Australian Desert Sluice (the old blokes would have loved this)

Thanks I shall look at that Chris,

I haven't yet had a failure yet!, but the pump has had only about 100 hours work.
We do find cleaning and flushing after each use seems to keep it free of any leaks.
To be honest the little pump is a beauty, but I do expect to have to change the seals at some stage.
I sort of see machinery in the bush as a consumable, this pump cost $165 delivered from the east, we service before we use and tighten everything.
If I get 12 months then it has served its purpose, paid for itself many times over
I do the same with augers, chainsaws and small geni's, and jackhammers.

Regards Majindi

Thanks Eagle,

I have worked in R&D most of my life and have had the same experience many times, I know what you mean.

But maybe I didn't explain as well as I could, never mind. if you need any thoughts with your project get in touch.

Majindi

Hi Majindi, In regards to the pump, the most common impeller is a two halve type joined together with small outlet slots on it's perimeter, looks much like a flying saucer and will easily block with small stones/Grit/Grass etc! Leaks aren't the concern! I think this is where the other guys were getting into you?
The open vane impeller has no restrictions and will not block!
The other part where I'm thinking your copping a hard time is! And this depends entirely on what you class as fine gold? Fine gold in air, meaning dry, will have such little weight, it will not naturally drop to the bottom of the pile and through your screens, so of the end of your first classifier it will go, a % anyway.
Under water, a completely different story!

Cheers mate, and don't take anything to heart.

Cheers~Chris.

Hi Cris,

I am aware of the super fine gold that floats often see this in a pan, when the first gravels fall down the first stage screen the fines do almost all pass through, and same for the second screen, with a rich patch always run-through a second time, when the fines max 2 mill and under fall onto the top of wet stage sluice the water washed the fines through the grill on top and the fines are washed slowly down the miners mat not really in suspension but still able to flow.
I have found almost anything that has a higher sg at this point will get stuck in the miners mat.

Thats why we change the mats as often as we need.

Cris there is always room for improvement as you know, that why this sort of debate is so healthy.
Thanks mate
Majindi

Hi Majindi,

Thanks for posting the extra photos, your unit looks great. As I stated in my earlier post, if you ever decide to sell plans or a complete unit I will take one. I think we prospect in the same type of country (desert) which for the oldtimers meant dry blowers only. To be able to take water with you into the field is a great concept that interests me no end.
Once again thanks for sharing what looks to be a fantastic unit. I and I'm sure many others will be watching your progress with interest.

Don't worry to much about the knockers, however it does look like you've touched a nerve.

Regards Jim.

Goodaye Jim

Yes did get a bit steamy there for a while , and I apologise to all ( especially Jeff) for spoiling the tone of what is definitely the most informative prospecting forum on the web.

I have been in exploration of Iron ore for 30 years and prospecting and mining gold, diamonds tantalum uranium industrials and REE's along side that for the same time, and find it hard to treated as a person that bought a 4x4 and went bush for the first time yesterday.

Anyway its done now and it seems I have also made the odd mate as well.

Onto more important things, much as I would love to make a few units which I may do, I would be happy for you to use the design and give you any help I can don't have plans as such, but I draw everything in 3d 'sketchup' and then make it. Not hard.

This wasn't cheep to build and took a huge amount of time but has already well paid for itself
The Basic concept is to only use the precious water for the final stage and to minimise the loss and wastage, like overspray, leaks and bad planning.

But still segregate the sizings so they smallest sizing that does not go through the wet sluice is big enough to detect. I figured 2.5 mill with a small elliptical or Joey coil.

These black plastic bins are cheep at bunnings and well worth having three or four. WA fines will settle quickly as the bins are rotated, rotating takes less than a minute and if you are putting through a lot of dirt this would help

The way it is actually done is the motor is stopped bin slid out and bin slid in, most of water poured from the full bin to the empty one, motor started and your off again. The remaining water in the full bin is allowed to settle about 5 miniuts and then emptied into the operating bin

Its really basic, no science involved here at all.

I have a hook on the end of the suction spout to stop the water draining out of the suction hose, so it doesn't need priming.
Now I generally find I do this every half an hour.

I shall get some good pics when I get round to it, when in the heat of the moment I am usually covered in **** and its not a time topull out the camera.

I havnt seen this type of hybrid concept out here before, basically dry separation and wet fines recovery I think its definitely the way to go

Am looking at a ten ton per hour unit with its own water carrier that I can pull into a patch with the loader.

Early this year i did Sandstone just after the rains, took out a dozen or so 20a's over the main tenements most had been left as E's ? and hit it hard.

Had the hell harassed out of me as they know I also push around the goldfields and they thought I would suddenly turn up with a 17 ton loader.
I even used the desert sluice on a still well watered hole, no recycle and filtered the intake.

Reason for this machine is because of my experiences mainly in Ora Banda, last year or so, I have rights to almost 200 tenements in this area thanks to a good exploration manager, and the area has been well flogger for nuggets. Lots found, so I research where they used to be and are no more, then run the desert sluice over the patch.

This would be much the same all over and how many people run these rigs and how many use detectors?
Theres an advantage of quite a few years for anyone getting into this now.

You can pm me if you need to.

Regards Majindi

Majindi as they say a picture is worth a thousand words ! thank you for posting your pics they explain what was a little difficult to pick up ,as I said first up "thats a great build" and I look forward to any more pics and posts you put up. I do apologise to you and the mods for jumping to conclusions without seeing the pics and for not giving you as a newcomer the space needed to explain what looks like a great unit.

Thanks Murachu,

I could have made a better description,I,m sorry too.

It has amazed me just how different the ground is between your goldfields and over here in WA.

This site has been a great find, had no idea the forum existed.Spend too much time on Tengraph and staring at sat imaging.
Regards Majindi

aaaaah group hug everybody
Good on ya fellas and keep the great info comin, it means alot to us newbies

Majindi thats an impressive looking trailer as well -- pics and info please just so as we can drool

Hey Murachu,

Where would I post that sort of stuff

Majindi

prob in General stuff!

Majindi if your pump is a little Chinese one, be very careful with the pump housing they are of poor cast and are very thin. A good bump or knock will shatter them I have seen them break when screwing on a outlet hose. I like your ideas on that unit. Cheers

Hi James , you all got me intrigued, on the pump, so this weekend I shall rip it apart and take a few pics condition etc, see how it ticks.

Majindi

For anyone that wants a closer look a few more snaps.
https://youtu.be/R2wHKwsEWHY