Gold Dredger dot Com Disscussion Forums

Anyone used a dredge sluice to build a highbanker? I'm thinking of using the 10" x 48" Keene (2.5" dredge) sluice and the Keene hopper, leaving out the woven wire clasifier in favoer of some punch plate over the top riffles. What do you think?

i prefer the woven wire to the punch in most cases. but i have both in different peices of equipment.

Woven wire seems to do better in a dredge, but I'm thinking in a highbanker there won't be enough water flow to keep it swept off. I guess Ill try both and see which is better.

the woven wire just needs to be tipped just a little towards the taillend.that will help it stay clean.

I agree with russau about expanded vs. punch plate. Material can travel over punch plate easier.

Here's a Keene sluice I converted a couple years ago.

Sam i know now,why the highway department is looking for you! haha

Sierra Sam wrote:I agree with russau about expanded vs. punch plate. Material can travel over punch plate easier.

Here's a Keene sluice I converted a couple years ago.

Your woven wire is not used in the spot I'm talking about, I was refering to the classifier in the top of the dredge sluice...like this:

Rivraton- Gotchya



I've made a couple classifiers to hang on the edge of a sluice as a receiving "hopper" where expanded steel is used. https://picasaweb.google.com/117818477028979908966/TerryJelcickSHomeMadeGadgets

The Keene conversion you see here in this thread has a 10-11inch extension below where the material initially drops onto the sluice. I did this because I noticed gold being blown off the mat with the splash of water and material being introduced to the sluice.

Now, the material drops onto the flair area, then has 10-11 inches of relatively calm flow over mat before it enters the riffles. More gold now shows up on the mat and I'm assuming, less fine gold is getting blown out. The extension also gives muddy material to have a better chance to break up before its trek through the sluice.

russau- No worries. A friend has a barricade business and I get trashed aluminum road signs and destroyed barricade legs. I rip the legs and use them to make riffles, or I use old hollywood bed frames. Everything is hand bent, as I don't own a brake or shear. Nothing comes easy in prospecting.

Remember - A hole is only as deep as the next big rock.

haha, i have a few also! the sign material i "use" is tempered aluminum and is difficult to bend or weld,but i have seen it done.

The 2nd stage drop is a killer on hibankers-luv my punchplate and dredge style curtain to level it all out,deaireate and slow it all down for better recovery as wire doesn't protect anything-tons a au 2 u 2 -John