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High Banker Sluice test

Cleggie		Posted : Saturday, 23 June 2012 5:39:09 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Hi Guy's just posting a short video clip of my highbanker sluice. The whole idea is to use as little water as possible to sluice material in areas where there is little or no water available. In other words, take the water to the gold. I have tried to make the unit as portable as possible but it still is heavy and not easy to move far from whatever you used to transport the thing in the first place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW3wP9jsnK0 There are some minor issues with the water flow, the pump empties the tub real quick and the return flow is not fast enough to keep the water level high enough to prevent the pump sucking air. So there is not enough pressure in the system to run the jets on the hopper and over the classifier. The system could benefit from an extra return hose, or a larger return hose. The next project, make a suction dredge for areas where water is plentiful... hehehe.

x-terra steve		Posted : Sunday, 24 June 2012 5:04:05 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 7/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 224 Location: Nelson NZ Thanks: 103 times Was thanked: 69 time(s) in 42 post(s)		Hi Cleggie, thanks for the posting, looks like a well made unit nice one.

kiwisouth		Posted : Sunday, 24 June 2012 9:41:07 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 3/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Blenheim (Renwick) Thanks: 39 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 83 post(s)		A piece of beauty though. The sluice looks like it works a treat, but as you say, just needs water. Nice piece of engineering
		Nulli Illigitimi Carborundum
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Cleggie		Posted : Monday, 25 June 2012 5:50:04 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Thanks for the kind words guys. I work in an engineering workshop here in Ch,Ch so fabricating the highbanker was no biggie for me. It's all the plumbing, hoses and fittings that drove me crazy... I will put a reducer at the suction end and limit the inflow to the pump as well as add a bigger hose from the tailings tub to the suction tub. Hopefully that will balance the water levels in both tubs to roughly equal and give me better water flow in the sluice.

oroplata		Posted : Monday, 25 June 2012 7:14:38 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Yeah, you need either a bigger bore hose from tailings to suction tub, or a 2nd hose there, or a bigger height difference between those 2 tubs to increase the flow rate between them. To reduce the number of hoses required, I'd actually position the tailings tank so it sits on top of the suction tank and simply overflows into it. Although you'd then have to raise the highbanker, the total number of parts would go down, along with total weight.
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Cleggie		Posted : Tuesday, 26 June 2012 6:31:18 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: oroplata Yeah, you need either a bigger bore hose from tailings to suction tub, or a 2nd hose there, or a bigger height difference between those 2 tubs to increase the flow rate between them. To reduce the number of hoses required, I'd actually position the tailings tank so it sits on top of the suction tank and simply overflows into it. Although you'd then have to raise the highbanker, the total number of parts would go down, along with total weight. I did think about putting the tailings tub on top of the suction tub but the extra hight would make empting the tailings and shoveling material into the high banker awkward. I will play around with things over the next couple of weeks and let you all know how I get on.

oroplata		Posted : Tuesday, 26 June 2012 6:46:03 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Ooooooo. I see solar powered conveyor belts in your future. :)
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Cleggie		Posted : Tuesday, 26 June 2012 9:11:48 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: oroplata Ooooooo. I see solar powered conveyor belts in your future. :) Hehehe... yep that would do it all right, and save me all that backache.

oroplata		Posted : Tuesday, 26 June 2012 9:25:09 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Actually since you're running a water pump (at idle?) you could string an alternator off the pump as well ,and use it to drive electric powered conveyors :)
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gingerbreadman		Posted : Thursday, 28 June 2012 12:47:32 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC) Posts: 473 Location: south of the black stump Thanks: 34 times Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)		Hi are you putting a classifier in the hopper..?

Cleggie		Posted : Thursday, 28 June 2012 6:10:10 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: gingerbreadman Hi are you putting a classifier in the hopper..? Hi Ginger, There is already a classifier in the system. At the end section of the top chute there is a 300mm section of punch plate with 10mm holes. This allows water, sand, small gravel and hopfully gold to fall into the lower part of the sluice where there is a rubber riffle mat that will trap the heavies. All the larger material will exit from the top chute. This is why I would like to have a better flow of water to give some momentum to the unwanted material and help it to roll/slide over the punch plate and out the end of the top chute. I do expect there will be some water loss at this point also as the rocks and large stones will carry some water with them. I will experiment with different hight settings and angles to get the best results. I may also remove the expanded metal in the top chute if material clogs up and doesn't flow properly. There is a ribbed mat under the expanded metal, that will stay no matter what as this is where I expect to catch most of the gold. oroplata... not so sure about the conveyor idea. Thanks for the comment... keeps me thinking

