Thomas Wentling New Member Posts:71 
| 04 Sep 2018 04:52 PM |
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I got to use my dredge for the first time this weekend. I noticed that the dredge leans to the intake hose side. I moved the motor over to help counter balance but still have to put a rock on the front corner for additional weight. I take it that this is normal due to the size of the pontoons. I only wish I had somebody around to tell me if I was running it right. The second day I ran the motor slower and kept cleaning the stones off of the classifier plate. I got away more cons the second day. I would say about a 3rd more. 8 tanks of fuel produced about a 5 gal bucket of cons. I found gold every time I rinsed the bare sluice into a pan. |
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JEFF W HIGGERSONNew Member Posts:28
| 05 Sep 2018 06:04 AM |
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if you run your dredge to slow you will get more cons but you are probable blinding the riffles if it got them or does it got expanded metal for riffles and if you blind the riffles then you are lousing gold the riffles need to be fluid the angle of the box and the speed of the water is the key. check out this link it will show you how to set up your box.
http://www.goldgold.com/s...gh-a-sluice-box.html
putting a rock on one side is OK but check how the dredge is laying when it is running you don't want the end to be much under the water around a 1in per ft. drop of the box length for starter. |
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Thomas WentlingNew Member Posts:71
| 05 Sep 2018 05:47 PM |
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This isn't a sluice box. It is a floating dredge. You can control the angle by moving the motor forward or backwards. What you can't do is counter weight tilt left and right. Water flow is controlled by motor speed. I tried to run it just fast enough to keep the miners mat somewhat clear. I didn't want it to get over burdened with material. To fast and it blows everything out. To slow and it fills up. |
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JEFF W HIGGERSONNew Member Posts:28
| 06 Sep 2018 06:01 AM |
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try to run the pump at 1/2 to 3/4 wide open and set the angle of the dredge so you are not blowing out the good stuff and then you control how much material you suck up I think there is a water to material ratio and do not try to get all the gold losing 10 percent is OK you get more by the moving more material
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Thomas WentlingNew Member Posts:71
| 06 Sep 2018 09:22 AM |
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It has a punch plate( thanks for the words). Under that are riffles, then stretched screen, then miners moss, then a mat.I think I got the water speed figured out at about 3/4 throttle. Trial and error sure does teach you fast...lol I was very pleased to see how much material you can move with a dredge vs shovel. I had to clean the tailings away from the end of the box a few times. I spent 8 hours a day in the water. I need to run the cons and see what I got. Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. |
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William Hall Buzzard Posts:660
| 06 Sep 2018 03:45 PM |
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Very important as Jeff points out
Dont let the back of the sluice box get below the surface of the water
Back that material up real quick, maybe sink the dredge, seen pics
Bill
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JEFF W HIGGERSONNew Member Posts:28
| 07 Sep 2018 04:58 AM |
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don't know how much cons you end up with I wood end up with about a 5 gallons bucket full at the end of a day or a week with a keen 8" industrial dredge and I found out if I strap down a la-trap at the front and idle down the pump I could run that 5 gallons in a short time and end up with about a half of a 3lb. coffee can and if a la=trap is to wide for your box then yoy can get one of them 4" or 6" sluice box and strap it down and cut down how much cons you have to pan maybe save cons for a few days or a week and then run the cons
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Thomas WentlingNew Member Posts:71
| 09 Sep 2018 01:23 PM |
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After 3 days of dredging for around 8 hours a day, I ended up with about a 5 gal bucket full. I kept a good eye on the sluice and it wasn't filling up with over burden. I guess I will know more once I start to work it all down. I was pleased to see 7 specs of gold when I rinsed the aluminum part of the sluice into a pan. I would run two tanks of fuel and do a clean out. I am saving the cons for winter fun. |
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William HallBuzzard Posts:660
| 10 Sep 2018 04:13 PM |
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Thomas,
Two things jump out to me in your post, this is just my opinion (my wife reminds me what thats worth)
5 gal cons on a 2" dredge is to much, unless you like workin cons
Doing a clean up more than once a day is to much
Again my opinion
Not questioning your decision making, your there and I'm not
"IF" you see gold past the third riffle your box is to steep, or to much water
"IF" your box loads up often your box is not steep enough, or not enough water or a combination of both, you get the picture
It is a delicate balancing act, water flow will change things also
It only takes a small adjustment to the box to make a big difference, go slow
Bill
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Joseph LoydBuzzard Posts:553
| 11 Sep 2018 11:44 AM |
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The punch plate is set as to the way it is supposed to be when running .If not enough water and proper angle it will not clean off right .I was not sure on that one so I contacted a friend .I ran a 2'' and a 4 inch for a long time .Have to play with them some to get it right .i would clean out twice a day .lunch and in the evenings .oh yes he reminded me that once the sluice box loads with material the punch plate should be level or a little down hill.
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JEFF W HIGGERSONNew Member Posts:28
| 11 Sep 2018 02:11 PM |
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If I don't find any gold in the last 1/4 of the box then I doing good if you got gold going past the third riffle that is OK the sluice is long for a reason and that is so you can run fast and sell catch the gold remember more material more gold the box should have a 1in drop per foot of the box length you start there and adjust for water speed you need lots of water to keep your riffle fluid if there not fluid then there not catching much gold
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Thomas WentlingNew Member Posts:71
| 12 Sep 2018 06:07 AM |
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The challenge, in the eastern US, is that we have flour gold. I did fine a piece the size of a plastic pin head but that is very unusual. Because of that, we don't know what gold we have until we do a clean out. We can't see where it is in the sluice. I would really like to know how well I did.... but.... I wait until it gets into the teens outside. Then I spend my time in the warm basement with some music and drink of choice...lol *** I would like to say THANKS for everybody's input. It helps a lot to try what others suggest to see what works. I appreciate it! |
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Joseph LoydBuzzard Posts:553
| 12 Sep 2018 10:39 AM |
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one problem my son always had was he wanted to over load the box .he tried to move to much material through the box .i had to keep slowing him down.good luck.
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