ICEBREAKER!

[Joe S (AK)]

Jim,

Not a Gold Cube - but rather I use - a Gold Hog Highbanker.

[Joe S (AK)]

Anyone Else?

Certainly the conditions of your individual areas make for a wide range of site specific set-ups, so lets hear about them. We all can learn from what you have found in working your Neck of the Woods.

While I often have a lot of clay in the soil where I work it does (with certain exceptions) break down pretty well and that reminds me of one area where clay was not a big problem --- beach sands.

The most unique equipment set-up I have used was a DIY (2' W x 3' L) Nome Beach Box which I built for (and used) in Nome back in (I think) '05.

On the 45 degree top input section there was a full width and height) suspended (and sagging by design) smaller false over-bed of medium/small expanded, which the spray bar washed with quite a bit of water. The classified undersized material dropped straight down to a 45 degree, plywood " sub-floor" of that upper portion which had a bare, Lowes, short nap carpet insert - independently removable from a slot on the top.

After that upper run the partially worked slurry dropped, changed direction and passed over a much flatter lower run with larger expanded over top more Lowes carpet in the lower end. Then, of course, the spent slurry just discharged.

While the box (on two bicycle wheels) was easily portable using it's trailer hitch to a wheeler, it was both heavy and actually very specialized for beach sand. With a very slow input volume it would handle the paced shoveling - but the strong natural tendency was to over tax the system. It ultimately was relegated to the "Exterior Storage Area" where it sits today under a tarp but ready "Just in Case".

So, c'mon, what do you use where you work? What kinds of conditions do you have to work with?

Joe

[Micropedes1]

Joe, you can greatly increase thru-put of beach sand with a properly sized section of triangular profile screen. When flow across is properly adjusted, the blonde sands fairly skate across the top. Only allow heavies thru. And the profile screen is non-blinding.

[Joe S (AK)]

OK, even though I don't use the beach box at the moment I am curious about that "Triangular" deal. Would that be regular woven wire screen mounted 45 degrees to the water flow making a diamond shape? Something else?

What sized classification would "Properly" seem to suggest? Small, Medium, Large or OMG Large maybe?

Or would you possibly have expanded or flattened expanded in mind? You have my curiosity kicked up a notch and a half!

Joe

[Johnedoe]

I finally made it up to cape disappointment .... What a beach.
Black sand was 2 feet thick where we were digging ...
In 2 days of light work we moved about 65 gallons of black sand and recovered a little over 3 grams of fine beach gold.
My sluice consist of 1/8th inch punch plate from the hopper , material then drops onto a section of miners moss then under a slat that holds the miners moss in place and allows a 1/4 inch slot under which the water and material flow.
It then travels over 1' of vortex mat then over 2' of Draglines 1/4 inch sawtooth mat after that over a 2' section of deep V mat and finally over a 2' section of cleangold magnetic mat.....
That seems to do a very respectable job of gold capture.
The sluice is setup at 11 deg. and about 1800 GPH water flow.

Here is a couple a pics of the beach sluice and the gold...... If the pics will post this time.

Can't get the pictures to post so will try these links.........

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attac ... 1554163316

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attac ... 1554163357

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attac ... 1532656289

[Johnedoe]

Joe, you can greatly increase thru-put of beach sand with a properly sized section of triangular profile screen. When flow across is properly adjusted, the blonde sands fairly skate across the top. Only allow heavies thru. And the profile screen is non-blinding.

I would like to see this profile screen you speak of, I have never heard of it and cannot envision it from your description..