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New project,
amorton
post Dec 27 2011, 09:10 PM
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So here is the new winter project. would have gotten further but my welder ran out of argon / c02.
Any suggestions are welcome.











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swizz
post Dec 27 2011, 09:54 PM
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Looking good, I sent you a PM. happy088.gif


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amorton
post Dec 29 2011, 01:58 AM
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So I am thinking about how much water I will need to feed this thing. Also what size sluice to run. I was planning on setting it up to use an A52 box and have the trommel dump into it. They are 10" wide and 50" long. Does anyone know off hand how many gallons per hour it takes to run an A52? Will an A52 be large enough or should I go larger? I was figuring I would have the discharge on the trommel drop onto a punch plate above the rubber matting part of the sluice. Then anything larger than 1/8 inch will drop onto the riffles. The trommel is screening to just under 1/2 an inch. The gearing I think I will have will turn it at between 11 and 15 RPM.

If anyone has a spare A52 for sale or somthing similar in size I am interested.
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russau
post Dec 29 2011, 05:05 AM
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why not make your own sluice to fit your needs?
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amorton
post Dec 29 2011, 06:57 AM
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I can, but I don’t own a metal brake so the box it's self would need to be made by someone else then the riffle material and I am getting close to the cost of a commercial unit which should be easy enough to adapt for my use. Then I have an A52 as well right now my only sluice is a folding which is not ridged enough for this purpose.
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russau
post Dec 29 2011, 10:40 AM
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just goto a metal fabrication shop and ask for a price to bend one up. they should have the alum. if you dont have a peice. youll save a bunch of $$$$$. the riffels or whatever you chose to use in the sluice,are also EZ to make. youve got a good start on your project!
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swizz
post Dec 29 2011, 10:52 AM
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QUOTE (russau @ Dec 29 2011, 09:40 AM) *
just go to a metal fabrication shop and ask for a price to bend one up. they should have the alum.


For sure.
Even up here we have a sheet metal shop that has all of this. Sometimes they'll have enough scrap laying around and do side projects and may or may not take beer as payment. cheers.gif
They can whip up a box in minutes.


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amorton
post Dec 29 2011, 09:48 PM
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So I found some 1/4 inch punch plate stock cheap, and I think I am going to cut out the 1/2 expanded metal and weld this in. I really don’t need any 1/2 inch size rocks in my sluice so this seems like a better solution. I may have to turn it a bit slower but I think it will prevent the sluice from overloading with a bunch of 1/2" junk. Which this change I now run the risk of throwing out a few 1/4 size nuggets. So I have a few options. I can design a nugget trap to the feed hopper, I can attempt to catch them with a small lip before they hit the tailings shoot, or just keep a metal detector around and hope it will target a 1/4"+ nugget. The chances of finding them is slim but I sure would like to hold onto them if It does not require any extra effort. So ideas? I thought a steep coarse sluice maybe with 3/8-1/2 inch bar stock welded into the feed hopper to catch nuggets might be the easy way to make this work.

Punch plate stock, also should have a lot of scrap if anyone needs some odd bits for modifications.








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russau
post Dec 30 2011, 05:47 AM
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nice find! my garage/shop is full of odds and ends of scrap metal. theyre real handy to have when im fabing up something!
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amorton
post Dec 31 2011, 12:14 AM
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progress, getting the punch plate into shape and welded in was not as easy as it looked. This this is getting heavy.





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russau
post Dec 31 2011, 05:23 AM
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heavy? yes,but itll last for a long time! and you can say that you built it!!
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Woody
post Dec 31 2011, 08:35 AM
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Hey Amorton,

If there was anyway I could convince you to go a little larger on that screen tube I would try. My best suggestion would be to try to make two screen tubes. Mybe you are working an area that you figure 1/4 to be the best and it fits the bill there perfectly but my suggestion is the norm would be a little larger. How hard would it be to make the screen tube interchangeable? Woody.


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swizz
post Dec 31 2011, 10:28 AM
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I agree with Woody.
1/2" screen size is more logical... I guess, unless you're beach mining in Nome or similar. Most sluice deigns can efficiently process 1/2" material and retain fines without a problem when set up properly.
Your trommel will operate more efficiently with a larger classification barrel screen from A - Z. Larger screen = faster processing = higher volume of material per manhour.
I personally need to process everything up to 1/2" or bye bye nugs and pickers.... ya never know. Colorado still has some nice Gold laying around. Certain sizes and shapes that I've recovered may not have made it through a 1/4" screen like that.
Or.... like Woody suggested, make different class barrels. You could experiment.
2c.gif


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amorton
post Jan 1 2012, 03:19 AM
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So you guys have me thinking about the screen size, I think I will get it together like this, then maybe drill out the holes to 3/8" which would split the difference. I drilled out a few in a scrap piece and it does not take long I figure I could punch them all out in two hours. The stand in the picture is too tall, this is on purpose so I can build the hopper up off the ground a bit and figure out my discharge pipe and sluice height, then I will add the wheels and cut the finial height. The barrel rotates very smooth and tracks straight. If I have time I will start the hopper.



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amorton
post Jan 2 2012, 08:33 AM
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So started on the hopper, I still need to make ends for it and finish weld it, then grind out the welds on the inside so the gold has a nice smooth ride to the sluice box. The hopper his hung from the frame by some angle iron. The angle iron will be bolted or pined in later so the option to remove the hopper in the field is there. Not sure what I will try and tackle next. I still don't know how I am going to setup the motor to spin it, I ordered some sprockets and a chain. The plan is to use a 12V windshield wiper motor. I need to design a feed hopper as well. Sorry if this is a bit scattered I am using the forum to organize my thoughts. I don't really know what I am doing, just letting it build it's self as I go.









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