Wals' Hi-banker Specifications

[goldenboy]

Hi shortlife I like your build looks great could you give me an idea on cost if it's not to rude to ask.cheeros goldenboy

 

[Marked]

Although sloped aluminium expanded is the bees knees, you can make do with steel - I found an offcut for mine at the local trailer manufacturer. I believe he had used the rest of the pieces on ramps.

 

[shortlife]

Hi goldenboy. I had my mates dad make it for me, so far just that has set me back 400

 

[goldenboy]

Thanx for that shortlife I was wondering how much I could save doing one myself, apart from the satisfaction you get out of doing your own but I think I can get a walbanker for $550.00 all up and save myself a lot of time once again thank you for the heads up.cheers goldenboy

 

[shortlife]

Yer 550 i would of brought one but when i called they told me 850 +delivery and their is a wait/people in line as wal only makes a hand full at a time. So i resorted to making my own

 

[WalnLiz]

Yer 550 i would of brought one but when i called they told me 850 +delivery and their is a wait/people in line as wal only makes a hand full at a time. So i resorted to making my own

Pretty sure Detecta Den does them for $750, and yes there is a fairly long wait for them at the moment as I'm not in Canberra much at the moment. This is the same price as their standard 2 tier bankers they sell.

They were around the $550 mark for forum members, but at this price I'm putting them together for basically free, and by doing that it's not worth my while. My preference is, and has always been, for keen prospectors to build their own, as by doing this their time is of no consequence, and they gain some experience at sluice dynamics and construction for themselves.

Wal.

 

[shortlife]

How u doin wal. It was detecta den I called about a month ago and was quoted 850 not including post. Witch I was prepared to pay but knowing it was going to be a long wait and fact I could build it my self I have chosen to build my own to walbanker spec

 

[Marked]

I think my walbanker body cost me around $240 with a few favours called in for folding and I have enough sheet left for a second sluice body or top tier modification if I want to go that way. It was certainly no more than 300.

 

[WalnLiz]

How u doin wal. It was detecta den I called about a month ago and was quoted 850 not including post. Witch I was prepared to pay but knowing it was going to be a long wait and fact I could build it my self I have chosen to build my own to walbanker spec

They've got a new young guy in there who probably doesn't know the price. I'll give them a call to make sure it's $750 for future inquiries. As I said earlier I much prefer guys to make their own as this is why I've spent so much of my spare time answering and advising on the build of the banker.

Liz gets annoyed when we have a prospecting trip put on hold because I need to fill a backlog of banker builds for fellow prospectors, when we should be out there using our own in the field, and enjoying the days out.

I do not do these for financial gain, as my prospecting activities finances my hobby quite favorably, and to be honest, banker building is not on my list of fun activities these days. Knocking up a few bankers is a service I do for the few out there who find it difficult to get access to an engineering shop and aluminium welding gear to produce a professional banker.

Like Marked said above...300 bucks would come close to getting an engineering shop to manufacture a decent banker, then there's the cost of aluminium expanded, spray bar, and fixing angles, legs, pins, scraper,etc......add the "Realistic" hours it takes to put the internals, legs, spray bar, mesh, crate cutting etc together, and that being in your own time would save you another $300 bucks in labor.

If you need any advice on the build just let me know. If you prefer a Lazar cut original Walbanker, go through Detecta Den....but expect a short wait.

Wal.

 

[Whitedoug1]

Before I cut me sloped catwalk mesh what way should I cut it with the angle going with the water flow or against the water flow ?
Thanks
Doug

 

[WalnLiz]

Catwalk is vertical mesh Doug, so orientation is not important. What you describe is sloped expanded and this needs to be orientated with the sloped "Ramp" section facing towards the front end of the sluice, ie, with the water flow. The water has to run over the expanded to form a vortex behind it and suck the heavies into this low pressure zone.

Having it the other way around will still work as a boiler section, and hold the heavies, but will blow the lights into your crate area prematurely.

Wal.

 

[shortlife]

Ok so i now have my sloped mseh and cable tray spray bar set up, I pick up the crate tomorrow and I'll stop past bunnings to buy the moss and legs and maybe start putting it all together late week...

