Advice on top hopper and spray bars

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HI just took the banjo out for its first test ended up like a drowned rat there is a lot of water mist around the top hopper.I am using a 1 and 1/2 pump the spray bars are 2 rows 1/4 apart one row at 1.5 mm and the other is 1 mm i am looking for a rain coat any advice please
regards johnJust another question i had trouble getting the gold tray out there was a lot of fine material each side jamming it in, is there any way that each side can be sealed to make it easey to get out

Great summer machine!! What about two rubber flaps so it covers and stops most spray? Collapses with weight of gravel on entry then springs back into place? Just an idea, Looks good but to cold for that at the moment! Good luck

iron bark, with a 1 1/2" pump you I would go up to 2mm jetting holes and reduce the speed of your pump a little. A picture from the rear of your hopper would help too, just to get an idea where the jets are hitting.

Drowned rat sounds like your HB/Banjo's working perfectly
Things that will help: Waterproof pants, gumbies, LONGER shovel, wind blowing away if at all possible "Just like smoke"

SnowyGold is spot on the below photo’s will give you an idea. And as Someday said use the wind to help stay dry. These shots were taken with pump idle around 1/4 to 1/2 throttle {wx15}. Cheers James.

Hopper jetting out of 15 & 20 mm pipes with 2 mm jetting.

20 mm pipe 2 mm jetting



15 mm pipe 2 mm jetting



15 mm pipe 2 mm jetting



Hopper angle



Working pipe clay.




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© JB 2013

Thanks for the advice i will drill the spray bars to 2 mm and see how i go
regards john

Yes you will get wet !! If you are not getting some spray ,you haven't got enough water coming out of the spray bars !! Work with the wind helps greatly!!



Snap on the hold down pin!!!!

Mate you almost got it right. The top row of jetting on both sides of your unit must hit the line marked 1 in the photo. Left & right bottom row of jetting must hit the lines marked 2 & 3 in the photo. Hope that helps cheers James.

Thanks James i wil alter this week do you have any trouble getting the gold tray out with fine stones and grit jamming it in between the tray and the walls of the bottom hopper

If I may ironbark! If you make the tray a little small and angle the sides you should not have to much trouble with the stones !

OK thanks i will get the spray bars done then have a look at the gold tray
regards john

Re the gold tray with making a angle on the sides.1/ Does it have to be narrow at the bottom and wide at the top or 2/ narrow at the top and wide at the bottom .I think option NO 1 sounds the best but checking that i am on the correct track before i start
regards john

Yea narrow at the bottom ,as any stones will have to drop into a bigger space

Always remember " the only silly question is the one not asked" also at the front of the tray make it like a riffle with a 6 mm edge turned parallel to the bottom of the tray :shock. I'm not proficient with drawings in this medium so I will try and get a pic for you

Mate Ark is right in what he said. Your unit looks to be about 24 cm wide i would make the tray 22 cm wide this will give it room to be moved. Same as for the front locking pin in front of the tray give it a cm or so this will give the tray forward movement. cheers James

I have just pulled the gold tray apart i am going to make it a bit narrower and alter the front where the pull out handle it alter the water flow to much to the outer sides of the bottom tray .The spray bars have been re drilled once the gold tray is finished looking for test 2

Sounds like a plan, i love a good plan.

i don't use drill holes
i run 32mm pipe across and cut 1/4 of the way through with a drop saw
making it spray a fan and under more pressure without running 1.5ph pump flat out (say 1/3) throttle
best way i can explain is have a look on YouTube search Wal nLiz
how to build a high banker that works
also you don't get holes clogging up if it picks up any weed
https://youtu.be/Ax1J9tIx0nY

hope this helps
Kane

I use 1.5 mm and 2 mm holes and run the pump a little more than idle ? Never flat out ! I found that cutting slots gave me more water for sure but I lost the pressure ,at that pump speed , that I need to cut the clay and put it into suspension ! I use a shade cloth over my pick up and very rarely have any problem with blocked holes

XIV wrote:i don't use drill holes
i run 32mm pipe across and cut 1/4 of the way through with a drop saw
making it spray a fan and under more pressure without running 1.5ph pump flat out (say 1/3) throttle
best way i can explain is have a look on YouTube search Wal nLiz
how to build a high banker that works
also you don't get holes clogging up if it picks up any weed
https://youtu.be/Ax1J9tIx0nY

hope this helps
Kane

Interesting indeed I have looked at your unit and it has me intrigued on how you would feed the hopper and then clean it out. I don’t get my jetting clogging do you not run a strainer on your pickup?

