drywashing

[forrest]

can anyone who uses a dry washer on a regular basis tell me how often I should clean up. I am getting a lot of black sands and I clean up before I refill the blower. will the loading up of black sand prevent gold from entering the riffles. thanks

[LuckyLundy]

Forrest,

It's a judgement call. I used a Gold King (King/big one) for years and cleaning it would very from place to place depending on the concentrates in the dirt. If you can move 1 yard of material in and hour, I'd clean it up and start over clean. Don't bother panning it out, but make sure you run test pans from the dirt your shoveling to make sure your still in the paystreak. Work you concentrates at home, you'll move more dirt during your trip and should take home more color. If your using a King drywasher at the end of the day lift the fiber board out and the dirt inside the shaker will have some nice color in it.

Good luck,

LuckyLundy

[29prospector]

Forrest,

I've been drywashing for 30 plus years and I have found that it varies from spot to spot. My basic routine is as follows; I use 2gal. buckets, due to my fused back, and dig enough material to fill 8 buckets. Next I run the material usually twice and pan out the cons. This works best for me. I dig, run and rest while panning. If the color is good then I take the area that I have opened up and section it off in 2 foot sections running each section separately to determine where the pay streak is at. Hope this helps

Ol'29er

[whats4supper]

everybody's right here. regardless of what kind of container one puts the concentrates in, before taking down the rig, run the concentrates again through the drywasher; however at a slower speed than normal. also be sure to charge the riffles with tailings before starting up, and also before filling the hopper with the concentrates. I would suggest that some of us also fill the hopper with tails also, and once the rig is tuned in with the right running speed, then start feeding in the concentrates.

as for black sand clogging the riffles, this is more problematic when using a sluice (water) rather than a blower (dry). as long as you are also catching birdshot or chunky iron (1/8" cubes or larger), you're probably getting the most efficiency you ever will or could get. However, when re-running the concentrates again, do take your time. take some of the tails home also, or where you pan, and check them out for missed gold. Though it may seem that you see some fines in the tails after panning, don't get your dander up. Just compare the two (tails and concentrates) and see where you're at and what you did right.

Like others have said already, no two diggings are alike, nor is the gold size the same, nor soil conditions. Dunkin gave the best advice for locating the pay streak for it is there that the potential really exists for a big time payoff.

[dutch john]

All of the replys are great... However I will add more "thoughts"

to consider. Not to "muddy-up" the water, but to stimulate more

"iffs" and "whatevers." A "smartypants" I'm not as I ask to

learn... when we stop asking and learning; well you know

the answer...

whatsforsupper... is that a Beck I see in your "logo?. If so it

is a puffer. Is that what you are using?

And luckyLundy mentions using a Gold King (a big king). It

is is a constant air.

And forrest mentions "black sand?" Is the sand mostly dark

ferromagnesian minerals or does it contain a quantity of magnetite?

[whats4supper]

whatsforsupper... is that a Beck I see in your "logo?. If so it

is a puffer. Is that what you are using?

No name no brand drywasher. A homemade puffer job. I wore out two others with a wood frame, so i made one with a steel frame and wheels; not exactly light but it works. Figure to make a lighter one in the next few months. also maybe a folding job.

Not enough on the ball to figure out how to do a [durable] plastic frame setup, though it would be ideal to allow detector scans while working the piles and the rig.

I have an old Gold Queen blower type box, when the access is less than driving the truck right up to the workings. I had a Keene hydrostatic setup, but some joe ran over it out in the desert near earp. came back to my spot and discovered the mess after going to the store. I felt like rodney dangerfield. what can a guy do? you could get really upset....but it was still broken scrap at that point. no telling who the scoundrel was, but i sure hoped he got stuck in the sand somewhere all by his lonesome and needed something really really bad to get unstuck, and nobody was around to help out. If not that, a flat tire maybe, from jagged drywasher box and engine. maybe stuck and a flat tire both. I could've said a prayer or something but at that point it would've only served to repent of my vicious thoughts and pre-conceived vengeful actions. or that well thought out plan that seems perfect, but always seems to have a few defects or flaws after being carried out...

I almost think that God knows a really good setup when he see one, in the form of a gold miner or prospector. They are tough minded, not really too social. Guarded, vindictive, have a gun, walk around in a haze thinking about all those riches just buried inches below, waiting for some yahoo to uncover them and place them in some jar or pocket. If god can be tempted to play with somebody, those miner types would be the perfect 'free show' when pushed over the edge. It doesn't take much. If only it could be caught on video and sold on TruTV.....

I think I like the puffers best, but every rig has their pros and cons, as well as their ideal locations to be used in. sure, a guy can use one shovel, or a carpenter one hammer, but it makes sense to have a variety to fit the specific job, when space permits.