How do you do it? First summer dredging, not a lot of plugs but enough. How do you remove them? Had to unhook the hose and drag it out to dry land one time to clear it. No fun with an 8" dredge hose!! I have a few ideas myself but my experience is extremely limited.
Fire away!!
Thanks,
Easy goer
Unplugging Dredge Hose
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Geowizard
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Re: Unplugging Dredge Hose
Easy goer,
Unless you are expecting a GOLD nugget larger than say two or more inches, use a guard on the nozzle to prevent large rocks from getting into the hose. A guard can be fabricated using several different methods. Weld it yourself from appropriate size bar stock or have a welder fabricate a 2" mesh guard. Smaller screen mesh can be banded around the nozzle with a hose clamp or series of hose clamps.
One other remedy is not using a longer hose than needed. A long hose will sag and load up with rock.
I hope that helps!
- Geowizard
Unless you are expecting a GOLD nugget larger than say two or more inches, use a guard on the nozzle to prevent large rocks from getting into the hose. A guard can be fabricated using several different methods. Weld it yourself from appropriate size bar stock or have a welder fabricate a 2" mesh guard. Smaller screen mesh can be banded around the nozzle with a hose clamp or series of hose clamps.
One other remedy is not using a longer hose than needed. A long hose will sag and load up with rock.
I hope that helps!
- Geowizard
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chickenminer
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Re: Unplugging Dredge Hose
Hey Kevin,
How did it go last summer? Other than plugged hose! Are you going to be banging away at it this coming season ?
How did it go last summer? Other than plugged hose! Are you going to be banging away at it this coming season ?
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C.R. "Dick" Hammond
Stonehouse Mining
Chicken, Alaska
C.R. "Dick" Hammond
Stonehouse Mining
Chicken, Alaska
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gabbie
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Re: Unplugging Dredge Hose
use a rubber mallet thats what i use a few taps usually releases the plug
doug
doug
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Joe S (AK)
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Re: Unplugging Dredge Hose
Me too on that rubber mallet, Gabby.
I have found that sometimes a couple of smaller pebbles will also jam together to make a plug-up. Rubber hammer and light Rat, Tat, Tat will re-arrange the little pebbles to wash through. If it is a toggle situation with a single rock the jarring often frees it.
Yeah, my "Mighty 2 inch Shop Vac with an Attitude" sometimes can be shaken loose --- because it senses my exasperation.
I often have used a long metal rod, a stick of electrical conduit, straight and peeled willow sapling or some such thing can often be a last chance save before wrestling that Anaconda onshore.
Joe
I have found that sometimes a couple of smaller pebbles will also jam together to make a plug-up. Rubber hammer and light Rat, Tat, Tat will re-arrange the little pebbles to wash through. If it is a toggle situation with a single rock the jarring often frees it.
Yeah, my "Mighty 2 inch Shop Vac with an Attitude" sometimes can be shaken loose --- because it senses my exasperation.
I often have used a long metal rod, a stick of electrical conduit, straight and peeled willow sapling or some such thing can often be a last chance save before wrestling that Anaconda onshore.
Joe
Determination, Tempered in the Heat of Stubbornness,
Really Gets Things Done!
Really Gets Things Done!
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Geowizard
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Re: Unplugging Dredge Hose
The balancing act;
Prevention is the best solution...
Suction dredging requires a balance between "flow rate" and the "weight/volume" of the material being dredged.
It's a trade-off. Often times, a dredger will throttle back the pump to reduce the flow in the sluice box. On the other extreme, I have seen a dredger with a rooster tail shooting over the top of the sluice box! Flow rate is the secret sauce that keeps the material being suctioned flowing sufficiently in the hose! The throttle on the pump has to be controlled to keep material flowing sufficiently without too much flow in the sluice box. Not enough flow, the rocks pile up and the fun begins!
- Geowizard
Prevention is the best solution...
Suction dredging requires a balance between "flow rate" and the "weight/volume" of the material being dredged.
It's a trade-off. Often times, a dredger will throttle back the pump to reduce the flow in the sluice box. On the other extreme, I have seen a dredger with a rooster tail shooting over the top of the sluice box! Flow rate is the secret sauce that keeps the material being suctioned flowing sufficiently in the hose! The throttle on the pump has to be controlled to keep material flowing sufficiently without too much flow in the sluice box. Not enough flow, the rocks pile up and the fun begins!
- Geowizard