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new dredge issues help? - new dredge issues

goldstalker		Posted : Saturday, 16 February 2013 9:05:43 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 11/10/2012(UTC) Posts: 454 Location: greymouth, west coast Thanks: 6 times Was thanked: 67 time(s) in 57 post(s)		hi guys i finally bought a dredge but just my luck it has issues. im hving trouble with the compressor belt rubbing on the back of the pump housing bolt mount, ive tried making spacers and packing it out under motor mounts but still cant get enough clearance. any suggestions?? maybe a bigger pully? also the riffles arnt the best . any pictures of other peoples front of box were the flare comes on to box, and riffle pics be helpfull im gutted i cant go golding and i have a dredge lol my pump is a p 180 i think and t 80 compressor Edited by user Saturday, 16 February 2013 9:06:26 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

NUGGY		Posted : Saturday, 16 February 2013 11:18:19 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		Can't quite picture it, if you want pm me - if u are in Greymouth I might be able to have a look tomorrow. NUGGY

gogold		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 12:04:37 AM(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)		you got any pics of the problem area? i wouldnt go changing pulley sizes unless you change both and they need to be correct as you can easily overrev t80s and bust the diaphram or not have enough air.

goldstalker		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 10:00:54 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 11/10/2012(UTC) Posts: 454 Location: greymouth, west coast Thanks: 6 times Was thanked: 67 time(s) in 57 post(s)		Originally Posted by: gogold you got any pics of the problem area? i wouldnt go changing pulley sizes unless you change both and they need to be correct as you can easily overrev t80s and bust the diaphram or not have enough air. i have trouble getting pics on here but ill try, and i thought i better ask about pully size incase there was a issue like you have said thanks last thing i want to do is f*** it up. just getting frusrated

goldstalker		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 10:01:34 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 11/10/2012(UTC) Posts: 454 Location: greymouth, west coast Thanks: 6 times Was thanked: 67 time(s) in 57 post(s)		Originally Posted by: NUGGY Can't quite picture it, if you want pm me - if u are in Greymouth I might be able to have a look tomorrow. NUGGY cheers nuggy i pmd you :)

NUGGY		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 2:21:32 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		Sorry I wasn't more help Goldstalker - nice dredge, but has some serious minor issues that add up to a big pain in the arse. Hope you get onto some gold in the next few days. NUGGY

gogold		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 4:05:44 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)		Originally Posted by: goldstalker Originally Posted by: gogold you got any pics of the problem area? i wouldnt go changing pulley sizes unless you change both and they need to be correct as you can easily overrev t80s and bust the diaphram or not have enough air. i have trouble getting pics on here but ill try, and i thought i better ask about pully size incase there was a issue like you have said thanks last thing i want to do is f*** it up. just getting frusrated yeah ive been down that track mucking around with homebuilt dredges its not much fun when things dont work out, theres always something to bloody fix/tweak lol. with the pully you can change them but you would have to change both not just 1 to keep the peed the same then you need a different size belt and it all gets anoying. if you can get a pic up maybe theres someone on here that can give you a few ideas, its a bit hard to understand from your description on whats happening and where its rubbing.

goldstalker		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 10:21:42 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 11/10/2012(UTC) Posts: 454 Location: greymouth, west coast Thanks: 6 times Was thanked: 67 time(s) in 57 post(s)		Originally Posted by: NUGGY Sorry I wasn't more help Goldstalker - nice dredge, but has some serious minor issues that add up to a big pain in the arse. Hope you get onto some gold in the next few days. NUGGY you were a big help nuggy, i got most of it sorted today and went for a test run. had a few rock jams so i welded a stainless tent peg to front of nozzle to minimize the size of rocks going threw. and also shortend the hose down to about 3 and a half metres from 6 metres. seemd to get jammed in hose when it sagged. but im off tomorow for my first real go at getting some colour with it. the riffles need changed and box needs fixed but ill sort it this week ill see how it go's tomorow thansk again nuggy, ill call round when i have some gold to show off lol

goldstalker		Posted : Sunday, 17 February 2013 10:27:01 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 11/10/2012(UTC) Posts: 454 Location: greymouth, west coast Thanks: 6 times Was thanked: 67 time(s) in 57 post(s)		Originally Posted by: gogold Originally Posted by: goldstalker Originally Posted by: gogold you got any pics of the problem area? i wouldnt go changing pulley sizes unless you change both and they need to be correct as you can easily overrev t80s and bust the diaphram or not have enough air. i have trouble getting pics on here but ill try, and i thought i better ask about pully size incase there was a issue like you have said thanks last thing i want to do is f*** it up. just getting frusrated yeah ive been down that track mucking around with homebuilt dredges its not much fun when things dont work out, theres always something to bloody fix/tweak lol. with the pully you can change them but you would have to change both not just 1 to keep the peed the same then you need a different size belt and it all gets anoying. if you can get a pic up maybe theres someone on here that can give you a few ideas, its a bit hard to understand from your description on whats happening and where its rubbing. thanks for all the info and help i managed to get it running but probly not the best gold catcher around but it will get me in the river before it cools down to much, its a mix of dredgenz floats, flare, and jet, honda 5.5hp, p180, T80. and keene regulator and hose. has a homebuilt box, anychance you could throw some pics up of your box ? complete pics of all of the entry and riffles punch plate etc ??

kiwijw		Posted : Tuesday, 19 February 2013 5:52:26 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Originally Posted by: goldstalker G'day Goldstalker, You need to be pretty careful & selective about what size & shape rocks you suck up together. The worst ones are the elongated flat skinny ones. You need to let these go up by themselves or maybe with some finer gravels & silts. If you suck up one of these with a bunch of other bigger type rocks they can get jambed up as the long skinny ones tend to try & travel sideways as much as the walls of the suction pipe will allow them to. Because of there shape the suction will try & pull them flat on so the tip & tail of the skinny little bastards drag fore & aft on the side wall of the suction hose. All it needs is for another stone or rock to be with it, especially on a slight bend or kink in the hose, & you have a rock jamb. Because of there shape & the way they drag up the suction hose, they travel slower than & roundish type rock that you may think you have given the flat little bastard enough time to get up the hose but the roundish rock can catch it up & try to get past it & bingo, rock jamb. If you werent aware of this you now are. You cant just blind stab in the water with your nozzle or else you are going to get heaps of rock jambs. You need to be able to see & be selective of the rocks going up your hose together. By shortening your hose you would have increased the suction power as well. Thats not a bad thing. Good luck out there JW :)

gogold		Posted : Tuesday, 19 February 2013 9:12:56 AM(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)		its in the bush at the moment, should be coming out in the next week or so ill get some photos then. its just a standard proline 5". they have a diferent sortve classifier to other dredges as it creates a sort of jigging/wave action so may not be of much help to you. but straight outve the flair it goes across a punch plate clasifier then onto the back riffles (hungarian riffles) under the clasifier its just got expanded metal with miners moss and 4 shallow angled bits of steel that help the clasifier i dont think they do much recovery wise if anything they catch gold under them not behind them.

Moonlight Picker		Posted : Tuesday, 19 February 2013 11:02:16 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 30/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 48 Location: ashburton Thanks: 4 times Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Originally Posted by: goldstalker Originally Posted by: NUGGY Can't quite picture it, if you want pm me - if u are in Greymouth I might be able to have a look tomorrow. NUGGY cheers nuggy i pmd you :) Hi could rig up you high banker box to it. pic would be good, I love looking at home made box & stuff Good Luck it,s lo fun