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Gold dredge
- Thread starter Frank-S
- Start date
Frank in NH
Active member
n/t
ColoradoGoldMan
New member
Hi Frank
You didn't say what size or type of dredging you will be doing, but take my word for it you can buy a used dredge for about 1/2 the money you can make one for. I have been doing this for a long time and have built a lot of my own equipment, and for the most part the Keene Eng, Pro-line equipment is darn hard to beat. I have a shop with welders, metal brakes and every thing to do a real pro job on stuff and I can't make equipment for less than good used prices. The pumps, engines, suction hose, jet tubes, floats, air tanks and compressors for under water work, where most of the good gold is, you will have to buy any way, All the Aluminum welding will need to be TIG and wire or stick will work for steel parts. Jet Flare dredges work best for fine gold and the crash box design will work fair but the box will need to be bought. If you make it out of metal the rocks will beat it apart from slaming into it. Finding and keeping the gold is hard work at best so you will want equipment that works and works well, proven designs are your best bet. Good luck.
C
You didn't say what size or type of dredging you will be doing, but take my word for it you can buy a used dredge for about 1/2 the money you can make one for. I have been doing this for a long time and have built a lot of my own equipment, and for the most part the Keene Eng, Pro-line equipment is darn hard to beat. I have a shop with welders, metal brakes and every thing to do a real pro job on stuff and I can't make equipment for less than good used prices. The pumps, engines, suction hose, jet tubes, floats, air tanks and compressors for under water work, where most of the good gold is, you will have to buy any way, All the Aluminum welding will need to be TIG and wire or stick will work for steel parts. Jet Flare dredges work best for fine gold and the crash box design will work fair but the box will need to be bought. If you make it out of metal the rocks will beat it apart from slaming into it. Finding and keeping the gold is hard work at best so you will want equipment that works and works well, proven designs are your best bet. Good luck.
C
prospector 55
New member
You can build your own dredge cheaper than you can buy a used one!!! Build your own power jet not that hard and bend your own sluice box like I did, bought the aluminum for $129 with lots left over for the rest of the project a 4x10 foot sheet, it will work as well if not better than a comercial unit, I am right in the middle of building a 4inch dredge right now, you do not have to cut corners on design to save money, I have built countless pieces of equipment for alot of other people, it is alot more satisfying than buying a used one that you will have to repair, almost all of the used units I have seen are pretty much rust buckets with questionable parts attached to them it is like buying a used car everything works great RIGHT!!! Do not be afraid to do the research work to build a very good dredge, I also built a 6 square foot highbanker and took it to the river it worked better than the new units from other manufacturers and I could move more than twice as much material and put in the type of riffles that I needed for the gold that I was recovering I spent $200 bucks on the whole thing, picked up a used honda pump 11,100 GPH my riffle area is 16x48 this guy really proccesses sh8 loads of material, build your own equipment it is cheaper and you can build it for the area you are working in from fine to course gold, do not let anyone tell you you can't do it bacause they are probably on WAY to MUCH MEDICATION!!! Or working for a manufacturer!!!
TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT THEY LOVE YOU!!!
Rick, Indusrial and Electronics Technician
TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT THEY LOVE YOU!!!
Rick, Indusrial and Electronics Technician
ColoradoGoldMan
New member
Hi Rick, I don't work for any company. I don't have any dog in this hunt at all I could care less if he builds his own equipment. I'm just pointing out, most and say that 90% of the people do not have the tools or the equipment to build a dredge. I see you built you equipment, which is OK, I see you are an "indusrial" Technician, not quiet sure what that is but it sounds like you work with, own or have access to the kinds of tools to do this kind of work. I also see that you are a very experienced miner and that you find lots of gold. I also see you are a bargain hunter extraordinaire to find a Honda 11 and 100 GPM pump for under 100.00 which is just border line unbelievable, and ?????? well I'm just at a lose for words on that. That is one hell of a large motor for a 100 GPM pump, You can always tell what level of experience a guy has by his willingness to for go time to build equipment rather than producing gold with that time. Here is one of my Pans not including the -30 mesh fines. Please feel free to show me yours? Please show your Dedge, and high bankser
Take care
CH
Take care
CH
I think ColoradoGoldMan is right. Buy a second-hand used dredge or highbanker combo instead of making it yourself, especially with the new laws(banning dredging) you may get dredge equipment cheaper then.
If you are really low on cash, build it yourself out of wood like marine plywood, redwood or cedar wood, and/or 1x4--1x6's. On regular spruce wood, glue and screw the joins and treat all the wood with a waterproof stain, etc. Prevent the wood from absorbing water and getting water logged. Then use miners moss and expanded metal. They do this type of thing in Nome, Alaska.
