Hobbies And Interests
Machine Maintenance Increases Yields
Keeping your machine in good condition helps to maintain efficient suction power. Motor filters keep dust out of machine parts and should be used even if the dust is not apparent. Flexible hoses are easier to work with and cause fewer clogs. Look for lightweight Spirolite hoses that are used to blow insulation. Besides being light and easy to transport, they are flexible and durable. Changing the oil frequently and keeping gas topped off also keeps the engine running smoothly and enhances suction power.
Hose Tips
Always carry duct tape with you in the field in case you get a hole in your hose. Small holes may not seem to make much difference, but they do allow small gold particles to escape. Never embed the hoes tip into the stream bed. Doing so will clog your hose. You want to have a larger intake of water than of material. The best ratio is one-third material and two-thirds water. Move rocks manually that are big enough to clog your hose. It's a bit of work but will keep you dredging instead of clearing clogs. If your hose does get clogged, use a rubber hammer of the dead blow design to clear it. It has the power, yet won't hurt your hose.
Recovery Tips
Not all gold that is suctioned is actually retrieved. There are a few things you can do to keep the loss to a minimum. Make sure that there is no oil in your sluice making surfaces slippery. Using a ribbed carpet under miner's moss on the bottom of the sluice allows you to trap more fine gold. Using classifiers helps in gold recovery. Removing larger rocks from the til enhances the sluice's ability to sort and trap gold. The water flow through the sluice should not be so strong as to wash small flakes back into the stream. Optimal flow is more easily achieved when the material has been classified.
Move Your Sluice
If a gold bearing area is easy to get to, the chances are good that it has been prospected by others. The other side of the river will most likely be untouched, or at least more lightly prospected. Moving the dredge through deep water is risky if you don't have a boat or raft. Crossing should be done with extreme care. Remember that water currents can be deceptive. Load your needed supplies on the dredge then act as the rudder, pushing the dredge in front of you. Look for a calm spot upstream from where you want to end up to cross. Gold isn't the only thing carried downstream by currents.