Bellows Dry Blower ???? ...... anyone familiar with this build

[Teemore]

Found this item up for auction .....

The "Gold Wizard" stencil caught my eye first, closer look indicated it could be dry blower, bellows style.
Top green thing is obviously the hopper, pulley visible at bottom of unit and push button (top RHS) seems to indicate it may have been powered (Battery??? mains ???).

Seems to have been made by Frost-Scott Equipment, distribution seems to have been by "Treasureland Aust" ?? Oats St, C???, in WA
Curious to know if anyone (particularly or WA members) has ever come across anything similar or is actually aware of this brand/unit.

Can't wait for the auction to go and have a closer look (obviously COVID dependant).
Chers T.

 

[Nightjar]

Carslile, WA
Treasureland, was one of the first distributors of prospecting equipment in WA.
They were and are still operating, no doubt you will be able to get info from them about this dryblower.

http://www.hesperianpress.com/

 

[Teemore]

Carslile, WA
Treasureland, was one of the first distributors of prospecting equipment in WA.
They were and are still operating, no doubt you will be able to get info from them about this dryblower.

http://www.hesperianpress.com/

Thanks for that, I've shot them an email, be interesting to get some history on the thing.
Obviously will get to the auction to see what other gold related equipment might be hanging around and have a chat with the owner.
Cheers T.

 

[Teemore]

OK so it was a dry washer/blower from back in the 80's .... 40 years old (their response attached). Wonder what WA regulations changed, thought dry blowers were always OK in the WA goldfields.

If used in the "field probably had a generator to drive it ..... or did they just run dirt back at home?Will be interesting to chat to however owned it when they allow viewings

Anyone out there used this piece of history or anything similar??

Cheers Tom

Oh, if you're after Gold books this mob seem to have a great selection.

 

[Nightjar]

Teemore,
Behind that galvanised shield there will be a small petrol engine driving it.

The blue dryblower in the below thread is one I built and years later sold it. It recently appeared on Gumtree for sale again painted red but it must have been snapped up because the add has gone. The one shown below the "blue" in the thread is one I purchased and used as a pattern to downsize. It was called the "Falcon" built by a Perth company. The reason for down size, was a lot fitter back in the 80's and could keep up the flow with a shovel. You can see in the photo big shovel and a very fit mate doing his hour on the shovel. We stuck to the shovels and didn't introduce a bobcat was to keep on the good side of the Mines Department. layful:
Shovel fed dryblowing is hard work but a very rewarding hobby, if you're on alluvial gold ground you will have some in the jar at the end of every day.
You can't give up your day job but it is very enjoyable with a few mates to sit down with at the end of the day and wash the dust down with a few coldies.

https://golddetecting.forumotion.net/t745-dry-blowers-for-gold-recovery?highlight=dry+blower :|

 

[Goldfreak]

Hello Dry blower people. Just want to know has anyone tried running wet clay through something like a long conveyer belt oven to dry it before crushing it up and putting it through a dry blower ? The reason I ask it I know some of the old timers used to bake there wet clay in a fire before doing this. Sorry to ask here. Didnt want to start a new thread over the question but thought those with experience would know if it would be worth while ?

 

[Teemore]

https://golddetecting.forumotion.net/t745-dry-blowers-for-gold-recovery?highlight=dry+blower :|

Interesting looking unit, just curious as to why bellows over air (petrol blower unit) ..... I use a unit a bit smaller than the large Keene with great results in creek beds here in Vic ...... when things dry out. And at 71 can attest that shovelling loads ain't getting any easier (guess years of smoking doesn't help).

Goldfreak ..... seems like a big expense and unless it dries to a powder consistency it will still be a problem. Then again if the material is rich and cash is not an issue I assume it might work. Perhaps others will have more/better info for you.

Cheers Tom

Oops Sorry Goldfreak missed the bit about crushing.

 

[Stingray]

Hi Teemore, I use a Gold Wizard on my lease. Have a look at the the last two pics in my post on page 2 of this topic which shows the machine and excavator I feed it with. https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33330
Unfortunately in the photo the riffle tray is not on the machine, but you get the general idea of what it should look like. It's powered by a 2.5 hp Briggs and Stratton with pulleys and vee-belts driving the bellows and the clay breaker which in a really good feature of this unit. Dirt that makes it through the grizzly screen falls down a chute and into a spinning tee piece that throws the dirt out laterally inside a steel barrel and then it falls down into the riffle tray. The dirt and rocks gets smacked into the side of the barrel (looks like a mill) which breaks up the hard lumps.

I had to make a new bellows and riffle tray and a few other bits and pieces but I was very surprised how well it works. It catches quite fine gold and I can put about 3 tonnes per hour through it when the dirt is nice and dry. Be warned though - it is heavy! Having said that it has a set of handles and wheels that slot on so you can move it around. The only thing I don't like about the design is that the oversize and classified (processed) material ends up in one pile at the front of the machine. I dealt with that by rigging up a chute off the end of the grizzly screen to take the oversize further away - you can see that on the photo. Not pretty but it was a bush fix and it works. Good luck and happy to provide advice or whatever.

 

[Teemore]

Hi Teemore, I use a Gold Wizard on my lease. Have a look at the the last two pics in my post on page 2 of this topic which shows the machine and excavator I feed it with. https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33330

Tks, that's an awesome bit of machinery there Stingray.
Obviously the bellows type is preferred to the just air/vibration type (like the Keene).
Auction has been postponed due to Covid here in Vic but dying to get a good look at it and hopefully talk to the bloke that was running it .. such large units are uncommon here in Vic. (also the off chance he may have other prospecting equipment laying around).
Cheers Tom.

 

[Nightjar]

Teemore, Set up correctly and correct cloth, the bellows wins hands down when put up against the continuous air models.
As a matter of interest prospector shops try to sell continuous air blower cloth to customers wanting for bellows. WRONG!
The bellows fitted with this cloth, you will discover the puffer box filling up with fines sucked through when the bellows sucks a breath.
With correct cloth on the bellows models you can go weeks with out having to clean out the bellows.
I have used heavy cloth bought from "Spotlight" store. Rule of thumb, when you hold it up to light there is barely any glimmer of light shining through.
You wouldn't use continuous air cloth for curtains, the neighbors would be able to see your bedroom antics.
:lol:

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

Hi Teemore, Keene make a similar size unit. They have a constant air and bellows style available. Only mentioning Keene as they are easily available in Oz...around $1500???...easy enough to make. In WA if you use a motor (petrol/12v whatever) then it's 'illegal mining' but it's easy enough to build one with a foot operated belows. If you go to youtube and search for Jim Breadsell (hope I've spelt that right)...he is actually one of the very few that knows what he is doing and takes you through the process. The bellows unit that Keene makes also comes with a hand crank handle. Plenty of debate over constant air versus belows.....on a commercial scale give me constant air anytime....trick is....not too much!

 

[Teemore]

Probably just as well that I'm getting too old to more seriously think about spending some time in the West ...... sounds as though your "rules" can be quite stringent .... even stuffy Victoria allows powered dry blowers and highbanking.

Can you only use "power" if you have a lease/licence ??

Cheers Tom.

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

the rules are what they are....just that often they do no suit peoples plans.

Basically yes to your question...you either need to be the tenement holder or have written permission from the holder and then have a POW-P in place (programe of works-prospecting) and once thats approved your good to go.