Devin gold sluice cleanup

[Jim_Alaska]

While watching that video one thing occurred to me. Any riffle, no matter the size, will lose gold if it is overloaded. That matting is grossly overloaded as evidenced by the complete covering of the matting with fine gold. Sure, there is more matting in the sections below it, but at what point are all of them overloaded?

The matting should be dumped off to allow for more gold to be caught in the first section. The same thing can be seen in any sluice or dredge, once the riffles are overloaded it is prudent to remove some of the gold to allow the efficient capture of the rest of the clean-up.

So the question remains, he recovered just over two ounces, but how much did he lose, and did he even think to test to determine if he lost any?

[Joe S (AK)]

Jim,

I know Johnedoe quite well, and I've worked shoveling the beach near his home, side by side with him, in the past. Not only that, but I have shared time with him processing beach concentrates of ours in his magical garage / classroom. I was thoroughly, thoroughly impressed.

One thing I feel compelled to mention about JED's equipment and techniques is that when he runs a 'cube not one stinkin' speck escapes. I have watched his work, repeatedly, and it is top notch. In addition, the tailings ARE re-run, "Just in case" and I can, again attest, that the 3 or 4 specs that somehow stuck to grains of quartz and ran the entire way through all those trays and traps the first time - well - they never do it on a second run. Gahr-ahn-teed!

The video he posted shows the powder gold filling the black ribbed mat in the top tray of the 'cube -- however -- remember that the surface on the top tray originally came strictly as a bare slick plate from Red and 'em at Gold Cube Central. Johnedoe has simply converted that flat area in the top tray into a pre normal recovery catchment area and as such it could fill 100% and still not effect the cube's designed catchment trays' ability to capture small Gold in the lower trays.

I learn everything I can from those whom I have ever worked with. I learned a lot from JED.

- Joe -

[Jim_Alaska]

Thanks for the detailed explanation Joe. That makes a lot more sense. Just seeing that top tray fill like it did on the video really got me to questioning the process. Just the way you explained his process makes me think of myself; I am one of those anal guys that hates to lose even one spec. Just the fact that this guy does this all the time would, or should, tell me that he knows what he is doing.

[Geowizard]

It's magic;

Knowing the rules of the road on the Oregon beach, I'm actually more curious about how 200 tons of beach sand blew off the beach leaving those cons. Obviously, the GOLD cube is just a cleanup system. The problem is getting 200 (+/-) tons of beach sand ran through a FINE GOLD recovery system.

- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

As with most mining endeavors, there is more to it than meets the eye.

[Joe S (AK)]

Knowing all about all the very restrictive rules on the Oregon beach as you mentioned, you should understand that mining there is very unlike what your question refers to.

Naturally deposited storm wash, thrown high up onto the sandy beach, is slowly concentrated by occasional ground seeps and small rivulets - leaving naturally rendered, shallow, concentrate residues of just both Iron minerals (Hematite and Magnetite) and, of course, traces of the flour Gold. That very slow erosion of the 'lights' from the storm wash continues 24 x 7 (aided by rain) until the next storm 'shuffles the deck' again. As a result of that natural washing away action, very distinctive black streaks in the quartz sands indicate a prime 'pay streak'. THAT concentrated material is shoveled up, loaded into a wagon and transported to the sluices. ONLY that somewhat concentrated heavier material is what is run through the streambed sluices (as you know from your reading, no power on the Oregon sand beaches at all). Only those hyper concentrates are what are carried back for final concentrating with the 'cube.

Yes, Oregon beach mining, with its unrealistic restrictions, is a severe challenge - and JED (trained on the beaches of Nome) is a prime example of overcoming adversity. Of the two locations, Oregon and Nome, the specific beach working conditions of Nome are easier while all the other aspects of Oregon are so much better.

- Joe -

[Geowizard]

Nome beach training;

"THAT concentrated material is shoveled up, loaded into a wagon and transported to the sluices. ONLY that somewhat concentrated heavier material is what is run through the streambed sluices"

"Only those hyper concentrates are what are carried back for final concentrating with the 'cube."

I always wondered how they got all that beach GOLD.

- Geowizard

[waveaction]

I recently put in a Vortex Drop Riffle (VDR) Rubber Mat by Infinity and Devin Gold which I purchased from "Infinity Prospecting" in my Power Sluice. I always love trying different technology. The Gold Hog River Sluice has about a 1/2" drop in the Flare to allow for the think Gold Hog Mat. This 1/2" drop is perfect for the VDR Mat. My guess is both mats will capture close to the same amount of fine Gold. I will be running some test with seeded dirt to check it out.

VDR Mat by Kurt Bublitz, on Flickr

[chickenminer]

Slatco ...
Any more videos on that Devin sluice setup ? What model are you using?
I purchased a 10x48 plate from them, going to build a cleanup sluice next Spring
similar to their setup.
If you had any modifications what would they be?

Hope you had a good season!

[Slatco]

I have the 6" by 48" one and it processes what I do very well. If you are building your own, I would really try and incorporate the Vee trough that it side tips into. The gold hangs up a little in the aluminum and that allows you to wash the blacksands right out of it. You end up with 80 percent clean gold with no panning needed other than what was washed down. I do run my Letrap after it and usually catch 5-15 pieces that for some reason go through the Devin sluice. I have checked it by saving all the cons I rub through and then putting them through a gold cube and the gold recovered after cubing is not worth the effort.