 

[tvanwho]

Sure wish I knew where to get the catwalk aluminum stuff near Chicago in USA? We have a company called McNichols in the area and they have all kinds of holed metals but doubtful I can get less than a 4 x 8 sheet. Maybe Wally could check out their website at mcnichols.com and let me know what to beg for? Might be on pages 9- 12 of the printed catalog?

For the main body of the banker, I will just rejigger my 4 foot wheeled highbanker and use my Keene/Honda P90 2.5 horse ,95 gpm pump.. Maybe block off the back end and open up the front side of the Jobe hopper and retain my 4 pvc pipe spray bars for pounding clay/gravels. Then I can still hook a 2.5 inch dredge hose to the back of the hopper or shovel into it.
I don't care so much about the fine gold in this gravel bar as it has almost no weight. Its the sapphire crystal I found accidentally and hopefully it has many brothers is what I want.

As far as I know , there are not supposed to be any sapphires in this part of the USA. Just too bad mine is not gem quality. Gots to have hope yet. Maybe the Canadian glaciers brought a bunch of them into this creek.

-Tom V.

 

[tvanwho]

I might even buy me some 3 /8 inch x 1/16 inch aluminum strip and attempt to make my own catwalk stuff with drill, rivet gun, maybe a shaped wooden block for the diamonds.. .
Incidentally on pumps,Honda WX15 puts out 73 gpm and weighs around 23 pounds, WX10 puts out 37 gpm and weighs about 14 pounds, BUT Keene/Proline ( USA gold dredge makers) with Honda GXH50 engine will put out 90-100 gpm and only weighs about 17 pounds, altho it is NOT self priming. Sorry I am not into metrics, thanks to USA standards I guess...

-Tom V.

 

[JeffP]

Looking great "B", Let me know via PM the dimensions of the crate and I'll cut you a new one as your config. is not quite right. I'll bring it to GG for you when next we meet.

Cheers Wal.

Is it critical to have the crate exactly the same as the one in yours ?

 

[mervyn]

Gday Wal
Mate I was wondering whether it is at all possible to get you to help me out with the catwalk mesh as I am having a bit of trouble locating this being in a small town like tumut I would be happy to drive to Canberra to pick it up if that helps...
Thanks

 

[tvanwho]

sure wish Wal would sell us the cat walk mesh? I can only find it at McNichols.com in USA and the smallest piece they will sell me is 3 feet x 10 feet, no price yet...might have to build my own using strips of 3/8 inch aluminum flat , riveted together into rough diamond shapes..

-Tom V, USA

 

[shortlife]

Iv got steel sloped mesh I don't mind selling off in sections.

 

[Colmaca]

Sure wish I knew where to get the catwalk aluminum stuff near Chicago in USA? We have a company called McNichols in the area and they have all kinds of holed metals but doubtful I can get less than a 4 x 8 sheet. Maybe Wally could check out their website at mcnichols.com and let me know what to beg for? Might be on pages 9- 12 of the printed catalog?
.

I think this is the one you should be looking @
http://www.mcnichols.com/product/4700348248?navCode=cc:std&navCode=avc:aluminum

 

[tvanwho]

If you go to that McNichols link and Zoom in on the picture, you will see the metal is raised expanded aluminum and NOT the metal catwalk grate with vertical sides that Wally specified, unfortunately. I ordered a piece of 5/16 inch thick , raised expanded in aluminum, from McMaster Carr in Chicago, Illinois, USA, but it is not what Wally says to use either. I might give it a try and see how it does however.

I bought a dozen strips of 3/8 inch x 3/32 inch thick flat aluminum pieces to try to fabricate what Wally wants us to use. Dunno how I will form the diamonds yet, maybe make a jig of sorts with nails and plywood to bend the aluminum strips around, then pop rivet/bolt the flats together.

I think Wally needs to give lessons on how to scrounge around for materials for free or next to free. I was unable to find any of his cable tray for cheap either. All the stuff in the data center where I work is solid aluminum channel that has wires and cables in it. I ended up using 30 x 10 inches of 0.06 inch thick perforated steel with 1/2 inch square holes instead, from McMaster Carr in Chicago, cost $80 US plus shipping.

-Tom V.