Building a Banker

[Tathradj]

Well, With the Oallen meetup coming up I decided to build a banker.
I did cast around for a second hand one but the freight killed it.
Also for buying a new one as well.
So, Being of the handy type, I had an inspiration to check out my collection
of handy bits and pieces in the shed. 8)
I rediscovered a piece of 900 x 900 by 2.5 Aluminum that I had saved for a rainy day.
.
I spent a few hours at my mates place who just happened to have a manual press brake.
Main body's are now cut and folded.
I will spend a few more hours finishing of my creation. LOL
Dimensions,
Main sluice is 250 wide, 100mm high and 900 long.
Hopper is 240 wide, 500 long and 80 deep. The flutes are where the spray bars are going
to be located as every design I have seen, They over hang the hopper.
The H peace is the diversion plate for under the screen area. It may not end up that long.
Any way, Will see how it goes.

 

[dwt]

Will this one see the supa rotating head?

 

[Tathradj]

Hi DWT,
No, This one is the front line Banker.
The one you use before you bring the big guns in. :lol:
I have built it as a small portable unit to carry around to those tight
to get to spots.
I took into consideration a few aspects like Bazza2210 told me.
His and DrDucks Bankers only set back is the size of the hopper.
I have made it to be a bit wider so you have a bigger area to aim
for with a shovel full but not that wide to reduce the effect of the
dual spray bars down each side.

 

[Guest]

strengthen the ends mate or the unit will belly out on you over time. A strip about 2 inches wide running across the bottom bent in a u shape for strength. Looks good and should work well.

 

[Tathradj]

Great minds do think alike.
I have some 25mm x 5 mm aluminum strip for that.
Where you have Strengthen here written, That is where the
hinge goes. It will have a strip under it as well.

 

[Guest]

Mate i will show and tell you a mod you can do to the unit that will put it light years ahead of any thing on the market today. I will show you at Oallen cheers mate

 

[Guest]

Vibrating hopper, so you don't have to rake out the rocks? At least on mine you have to, not sure if other highbankers the rocks slide off completely.

 

[Guest]

Hi Jin how you doing? Excessive Vibration in a banker it has been found that the vibration concentrates the heavies to such a degree that the fine gold cannot settle through them. Hence been blown out of the unit in question. This I have seen and been told on a number of occasions by other prospectors who have tried the idea. Cheers mate.

 

[Tathradj]

I would like to see that.
What should I bring with me. ?

Mate i will show and tell you a mod you can do to the unit that will put it light years ahead of any thing on the market today. I will show you at Oallen cheers mate

 

[limpalot]

Could put some 2x1 ally at the front , use for legs supports as well.

 

[Guest]

Hi Jembaicumbene,

I was more thinking along the lines of the feed hopper not connected to the sluice. Instead the feed hopper could built on a frame with springs (otherwise the things going to start skipping around all over the place) and mounted on four legs. The spray bars wash the gravels and the larger rocks and the rest then falls into the sluice. I wouldn't think you would need to be overly aggressive with the vibration as its only a small area, just enough to help the larger rocks vibrate off the grizzly bars. Do you think something like this may work? (I usually find that the idea usually sounds good in theory but in practice fails badly.)

*I actually built a small vibrating machine to process the concentrates from my highbanker. I found exactly what you described to happen, the heavies compacted to a hard mass even though the bucket had water in it as well. I ended up putting a fluid bed system in the bottom to prevent the solid mass happening and it worked ok then. Funny though I quickly realised i could just use the fluid system to the same job, didn't need the vibration.

Cheers Jin

 

[cecc]

Hi Jin good to see your having a go at this High Banker, there is a lot of expertise here and Jemba is one of them, his advice is invaluable.

 

[Tathradj]

Imparting a slow and steady side ways rocking will help the heavies separate.
I have an idea of using a small off weight impeller mounted under a WalBanker.
Just one of those things I will get around to one day.

