I'm goin' to be snowed out of my claim pretty soon.
Puttin' together a list of projects for equip to use next spring.
The main project is a Simple Simon dredge.
About 200' of 2 1/2" pipe, with about a 30' drop.
I'll put all the smaller componants together here at home, then set up the pipe in the spring.
Planning for a "Long Tom". 23 1/2' long and about 8" wide.
Three 8' sections with a two inch over lap at the joints.
1/8" aluminum, can bend in the shop at work to make the trough.
Removable riffles and moss.
So, what do you have planned for your off season endevors to keep the "Gold Bug" at bay?
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This is the original valve, and still in use.
Used the end out of an aluminum cigar case. My later units ( 3 ) have the flat piece of rubber.
Same blob of silicon too. LOL
All of my units are designed for under water use. I mean completely submerged.
Specificly to assist in getting into cracks where a dredge won't reach. And yes, they have traps for collecting material.
It ain't pretty, but it works.
Steelpan,
I only see an inlet valve and the trap by running the 1/2 in up inside the 2 in.
What I had in mind was an inlet and outlet where a person could just pump the material into a classifier.
We have long winters in Indiana so I should have plenty of time to work on this. {unless we get enough ice to fish} If I can figure out how to post a drawing, I can explain better what I have in mind.
Appreciate the help and hope you will review my design when I post it.
thanks again............bj
Steel Pan > Brian DelorenzoNovember 24, 2009 at 7:47pm
The piece that I showed you, inserts into a "T". ( I was just showing you an example of the valve. ) The suction tube mounts directly across from it.
The other part of the "T" has a 12" tube with a screw end. This is the trap. There are a couple of places where you can put a valve to purge the water you siphoned. I prefered not to have to drill and glue in the hopes that it would hold a valve assembly. I put a flapper valve in the piston push rod, and run the water out a "T" handle.
It'll throw a 20' stream, if ya push real hard. LOL
Here's the end of the handle.
It also doubles as a trap, IF, you should happen to pump out a nice little piece.
( That ain't happenin' )
Point the short end away from you and pump your little heart out. You can keep it in the crack and not blow material away.
pan, was hoping wickenburg/qtzite for all of jan. if possible. but i hope that every year. like your long tom plan,but 2.5 w/ 30 foot drop might charge a wider sluice bottom?how many gpms do you estimate?great idea no matter what.a 12 inch bottom would move 4x that of an 8.definitely get the rod type grizzly bars for the hopper,set at proper angle, they self clean better than expanded metal.and if the spraybar(s) spray up hopper,stuff dissolves better.maybe a check tray w/ black ribbed matting at top?(under grizzly) what no snowmobile? ha
Steel Pan > andrew hallNovember 16, 2009 at 8:37pm
I'll have to test and try, can always put in a valve to adjust flow. At roughly 1" drop per 1', that's 24" over the length. I'm still working on the riffle configuration, width, angle, height, etc. I think I'll go higher than the average sluice. I think the key is to put the right material on the floor. I can't cypher well enough to figure the gpm. LOL
Heck with the snomobile, I want a "Tucker"! ( drove 'em at ski areas ) Kinda like a 3/4 ton pickup that travels on the snow, or just about anywhere. LOL
A simple flapper valve for the input and output.
I got a 4" square piece of rubber about 1/16" thick at the local hardware store, and cut the 1/2 and 3/4 inch valves from that.
I built my "Sucker Tubes" about 25 yrs ago. No maintenence, except that I have had to replace the pickup tube 5 or 6 times, but the rest of the thing is well intact.
I used copper tubing for the pickup tube. Cut the tube with a tubing cutter and the end will be tapered inward. This makes the tip of the tube smaller than the rest of the tube and helps prevent clogging. When the tip gets worn from scraping on hard rock, I just pull out my cutter and make a new end. Takes about 2 min. for the repair.
It works very well underwater for cleaning out cracks up to 2' deep.
The copper pickup tube is soft enough to gently bend, to about any angle, in order to "snake" your way in and around. I have both 1/2 and 3/4 inch pickup tubes, in 12, 18, and 24 inch lengths.
Steelpan,
How did you make the valves? How where they attached in the tube?
I made the sucker out of 2 in. pvc reduced to 1/2 in. The new one will likely have a 2 in by 1 1/2 wye at the base of the sucker with the pull coming straight off the end of the main tube and the exghaust out the downward pointing wye.
I do like the idea of the copper tubing, will have to figure out how to mate the copper to the pvc.
Steel Pan > Brian DelorenzoNovember 17, 2009 at 9:36am
Hey Brian,
I'm leavin' town for a week. When I get back I'll post up some picks of my sucker.
It will be easier for me to explain the construction with visual aids.
The flappers are held in place by a dab of silicon at the edge. ( pennies work for valves too )
The copper tubing is attached to a metal pipe nipple screwed into the intake end of the main tube.
