Dry Blower

[1968falconxt]

It has been a bit slow going lately but the wobble fan is finally finished. I have a diffuser to put on top of it to distribute the air if necessary. It is now ready to test.

Unfortunately I think I'm too late to take it to the goldfields this season. The wet weather is on its way

 

[1968falconxt]

I made a recirculating sluice in the last few weeks to process my concentrates out in the field while running the dry blower too:

 

[mudgee hunter]

Dry blowers....Yeah, I've had the operation! Works well

 

[shakergt]

Now that sluice looks the business :Y:

 

[Keitzy]

Looks the goods... not to sure how the flat blades will work tho, mine are bent at roughly a 30-45ish degree angle. It spun much faster with them bent.

Always good to see you're on the ball mate :|

Lol can you do my tax return.

Just stirrin mate :Y:

Lol shooosh you

 

[Occasional_panner]

Nice work 1968, have you thought about selling items?
I could see that clean up sluice selling well.

You'll find you only need ribbed v matting if it's for clean ups.

Do a trial, collect all the material and run it back through with both kinds of matting.

As long as you are running only concentrates V matting is probably my preferred option.

Not sure if you have done it, but if you put in a vertical plate to make the lower tank split in two that will keep more sediments away from the pump.
As material washes down into the bottom tank you can keep abrasives away from the pump with a catch plate.
When the level rises it will overflow to the other side where the pump is situated.
You could have three sections if desired.
Kind of like bulkheads in a ship.

 

[1968falconxt]

Thanks. I have thought about selling some sluices. I'll probably make another sluice shortly and advertise it and see if there is any interest. The dry blower at this stage only for fun as I really want to hit the GT and shovel some mullock heaps.

I like your idea for the baffles in the lower tank and I will add one in. I have a small stand to raise the pump but it won't be enough. The sediment builds up fast.

I haven't tried V matting. I am very impressed with the dream mat as it collects 100% of the fine gold and is very fast too.

 

[Occasional_panner]

Good work mate, that clean up sluice could actually be 1/3 the size.
Mostly concentrates are a fairly small volume, you shouldn't need a really big machine to run them.

V matting is great, you can get it at bunnings and it really holds onto fine gold, you can run the water flow 1/5th of what you need to of dream matt.
Dream matt is a great primary catcher in a banker (I have it in mine) , my personal preference would be v matt in a clean up sluice, but each to their own.

Going to the GT with a dryblower will have to be put off for around 8 months mate.

 

[rscott]

Just a suggestion for the expanded mesh on the dryblower hopper. I have found if you install with the diamond openings in the vertical orientation the oversize will clear much better. With the openings across the dirt flow direction it will soon clog with the slightly oversize stones.

 

[Goldfreak]

very good looking stuff falcon. Well done :Y:

 

[1968falconxt]

I finally took the red devil out to the Moliagul goldfields after a lot of testing/fine tuning at home. Once I knocked the top off a mullock heap it was dry enough to run. I had a blast and found some small nuggets. I am surprised how fine the gold is that it collects!

 

[MJB]

Absolutely magnificent build there mate, world class :Y: :Y:
I reckon there is a large untapped resource of AU waiting to be liberated by Dry Blowers all through VIC. Everyone focusses on Highbanking when there is so much good ground situated no where near creeks.

Keep up those amazing builds

 

[qt4me]

1968falconxt

Thats a great job, if you dont mind me asking but what material did you use on the riffle tray for where the air blows through ?
thanks

 

[1968falconxt]

I used the Keene dry blower cloth from the Reeds Prospecting website. It's tough stuff

 

[qt4me]

Thanks

 

[Jessy28]

I used the Keene dry blower cloth from the Reeds Prospecting website. It's tough stuff

Awsome job falcon my son and i are looking at having ago at building our own dry blower really impressed with your design would apreciate any help you could give us with pics dimensions and how you fixed and rensioned your riffle coth down please email me if your interested in helping us out thanks [email protected]