Just had a squiz of that video
I get the gist where the rocks would exit over the sides via the vee deflector ?, so no standies at the side! "But"
I don't get the part where you would need to be continually removing rocks from the top mesh, and there will be a lot.
Weight of rocks, Oh look a banana
So?? you can't stand at the side because of the ever increasing rock piles,
you can't shovel the material in at the back because there's a pipe in the way, not to mention the height the material would drop in at!
So?? I say it's a no brainer! the wheel doesn't need re-inventing

Back on track i have altered the gold tray and spray bars hope to try Thursday. Will post new photo s if i can get the expert advice on it like i have been recieving
regards john

Someday mate ya spot on the money. That banker is a bit to slow in the feed department for me, there are one or two other basic faults with the design as well. Cheers mate

iron bark wrote:Back on track i have altered the gold tray and spray bars hope to try Thursday. Will post new photo s if i can get the expert advice on it like i have been recieving
regards john

I'm only to happy mate , but i will be heading bush again very shortly and will be off line again. Maybe next week not sure as yet but as soon as i can i am off. cheers

Whiskers when you say a bit slow on the feed department do you mean the length of the top hopper we just followed the plans but looking at the last pictures the top hopper had been re made longer it will have to do use for the time.What are the other things i have done wrong.Any way its been a good project hope you have a successful trip away
regards john

Sorry John I was making reference to the Banker referred to in IXV post, not the one you are making all looks good in yours apart from the jetting and tray. cheers James

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FINE TUNNING
new spray bar look OK to me and the gold tray has been altered

Mate you have done good with the jetting there just right. I would crank the pump up just a tad to get them working just that bit harder. Can you post a dry pic of the area marked in the photo with and without the tray. Cheers James

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Hi James i was just running it from a 44 gallon drum so i only had the pump running slow
regards john

Mate I though something looked wrong in this section. In the photo number 2 I would remove this. Number 1 I would put in some type of matting like in the style of the bottom of a bread crate and place a small riffle where the water hit’s into the tray after been deflected from the rear deflector plate. 3 if possible lower this deflector plate to a tad over 1 cm above the tray.



My unit this will give you some kind of idea

Tip’s on running the Banjo.

I have my top hopper set just above the level position if I see water coming over the back retention plate in the top hopper floor I will lower the hopper a tad more it till it stops. The angle of the bottom hopper is governed by it’s ability to move the largest stone that passes through the top hoppers punch plate. This should also give you your water volume requirements. If you are working clay run the top hopper as flat as possible and crank your pump up get the jets working hard. Always take the unit to the dirt never take the dirt to the unit remember you only get back from the amount you put through. You should not need to take anymore than 3 to 4 steps when loading the top hopper. Use the shovel to clean the top hopper I work on a 4 to 1 ratio in other words after every 4 shovel loads of wash I will work and rake the stones out of the back end of the hopper with the shovel saves the back. If you set your unit up on a sandy base keep an eye on the level as the unit can sink into the sand as you work it. Make use of the wind to stop the spray blowing back over you from the jetting if possible. Use a filter sock on your pumps pickup to stop the jets blocking. Get rid of any one inch hose you may have and run only 1 ½ inch lay-flat this gives you better pressure and reduces water friction. If you only have a one in pump it dose not matter just buy an 1 inch to 1 ½ adaptor that will screw onto the outlet side of the pump you can get them from any shop that sells irrigation fittings for a few bucks. Always run your wast away from the direction you are working making sure the ground you will cover with the removed material is not rich in gold.

As a foot note I would like to make reference to the gold catch tray. A lot of people make reference to the tray as been a drop box or a boil box it is neither. The tray is nothing more than a simple removable sample tray.

Some gold from my Banjo!




I withhold permission for this article & photos to be cut and pasted or duplicated onto any other web site. You may not modify, alter, add to, adapt, edit, abridge, condense or repackage this account without the written permission of the author.
© JB 2013