If I have confused you, sorry, I'll clear up any questions next week.
I have an idea for a two-valve gold sucker based on a kerosene heater siphon. The kerosene heater siphon has an inlet valve and outlet valve. Once the material has been siphoned, it cannot fall back out, on the push stroke the second valve opens and delivers the material to a classifying bucket. The inlet and outlet need to be at the base of the sucker and horizontally opposed. The obstacle is how to make valves that work with pvc.
I have not seen the check valves in sump pumps but assume they are made for a flexible hose. These valves would need to be designed for pvc.
Gary helped me out with my sluice box design, which I was tremendously happy with, and I hope he will help with this.
This project will be of little interest to the dredgers and more serious in the prospecting community, but for the admitted small timer and hobbyist I think it will become a valuable tool.
I know this post will not interest most people, but would appreciate feedback from everyone.
bj
dbullet > Brian DelorenzoNovember 16, 2009 at 2:08pm
make it simple, less things to go wrong. just use a gravity trap. i make sucher tues with a wye branch and a removable cap. they are a great tool for sampling in swift water
Replies
I used galv nipple for strength and connected the copper assembly to it.
PVC nipple on the inside.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o225/C3Starship/CLAIM/TheClaim09...
This is the original valve, and still in use.
Used the end out of an aluminum cigar case. My later units ( 3 ) have the flat piece of rubber.
Same blob of silicon too. LOL
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o225/C3Starship/CLAIM/TheClaim09...
All of my units are designed for under water use. I mean completely submerged.
Specificly to assist in getting into cracks where a dredge won't reach. And yes, they have traps for collecting material.
It ain't pretty, but it works.
I only see an inlet valve and the trap by running the 1/2 in up inside the 2 in.
What I had in mind was an inlet and outlet where a person could just pump the material into a classifier.
We have long winters in Indiana so I should have plenty of time to work on this. {unless we get enough ice to fish} If I can figure out how to post a drawing, I can explain better what I have in mind.
Appreciate the help and hope you will review my design when I post it.
thanks again............bj
The other part of the "T" has a 12" tube with a screw end. This is the trap. There are a couple of places where you can put a valve to purge the water you siphoned. I prefered not to have to drill and glue in the hopes that it would hold a valve assembly. I put a flapper valve in the piston push rod, and run the water out a "T" handle.
It'll throw a 20' stream, if ya push real hard. LOL
Here's the end of the handle.
It also doubles as a trap, IF, you should happen to pump out a nice little piece.
( That ain't happenin' )
Point the short end away from you and pump your little heart out. You can keep it in the crack and not blow material away.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o225/C3Starship/CLAIM/TheClaim09...
Heck with the snomobile, I want a "Tucker"! ( drove 'em at ski areas ) Kinda like a 3/4 ton pickup that travels on the snow, or just about anywhere. LOL
I got a 4" square piece of rubber about 1/16" thick at the local hardware store, and cut the 1/2 and 3/4 inch valves from that.
I built my "Sucker Tubes" about 25 yrs ago. No maintenence, except that I have had to replace the pickup tube 5 or 6 times, but the rest of the thing is well intact.
I used copper tubing for the pickup tube. Cut the tube with a tubing cutter and the end will be tapered inward. This makes the tip of the tube smaller than the rest of the tube and helps prevent clogging. When the tip gets worn from scraping on hard rock, I just pull out my cutter and make a new end. Takes about 2 min. for the repair.
It works very well underwater for cleaning out cracks up to 2' deep.
The copper pickup tube is soft enough to gently bend, to about any angle, in order to "snake" your way in and around. I have both 1/2 and 3/4 inch pickup tubes, in 12, 18, and 24 inch lengths.
How did you make the valves? How where they attached in the tube?
I made the sucker out of 2 in. pvc reduced to 1/2 in. The new one will likely have a 2 in by 1 1/2 wye at the base of the sucker with the pull coming straight off the end of the main tube and the exghaust out the downward pointing wye.
I do like the idea of the copper tubing, will have to figure out how to mate the copper to the pvc.
I'm leavin' town for a week. When I get back I'll post up some picks of my sucker.
It will be easier for me to explain the construction with visual aids.
The flappers are held in place by a dab of silicon at the edge. ( pennies work for valves too )
The copper tubing is attached to a metal pipe nipple screwed into the intake end of the main tube.
If I have confused you, sorry, I'll clear up any questions next week.
I have not seen the check valves in sump pumps but assume they are made for a flexible hose. These valves would need to be designed for pvc.
Gary helped me out with my sluice box design, which I was tremendously happy with, and I hope he will help with this.
This project will be of little interest to the dredgers and more serious in the prospecting community, but for the admitted small timer and hobbyist I think it will become a valuable tool.
I know this post will not interest most people, but would appreciate feedback from everyone.
bj
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