suction handle for creek work

[ron]

Hi Folks,

I'm in a bit of a bind at a private farm where I/we go panning. I'd kindly appreciate ideas and comments from the Forum. The last thing I/we want to do is bugger up the creek so we are denied future access. All spoil is returned to the creek.

The shallow and narrow creek always provides fine gold in the same place in the bank 1'-2 ' below the water. There is a pebble, sandy and clay layer under the water with firm topsoil 4' above the water line to comprise the banks.
All gold has been dug and panned thus far. This does take time and the output is minimal. I have a Gold & Sand hand suction pump but I am not satisfied that this is suited for this spot. I have a sluice but this creek has a slow water-flow in this location. Perhaps another solution is modify the sluice to a highbanker?

I am considering using a suction pump, a 12V system as it needs to be carried at least 200yds (can't get my generator in there). Perhaps a 12V suction pump with a higher capacity is available but I have looked without success.
Would my 2 x 500GPH bilge pumps hooked to car battery operate as a suction pump if i loosen the soil base during operation? Does anyone have a few fotos of their suction handle & equipment suitable for creek work that they would like to share?

Cheers
Ron

 

[Horse]

Using a powered suction device to remove gravels from a watercourse is a very bad idea. Is akin to dredging

Stick to hand powered and you will avoid a lot of trouble if the powers that be turn up.

Edit : Although....private farm....do what you wish....but do not post it in public

 

[Beagleboy]

You could convert your sluice box to power sluice with bilge pump and small battery. It will fix your problem of very slow flow in the creek and you can still process lot more than with a pan. It should be light enough to carry long distances. The disadvantage will be that unlike with highbanker you will need to clasify the material. Put your bilge pump in a submerged bucket upstream from where you are digging and maybe wrap some shade cloth or fly screen around the pump so you don't suck in any rubbish.
When you suck gravel with powered pump from the creek straight in to your sluice is dredging and unfortunately that is no longer allowed. Just use a yabby pump or your gold and sand pump. I sometimes set my sluice close to the hole I am working and pump straight in to the sluice with yabby pump without clasifying. It works well.

 

[mdv]

When there is not enough water in 'my creek' for a Walbanker or if the spot is too inaccessible or far to carry the Walbanker, I revert to using an Angus McKirk (grubstake) sluice fed from my small petrol pump running at a little more than idle speed. I classify first to 1/4 inch into a bucket and then feed into the sluice using a hand scoop.

This set-up is light enough to carry many hundreds of metres and uses less than 1l of petrol per day. Hand feeding the sluice is relaxing and brings the anticipation of spotting bits of colour as they travel into the first riffle.

 

[ron]

Thanks for the comments Beagleboy & the foto MDV.

I will call by the plumbing shop & a buy few more connectors to set up get a water rail for the sluice improving its own performance.
Your suggestions for the use of hand pump & sluice combination is appreciated & will configure this on Saturday when we head out.

Now for something of a different nature

Some 6 months ago I did buy a w'proof camera, USB type. It is very small & has a 5m lead. Picture quality is good. I had thought of using it with my old laptop (which has since died) in the particular creek that we visit. The solution is to connect it to a $99 tablet which is small & lightweight rather than the laptop but must have a USB port.
The camera could be fastened to a stick or plastic tube and used underwater. The camera MAY show up some sediments in the creek bed. The test is adding dirt from my garden into a bucket of water and placing a running hose into the bucket to see what shows up. If ok in murky water then this is helpful where flow rates are low & water remains murky.
I have placed a AA battery alongside for a size comparison. The camera is say 10mm longer than the battery & marginally larger in diameter on the end fitted with the lens.
I will post findings on the forum.
Has anyone set up a camera for fossicking?

Good luck out there!!
Cheers
Ron

 

[Beagleboy]

I have not used a camera but made one of these some time ago.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2823

 

[Beagleboy]

Some more pics for inspiration.

 

[G0lddigg@]

those are cool beagleboy.... i made one too, used it for a day then stuck it in the shed its a nice talking piece lol might use it to spot prawns in the weeds in qld

 

[Beagleboy]

those are cool beagleboy.... i made one too, used it for a day then stuck it in the shed its a nice talking piece lol might use it to spot prawns in the weeds in qld

You can get them on eBay from USA but the shipping is a killer. They are easy enough to make but you need the right valve for it that does not mind bit of gravel through it. What did you use?

 

[G0lddigg@]

i was talking about the scope sorry
i did make a sucker with a yabby pump, recently found a valve at Clarke rubber

 

[shivan]

Has anyone set up a camera for fossicking?

Our last trip out i had a new digital camera that was waterproof. stuck it down the crevice we were working to have a look. The picture was great, a lot better than i had expected. My only problem was that because i could not see the screen when i was filming so my panning was a tad on the quick side.