oroplata		Posted : Thursday, 28 June 2012 6:49:28 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Well, if you're planning to use it somewhere accessible, with having a closed circuit water system, you could build the entire thing into a frame that sits in the back of a 4WD ute, with a conveyor taking the ore up to the top of the chain, and the reject rocks being spat out the back. :) Now you've got me thinking of the Gold Rush guys in Alaska. They use a bulldozer to scrape the layers off the ground (fair enough), then a loader takes it into a pile beside the washplant, then they use a digger to lift it up into a hopper, where it is taken by conveyor to the top of the washplant. Why not use a longer conveyor, and have the loader putting it straight on? That cuts one man/machine out of the process allowing for huge cost savings (diesel, labour, machine wear).
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gingerbreadman		Posted : Thursday, 28 June 2012 9:39:44 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC) Posts: 473 Location: south of the black stump Thanks: 34 times Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)		Hi Clegg Looks good but Maybe you mite be better to use some bars/punchplate in the hopper as the main classifier and use the spray bars get rid of the big stones before they even enter your system as youl need a lot of water to wash large rocks off maybe if you pre classifie it all before you run it through but then thats more gear to carry around and double handling...also if you wernt going to put a classifier in the hopper whats the point in having it there...? stones will just pile up on that rubber flap..? how do you clear the big stones from the bottum of the hopper that sit there...? Good luck. gbm. Edited by user Thursday, 28 June 2012 9:40:51 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Cleggie		Posted : Saturday, 30 June 2012 5:40:33 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Thanks again for all the comments, it does give me food for thought. GBM, I can see how I could add a classifier to the hopper and it is a good idea to get rid of the heavy stones and small rocks that would otherwise glog the sluice. I don't want to pre-classify material as that is double handling and unneccessary. A simple hinged grate looks to be an easy fix, shovel material in and when there are too many large stones swing the grate over the side and tip them out. I do need some jets of water to wash off any gold that may be sticking to these stones before tipping. It will be next weekend before I can make the modifications to the tub plumbing. oroplata, the whole kit and kaboddle will most likely be transported on a small trailer and I suppose a small conveyor could be built as you suggest. But that is adding another level of complexity to what should just be a portable prospecting system. A long handled shovel looks to be my conveyor system in the short term anyway :)

gingerbreadman		Posted : Saturday, 30 June 2012 8:07:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC) Posts: 473 Location: south of the black stump Thanks: 34 times Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)		Hi Clegg I thought it looked like you already had the plumbing for the spray bars that black pipe around the hopper...? have a look at the proline/keene highbankers http://www.keeneeng.com/...X8&Category_Code=PDS they have what you do except all you need todo is cut a side or back of your hopper about half way up add some bars at the same hight as your section you just cut out and youl be away you just dump all your rock in and like you said when you fill it just scoop em out. the pic of the keene you can just see the edges of the bars hanging out the back that is were all the oversized stuff drops out.

Cleggie		Posted : Saturday, 7 July 2012 5:31:28 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		I did some work on the high banker to iron out the issues I was having with the water flow and here is the result... High banker second test. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W94lEaTSrKg It worked well and I am happy with the results, I will add a baffle plate underneath the classifier to act as a dam and prevent water being lost as you can see in the video. I did manage to get water flow at the jets above the classifier but still not the strong jets of water I was hoping for. The sluice may work fine without the jets, I just thought it would be a good idea to make sure the stones and reject material was well washed before it exiting the sluice in case it carries gold away with it. Any comments and suggestions welcome.

gogold		Posted : Saturday, 7 July 2012 7:47:00 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 5/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 217 Location: gore Thanks: 4 times Was thanked: 56 time(s) in 45 post(s)		what about just using a padling pool and small sceen to filter the water or dig a hole and line it with plastic??? seems alot of stuff to have to cart around .

Cleggie		Posted : Sunday, 8 July 2012 2:01:27 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: gogold what about just using a padling pool and small sceen to filter the water or dig a hole and line it with plastic??? seems alot of stuff to have to cart around . I agree, there is a fair amount stuff to set up but the heaviest lumps are the pump and the water. The high banker kinda folds up and you can carry it under your arm easy enough, the tubs when empty are light. The whole set up breaks down into four peices and will fit on a small trailer. Once set up then fill with water, about 250 liters. So even a simple set up as you suggest still needs a pump and water and would still require a small trailer for transport. The project did require a lot more to set up than I initally thought but I think the extra effort is worth it... time will tell ofcourse.