OR you can buy a plastic sluice box and build a wood frame shovel-in highbanker (w/ 2" suction nozzle )combo around it, like a LeTrap.
http://prospecting.atspace.com/LeTrap-folding-highbanker.html
I know this is small time, but a bigger version can be made on a larger scale.
AngusMacKirk.com also makes plastic sluice boxes. Check out their equipment.
If you are really low on cash, build it yourself out of wood like marine plywood, redwood or cedar wood, and/or 1x4--1x6's. On regular spruce wood, glue and screw the joins and treat all the wood with a waterproof stain, etc. Prevent the wood from absorbing water and getting water logged. Then use miners moss and expanded metal. They do this type of thing in Nome, Alaska.
OR you can buy a plastic sluice box and build a wood frame shovel-in highbanker (w/ 2" suction nozzle )combo around it, like a LeTrap.
http://prospecting.atspace.com/LeTrap-folding-highbanker.html
I know this is small time, but a bigger version can be made on a larger scale.
AngusMacKirk.com also makes plastic sluice boxes. Check out their equipment.
Nugget Hunter Smith
New member
ColoradoGoldMan is correct! I have been at this for over 25 years and by the time you gather up the parts and pieces needed to build your own. Unless you have a metal shop with benders, welder and such, don't forget to add in your time and labor, it is much cheaper and quicker to buy used or even new. Right now with the ban in California there are all types of dredges for sell. But you do need to have knowledge on size and brand. Does the motor and pump match up to the size of sluice? Research and asking questions is the best thing to do now.
just buy a used sluice with a crashbox and have someone make a suction nozzle (keene wants 90 bucks i made mine for 10 and it works just as good)
buy your hose at stuart hose for half the price the dredge companies want.
for pontoons just use 10 inch #20 pvc or poop tube and some end caps/
for a frame you can just cut some tubing and bolt it together and add a plate for your engine.
you can get filter material at home depot that works just like nomad pretty cheap and the same for the carpet, pick up rubber mat on ebay or at a flooring center.
i built mine double for less than 300 bucks and the brand new 13.2k gph 3 inch honda clone pump (honda motor with a generic cover on the pull guard) cost me 125 bucks including shipping on ebay, the crashbox and sluice started out keene before i rebuilt it, now it actually gets some good gold
(some people dont have the bucks to spend on a used dredge or the people selling the affordable ones usually refuse to ship which makes it impossible for someone just starting out with a limited budget to buy an cost effective dredge)
buy your hose at stuart hose for half the price the dredge companies want.
for pontoons just use 10 inch #20 pvc or poop tube and some end caps/
for a frame you can just cut some tubing and bolt it together and add a plate for your engine.
you can get filter material at home depot that works just like nomad pretty cheap and the same for the carpet, pick up rubber mat on ebay or at a flooring center.
i built mine double for less than 300 bucks and the brand new 13.2k gph 3 inch honda clone pump (honda motor with a generic cover on the pull guard) cost me 125 bucks including shipping on ebay, the crashbox and sluice started out keene before i rebuilt it, now it actually gets some good gold
(some people dont have the bucks to spend on a used dredge or the people selling the affordable ones usually refuse to ship which makes it impossible for someone just starting out with a limited budget to buy an cost effective dredge)
Idaho Gold
New member
Hi, i am brand new to this forum and I really want to add my input to this topic. I am in the process of building my own 2-1/2 in dredge. All aluminum construction. Sl let me run down some pricing for you. 4x8 sheet of 5052 aluminum .080 thickness $65.00. More than enough material to make pontoons and 10x48 sluice with riffles and jet flare. Square aluminum tubing, 1"x 3/16 wall $25.40 for 20 ft stick. 1-1/2" x 3/16 wall $42.00 for 20 ft stick. Miners moss 10 to 30 dollars depending on where you get it. carpet remnant 5 bucks. total price of set up 152.40. then you have to decide on your engine pump configuration. 6.5 hp motor 150. at big 5. pump? a toss up. I got lucky and found a keene p180 locally for a hundred bucks. in almost new condition.
Now for the sticky part. I personally work in a metal fab shop and can do all of this myself. I am waiting on my sheet aluminum to get here on friday. I will have all pieces sheared broke and welded in a matter of about 3 hours. personal labor cost 60.00 If yhou dont have these facilities it will cost you about 45.00 hour labor cost for the welding portions of this project. so you can add 135.00 to your project just for the shop time.
These are just my thoughts and input on the matter
Pat
Now for the sticky part. I personally work in a metal fab shop and can do all of this myself. I am waiting on my sheet aluminum to get here on friday. I will have all pieces sheared broke and welded in a matter of about 3 hours. personal labor cost 60.00 If yhou dont have these facilities it will cost you about 45.00 hour labor cost for the welding portions of this project. so you can add 135.00 to your project just for the shop time.
These are just my thoughts and input on the matter
Pat