their idea of "food grade" means "normal good pail" or "slightly less crappy than our orange pails".

Oil supply companies also. The pails they put Soluble oil, waylube and hydraulic oil in... The place I go will sell them with covers for $7. If you find a machine shop,
the buckets with soluble oil/coolant work well, and because the oil is soluble in water, they clean up real easy... The buckets with waylube or hydraulic oil in them are
a pain to clean up.

$7 a bucket isn't cheap, but for the number of $2.50 Lowe's buckets I've destroyed, I'm money ahead, and I was there getting a few buckets of way lube anyways.

I used to slop food in a nursing home, and I cringe at how many buckets were thrown in the dumpster that should have gone home with me.. And then I think
about how many buckets the laundry was throwing away every day and I feel a little queezy.
 

I just bought some at HD. The plain white ones ar 5 bucks but if you get the Orange lets do this bucket they are a only. 3 each.
 

I like the free ones also check the pancake houses like Ihop ,ETC .
 

My experience with building the hand dredge, from 2 different sets of plans. Neither on works. Maybe just my dumb luck.
Waynos said:
In the process of trying to get approved for a first time buyers house loan.
That said I gotta pinch some pennies where I can and still get my remaining supplies I need to prospect in May.

Things I have;
Pans (15",14",10")
1/2" classifier
Snuffer Bottle
2 gold vials
Shovel

I still need the following things,
Sluice box
Hand dredge/crevice tool
A few buckets with lids

Sluice box;
Debating on a cheap no name via Amazon for around $55
or try to find a used A51.
I really want an A51 or A52 but i may have to settle for a no name

Hand dredge/crevice tool;
Found some cool videos on DIY hand dredge/crevice tools.
Costs around $30 to build vs $50 at my local shop.

Buckets;
I've emailed a bunch of painters and drywall companies with no avail and no luck at restaurants and produce stores.
Trying to avoid home cheapo buckets @ $10 for 2with lids lol

I have some cash to buy with but not quite enough for the supplies I need yet.
I don't want to turn in my jewelry I found metal detecting, otherwise I could probably get close to an extra $100 roughly.

Maybe tax returns I can talk the wife out of a few hundred lol
Click to expand...
 

Buckets: Do you have a Firehouse sub shop near you ? If so ask for their pickle buckets. They sell them for really cheap, also see if the bakery dept will give you their 5 gallon buckets (they use for frosting). Some will some wont.
 

Buckets - if you drive by small restaurants on garbage day, you can probably collect as many as you want in one trip. The downside is getting them clean, depending what they had contained.

Sluice - the Le Trap is also pretty good. Cheap (plastic), cleans up easy & portable. Otherwise, set up a notification on Kijjiji, so you get an email when somebody posts a used sluice.

Hand Dredge - they work well and the most important parts to get right are the valve and seal (especially the seal). You can get the parts for next to nothing from a used construction materials store (in Canada, a good one is called Restore - Habitat for Humanity. There are similar places all over the US).

Of your list of stuff, the hand dredge is probably the least important, unless you have a particular spot already in mind. The alternative to spending any money is to hook up with a prospecting buddy who already has gear...
 

Almost done building my crevice tool.
Gonna add two check valves so when I draw material in it don't fall out until I release it into the classifier or sluice depending on what I have come spring.
I'll post some pics when I get it complete
 

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