Gold Hog DownDraft Mat

[WalnLiz]

Hi all, first post here after months of reading all your informative posts..... love it!

Weekend just gone I did a series of testing using the Gold Hog Mini Excavator / extension with a set up much the same as Elrodeo's by the sound of it. Running a 3/4 full bucket of gravel and about 1/2 gram of gold (every spec to my name) I have found over the past year or so. This consisted of 2-3mm flat flakes, very small course and pieces you would struggle to see in a pan.
First run: 14 degree slope (3":1') & 210 lt/min - found about 30% of the gold in the botom matt..... NOT HAPPY!
Second run: 9 degree slope (2":1") & 210 lt/min - Bottom matt produced one piece probably -100 and nothing in the tailings. 50% was caught in the miners moss (or still working it's way through) and the other 50% was caught in the top matt.

Did another 2 runs using lower water flow at the same angle. Was able to drop the flow down to about 150 lt/min without loosing gold to the lower matt but cleared no where near as well.

Completley agree with WalnLiz about classifying with these units. I'd almost call it an oversized cleanup sluice... lol - but I love it all the same!

I have also made a small mod to the hopper box as I didn't like how it dropped the water so far down the matt rather than on the punch plate... see pichttps://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/948/1391474588_gold_hog.jpg

Thanks for the post mate and good to eventually have you on board. The biggest problem with testing only a couple of buckets at a time is you don't have the catch zone completely full of black sands, which is what happens in reality in a stream fed situation.

When you put "Realistic" volumes through the sluice with a lot of ironstone and black sands, that's when the "Real" clearance rate can be observed. Heavies running at a "continual rate" is what you want to test, as we don't want to compare bankers with clean up sluices. The "Mats" are great, but not as the only catching system, if you want to clear any sort of volume over a cubic metre at one time without a clean up. IMO.

Cheers Wal

 

[Tige]

Ok thanks for your help wal, much appreciated

 

[joe]

I'll be happy to be in a competition (Ford) with my gold hog setup against any bread crumbs
Have done it before with members from this forum (Bob,Jeff,Ian) etc.. and they've seen the results.

 

[Mudguts]

I'm in

 

[WalnLiz]

Deal joe....In a fishing tournament this weekend and will be available next weekend. Will pm you for a suitable time mate. What sort of banker config did they have???? ...no matter....I'll just bring my "Gold Only" version and the vid camera.

Cheers Wal.

 

[joe]

Deal Wal, lol working this weekend Griffith bi-election but will do as you said following weekend we'll dig from the same gravel pile running HB's side by side, one man per HB.

 

[elrodeo]

End of the day it's horses for courses and no banker and mat config/bread crate,expanded , carpet is perfect. You find what works for you and for areas you dig in and just shovel like a machine.
In areas where I'm prospecting if I'm digging away from creek or rivers I'll dig and lug dump about 40 x 20 litre buckets then run that have a quick look and and repeat. Do a quick clean out and go again.
If I can set up unit next to the dig site I'll keep going until it's time for a break e.g I can hear a cold beverage calling. Just dig and feed the unit as the more material, the more gold. Definitely moving tonnage.
Hopper on the excavator is too small but have a larger modified unit with grizzly bars being built.
Main area I go to is loaded with ironstone and insane amounts of black sand and the fine gold is extremely light so I'll clean the mats and take cons home.
I use the excavator as its light weight as I have to hike in a few kms and there's a fair bit of climbing involved as no direct access. Usually leave the unit set up and hike back to camp and stay anywhere for 3-4 days to 10days.
We have it's big brother set up o/seas as a dredge/highbanker combo and that thing pummels material.

 

[Guest]

Lets get ready to RRRUUUMMBBBLLEEEE, cant wait for the vid. goodluck all.

 

[WalnLiz]

Deal Wal, lol working this weekend Griffith bi-election but will do as you said following weekend we'll dig from the same gravel pile running HB's side by side, one man per HB.

Suggest we run 2 guys per banker to make sure we get volume through the boxes, as this will give us a little more "Beer time" over the lunch break.

Cheers Wal.

 

[joe]

ok Sir, although I did design the hopper for one man operation it should cope with two.

 

[WalnLiz]

Great....need time for a few beers in between to compensate for the hot weather ...we'll discuss details over a coffee at my place......

Cheers Wal.

 

[Tige]

Hi mudguts
do u have a slickplate on your hibanker, I run at 8 or 9 degrees with about 2 cm of water running over... 2x ur 3x razorback 2x scrubber 1x razorback 1x ur .. do get fine gold in concentrate but not much flour. could b the area I'm digging ( tuena) does water flow sound ok.. I do test tailing but lucky to find anything .. or maybe I suck at panning. any advice would b appreciated ( my material falls from classifier straight onto matting)

 

[Mudguts]

Hey tige
I drop strait onto the UR
It's amazing how much is found in the first 4 sections of UR
After that is pritty much black sand
All but the big flat thin pieces with more surface area than weight
That is where the moss and crate will beat hog matters every time
In my own eyes anyway
That is for oallen

Adelong
the pieces we have found there are more rounded and sit very well

Grabben
Have only found very small round balls to football shaped pieces
They sit well also

All of the above info is from my extensive 8mths of experience lol
I'm still nutting this game out
And loving every minute of it

Cheers Mud Guts

 

[Danielkrupski]

Can't wait for this vid

 

[ChrisM]

Deal Wal, lol working this weekend Griffith bi-election but will do as you said following weekend we'll dig from the same gravel pile running HB's side by side, one man per HB.

Suggest we run 2 guys per banker to make sure we get volume through the boxes, as this will give us a little more "Beer time" over the lunch break.

Cheers Wal.

As long as the beer is flowing Ill moderate to make sure no shenanigans are involved
[then Ill set up my toy and show you both how its done..... ]

 

[Mudguts]

Here we go
Best be making another tray lol

 

[Mudguts]

What date and time are we looking lads ????
I can't wait for this
And a chance to dig my favourite place
May even get some PA members for a peanut gallery lol
Cheers Mud Guts

 

[WalnLiz]

Deal Wal, lol working this weekend Griffith bi-election but will do as you said following weekend we'll dig from the same gravel pile running HB's side by side, one man per HB.

Suggest we run 2 guys per banker to make sure we get volume through the boxes, as this will give us a little more "Beer time" over the lunch break.

Cheers Wal.

As long as the beer is flowing Ill moderate to make sure no shenanigans are involved
[then Ill set up my toy and show you both how its done..... ]

Mate...any chance we can get the services of the "Dozer" for the day....I want him on my team, will bring a food van with me, Be great to have you there as we know you can't be bought, or persuaded to take sides.....even with a bottle of Wild Turkey(American Honey).

Cheers Wal.

 

[Mudguts]

Shall we claim the date Moderators and make this even official A PA event ??

 

[WalnLiz]

What date and time are we looking lads ????
I can't wait for this
And a chance to dig my favourite place
May even get some PA members for a peanut gallery lol
Cheers Mud Guts

"Special Event"...by invitation only as we can't get in front of the film crew .....but you're invited Dave.