diamond ore processing sluice ideas

[Ryan1981]

Hi guys & gals,
Haven't been on here for a while,kids/work ect ect.

BUT I have (very luckily) come across a few old diamond mines and have access to many many tons of material to process,
my problem is ive only got a high-banker, and its set up for gold.

Also being that diamonds have SG of 3.5 ish and gold is 19. most of the little carbon jewlies id say 99.99999% wash straight out the front....

I was thinking of some sort of vibrating lazy L style sluice to add to the front of my setup, do any of you have any ideas for me.PLEEEEEASE

I have spent a few hours now trying old uncle google, but still not sure on what to make/buy ect.

Any help is very welcome,
Cheers
Ryan

 

[Pegleg]

That's about the same as sapphire isn't it? A walbanker should do the job.

 

[Ryan1981]

Thanks Peg,

Um yeah pretty much the same SG.

Im kind of thinking a little bigger than a walbanker, like a wheelbarrow a minute or more.

 

[Brumble-Gum]

Sounds strange but I heard a story that the old timers used to put pig fat at the end of their sluice. The diamonds smooth surface stuck to the cold fat.
Maybe a bit of research to see if this was true, if so what would work today.

 

[blisters]

Diamonds are hydrophobic so water does not stick to the diamond but oils do, so grease can be used to separate diamonds from concentrate as the diamond is attracted to it. Water sticks to the gangue so the gangue slides over the grease because the grease is repelling the water. This is secondary separation so you'd be using a jig of sorts to gravity separate by sg first so classification and an understanding of the gangue content would dictate a technique. There's probably something much better than pig fat around these days.
Jon

 

[Tathradj]

Here you go.
.
http://academic.emporia.edu/abersusa/go336/ringler/diamondmining.htm
.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7554528_separate-diamonds-kimberlite.html
.
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Diamond.html
.
Search Google for,

separating diamonds

 

[Brumble-Gum]

I can see it now, people filling up their last 2-3 bread crate rows on a Walbanker with grease.

 

[AtomRat]

Google search 'jig sluice'

 

[Heatho]

I can see it now, people filling up their last 2-3 bread crate rows on a Walbanker with grease.

Yep and then having a nasty big rainbow slick running down the stream........

I'd be looking for or building or buying a small gem pulsator Jig as Blisters mentioned. A wheelbarrow a minute is getting real close to mining.

 

[Brumble-Gum]

By grease I meant animal fat not chemical.
That was meant to be humorous, I am not ruining my banker by putting bacon grease on the end.

 

[Tathradj]

I took it as a joke. :lol:

I can see it now, people filling up their last 2-3 bread crate rows on a Walbanker with grease.

 

[Heatho]

By grease I meant animal fat not chemical.
That was meant to be humorous, I am not ruining my banker by putting bacon grease on the end.

I had a chuckle when I read it too, all good. But then had visions of someone sticking axle grease on their sluice just to give it a go......

 

[Brumble-Gum]

By grease I meant animal fat not chemical.
That was meant to be humorous, I am not ruining my banker by putting bacon grease on the end.

I had a chuckle when I read it too, all good. But then had visions of someone sticking axle grease on their sluice just to give it a go......

Fair enough, I guess it could have been taken that way. All good Heatho no offense mate.

 

[Heatho]

By grease I meant animal fat not chemical.
That was meant to be humorous, I am not ruining my banker by putting bacon grease on the end.

I had a chuckle when I read it too, all good. But then had visions of someone sticking axle grease on their sluice just to give it a go......

Fair enough, I guess it could have been taken that way. All good Heatho no offense mate.

Cheers BG, none meant at all.

Be good to see someone get some diamonds though, in the few years I've been on here there have only been a couple of pics that were 100% diamond found in NSW. Varts was digging in a diamond area but I'm not sure of the size or even if they were in fact confirmed as diamonds. I'd be interested to know.....

 

[AtomRat]

Whoops, I didn't see blisters wrote jig in his comment. But its certainly the way to go. Have you used grease before blisters? I've also heard parafin wax?

 

[TheSilentBugler]

Saw an old south african diamond doco. They used grease to catch the diamonds on a flat steel plate.

 

[Ryan1981]

I can see it now, people filling up their last 2-3 bread crate rows on a Walbanker with grease.

Yep and then having a nasty big rainbow slick running down the stream........

I'd be looking for or building or buying a small gem pulsator Jig as Blisters mentioned. A wheelbarrow a minute is getting real close to mining.

i
yes it does sound a lot like mining, but its on private property

 

[Ryan1981]

I have thought about using a grease belt, BUT since we are trying to catch gold also I dont want to contaminate to recirculating water and floating gold away.

Me thinks many hours of R&D are on the cards, but the fun of it all gets me very excited

 

[Ryan1981]

Here you go.
.
http://academic.emporia.edu/abersusa/go336/ringler/diamondmining.htm
.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7554528_separate-diamonds-kimberlite.html
.
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Diamond.html
.
Search Google for,

separating diamonds

Thanks mate, some good info there, Im thinking of a setup as follows,

Some sort of soaking tub that can hold a few tons at a time, that flow into a trommel.

That then feeds into the HB or 2 to separate out and catch GOLD ,and then classify to 1 inch and 1/4 inch material,

Then though vibrating jigs and thats where im stuck, and need some advise on how to set this part up.

I have seen on youtube ppl using a pulsating jig that has two upside down plunger type things that sit on a cam/ bar running off a motor, not sure where id find that sort of boot/plunger-

And another idea is to set up a high wall box with riffles at 90ish degrees to catch the heavies, this box would sit on springs (car)? and then some sort of vibrator attached to it,to assist the settling of said heavies.

Whats are you're thoughts guys
Cheers
Ryan

 

[blisters]

Used grease in my wheel bearings AT :lol: I'm recollecting old geo knowledge from way back I've got no hands on diamond extraction experience but the extraction methods are well known/documented. My background was geophysical exploration primarily for gold and base metals.

Wal is the jig man unfortunately he's walkabout.

If it were me to get going on a small show I'd make fluid beds to process well screened material for gravity separation and pick out gems off a table.

Jon