Well it is used but in very good condition, but it is "new" to me and I just bought this and I have been waiting a long time to get one!!!
I bought it from a young gentleman in Canada, he said that would be willing to drive a little ways to get it to the buyer, so I "joking, but wishfully hoping" posted that if he would be willing to drive to South Carolina I would buy this, and he replied much to my delight that yes he would DRIVE FROM QUEBEC CANADA TO THE SOUTHERN MOST PORTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA to sell me my "new" toy , he just left to drive back to Canada about an hour ago (last night), and yes he did drive straight through the east coast snowstorm!!!
Can anyone tell that I'm very happy with my new toy???
Well here is a picture of my new toy and some accessories that came with the deal, it does need a little cleaning and he apologized for not having the time to clean it and offered to take $100 off, but I couldn't let him do that after driving for 20+ hours straight, and through a record breaking snowstorm!!!
Skip
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I can see exactly how it works now...Hmmmmm, all it needs is to have the pipe device to be able to swivel and add a "rudder" handle and it would steer without having to manipulate the entire dredge or using your body as a rubber!!
OK, now I have seen Abearzz cruising around with his dredge, so now I know, from your pictures I sorta know what your talking about, turning your dredge in "jet boat", but I'm can't seems to see which way you would put the jet into the "pipe device" you have in your pictures, could you post a picture with the jet inserted into the device, and also how long is the pipe section?
This would be a good one to put in the DIY Group, if you could get Abearzz permission!!!
By the way has anyone heard from him lately, I haven't seen him post anywhere in a while?
Skip
Mark Woodruff > Gold SeekerDecember 21, 2009 at 9:42pm
There is a lot to be learned from spending some time with Abearzz, WillD, Shay, and the rest of the gang. I don't know if this is exactly the same design that Abearzz uses, but it has to be similar since I contrived it from those guys. The Catawaba is so far the only river where I have needed this, and I did not use it last year since I did not get the chance to go down. I have it clamped on with C-clamps, but I am thinking about drilling holes in the top rail and mounting it directly under the engine mount holes with longer bolts. I also plan on bead blasting it and painting it sometime soon.
The frame needs to be longer than the width of the engine support bars
The actual pipe itself just needs to be a little bigger on the inside diameter than the outside diameter of the jet log. Length really does not matter. I found mine at a scrap yard, welding and materials cost me less than $20
Just pull the jet from the flair and stick it directly into the pipe. Strap it down really good or it may shoot out of the bracket. This end would be the "front" and the discharge of the sluice would be the "rear"
Another thing, you need to disconnect the suction hose from the jet log. If you have seen the video of Abearzz, you will notice that he has the suction hose wrapped around the dredge frame and out of the water to decrease drag. The quick disconnect comes in handy for this.
I may go ahead and get the bead blasting done, get it painted and do an entry in the DIY.
looks like an ultra mini 4.with a 6.5 honda? very nice dredges.bought a new one last march.(kac1 comp.)never needed more than half throttle.you could run the air chisel off the bank mounted 263,when needed.think you will love that creek sucker.found that with the ultra mini,ran the box a bit flatter, water a bit harder,just until the cobbles would clear the box.and the dredge would ride better.when you find the optimal setting,scratch a line on the frame @ the slider joint with a nail or awl.then each setup will be faster.congrats and good luck.
Gold Seeker > andrew hallDecember 20, 2009 at 4:05pm
Thanks Andrew,
No this is a full size 4" with the 3 stage sluice box, it does have the 6.5 Honda, the separate compressor has a 5.5 Honda.
How do you like that Kac1 compressor, I haven't heard to much reporting on them?
Thanks for the tip on marking the sluice position.
Skip
Mark Woodruff > Gold SeekerDecember 20, 2009 at 6:02pm
Skip,
I have had a hard time with my lower box packing up with black sand. The Catawaba river dredging was the worst. I spoke with Mark Keene and he suggested that I run the slide plate all the way out, set the box about 2 inches past halfway, (further out) and run the engine between 3/4 and 7/8ths full throttle. He said the lower box needs a lot of water flow for the riffles to work well.
I am not sure I want to run my engine that hard, so I am thinking about changing the lower riffle section to a larger size expanded metal only. I will have to keep the spacing the same, but getting the tall riffles out should speed the flow up in the lower box. The lower box is important on the Catawaba because most of the gold is flour. When I am dredging in other places I can put the original riffles in.
Take a look at what I use in the larger rivers to motor the dredge around. You have to take the power jet out of the flair and stick in the device that is welded. Strap it in good with bungee cords. Have a rod mad that you can hook onto the throttle lever and now you have a boat of sorts. I tie up my inflatable boat to the dredge and push the back end of the dredge one way or another to steer it. Abearzz is a dredge boating master.
Replies
Yes that is a "soda" cannister that has been converted to a reserve air tank.
Skip
I can see exactly how it works now...Hmmmmm, all it needs is to have the pipe device to be able to swivel and add a "rudder" handle and it would steer without having to manipulate the entire dredge or using your body as a rubber!!
Skip
Thanks for the tips!!
OK, now I have seen Abearzz cruising around with his dredge, so now I know, from your pictures I sorta know what your talking about, turning your dredge in "jet boat", but I'm can't seems to see which way you would put the jet into the "pipe device" you have in your pictures, could you post a picture with the jet inserted into the device, and also how long is the pipe section?
This would be a good one to put in the DIY Group, if you could get Abearzz permission!!!
By the way has anyone heard from him lately, I haven't seen him post anywhere in a while?
Skip
The frame needs to be longer than the width of the engine support bars
The actual pipe itself just needs to be a little bigger on the inside diameter than the outside diameter of the jet log. Length really does not matter. I found mine at a scrap yard, welding and materials cost me less than $20
Just pull the jet from the flair and stick it directly into the pipe. Strap it down really good or it may shoot out of the bracket. This end would be the "front" and the discharge of the sluice would be the "rear"
Another thing, you need to disconnect the suction hose from the jet log. If you have seen the video of Abearzz, you will notice that he has the suction hose wrapped around the dredge frame and out of the water to decrease drag. The quick disconnect comes in handy for this.
I may go ahead and get the bead blasting done, get it painted and do an entry in the DIY.
No this is a full size 4" with the 3 stage sluice box, it does have the 6.5 Honda, the separate compressor has a 5.5 Honda.
How do you like that Kac1 compressor, I haven't heard to much reporting on them?
Thanks for the tip on marking the sluice position.
Skip
I have had a hard time with my lower box packing up with black sand. The Catawaba river dredging was the worst. I spoke with Mark Keene and he suggested that I run the slide plate all the way out, set the box about 2 inches past halfway, (further out) and run the engine between 3/4 and 7/8ths full throttle. He said the lower box needs a lot of water flow for the riffles to work well.
I am not sure I want to run my engine that hard, so I am thinking about changing the lower riffle section to a larger size expanded metal only. I will have to keep the spacing the same, but getting the tall riffles out should speed the flow up in the lower box. The lower box is important on the Catawaba because most of the gold is flour. When I am dredging in other places I can put the original riffles in.
Take a look at what I use in the larger rivers to motor the dredge around. You have to take the power jet out of the flair and stick in the device that is welded. Strap it in good with bungee cords. Have a rod mad that you can hook onto the throttle lever and now you have a boat of sorts. I tie up my inflatable boat to the dredge and push the back end of the dredge one way or another to steer it. Abearzz is a dredge boating master.
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