Hi Jembaicumbene,

I was more thinking along the lines of the feed hopper not connected to the sluice. Instead the feed hopper could built on a frame with springs (otherwise the things going to start skipping around all over the place) and mounted on four legs. The spray bars wash the gravels and the larger rocks and the rest then falls into the sluice. I wouldn't think you would need to be overly aggressive with the vibration as its only a small area, just enough to help the larger rocks vibrate off the grizzly bars. Do you think something like this may work? (I usually find that the idea usually sounds good in theory but in practice fails badly.)

*I actually built a small vibrating machine to process the concentrates from my highbanker. I found exactly what you described to happen, the heavies compacted to a hard mass even though the bucket had water in it as well. I ended up putting a fluid bed system in the bottom to prevent the solid mass happening and it worked ok then. Funny though I quickly realised i could just use the fluid system to the same job, didn't need the vibration.

Cheers Jin

 

[Guest]

Hi Jembaicumbene,

I was more thinking along the lines of the feed hopper not connected to the sluice. Instead the feed hopper could built on a frame with springs (otherwise the things going to start skipping around all over the place) and mounted on four legs. The spray bars wash the gravels and the larger rocks and the rest then falls into the sluice. I wouldn't think you would need to be overly aggressive with the vibration as its only a small area, just enough to help the larger rocks vibrate off the grizzly bars. Do you think something like this may work? (I usually find that the idea usually sounds good in theory but in practice fails badly.)

*I actually built a small vibrating machine to process the concentrates from my highbanker. I found exactly what you described to happen, the heavies compacted to a hard mass even though the bucket had water in it as well. I ended up putting a fluid bed system in the bottom to prevent the solid mass happening and it worked ok then. Funny though I quickly realised i could just use the fluid system to the same job, didn't need the vibration.

Cheers Jin

Mate your a thinker and that is good, i work on the lines if i think it will work i will make it and if it dose then thats good if it dose not then i move on to plan B. The point is i had a go. People may say oh thats stupid but hay give it a go and make your mind up then weather it is stupid or not don't be put off from having a go. One point you must always keep in mind when designing gear or making gear is to keep it simple and easy to use. keep these points in mind and your only limited by what you can do is by your imagination. cheers mate i do like what you have done. Jembaicumbene

 

[Guest]

I would like to see that.
What should I bring with me. ?

Mate i will show and tell you a mod you can do to the unit that will put it light years ahead of any thing on the market today. I will show you at Oallen cheers mate

Nothing mate, you got to see it working to understand. It will blow you away. cheers

 

[bazza2210]

Hi Jin how you doing? Excessive Vibration in a banker it has been found that the vibration concentrates the heavies to such a degree that the fine gold cannot settle through them. Hence been blown out of the unit in question. This I have seen and been told on a number of occasions by other prospectors who have tried the idea. Cheers mate.

I agree, I thought I was doing the right thing once by giving my banker a really hard shake every now and then only to discover that gold was not settling in the top expanded but making it further down into the breadcrate, so I do not do that anymore and all my gold is caught in the top section only.

 

[Guest]

cecc thanks mate.

 

[Guest]

One other point about vibration is that it increases the amount of heavies you get at clean up time. cheers

 

[Guest]

Sorry Tathradj i think i hijacked your thread ..... but still interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on highbankers

Look forward to seeing more pictures as the build progresses

 

[Tathradj]

Bazza, How do you like the punch plate for a Grizzly. ??
.
Jin, Very good discussion mate. It is good to throw a few idea's around Cobber.

Hi Jin how you doing? Excessive Vibration in a banker it has been found that the vibration concentrates the heavies to such a degree that the fine gold cannot settle through them. Hence been blown out of the unit in question. This I have seen and been told on a number of occasions by other prospectors who have tried the idea. Cheers mate.

I agree, I thought I was doing the right thing once by giving my banker a really hard shake every now and then only to discover that gold was not settling in the top expanded but making it further down into the breadcrate, so I do not do that anymore and all my gold is caught in the top section only.

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