Wals' Hi-banker Specifications

[WalnLiz]

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.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...ges/5785/1438573322_myblueindiana_crystal.jpg

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.

G'day Tom,

Been out of town for a while and haven't been close to a computer. Just checked this thread and realized you're having a bit of trouble getting some catwalk mesh over your way. You say they sell the catwalk in large sheets, and I can see you need only a small section. They sell it to commercial Roofers as access to roof tops on these buildings. Have you tried to contact some commercial Roof installers, as they always have end sections left over, and I'm sure they would sell a piece to you very cheaply.

If its mainly Sapphires that you're after, you could also use a higher walled sloped expanded with a wall height of around 15 to 18mm.

Best of luck with it.

Wal.

 

[WalnLiz]

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

Once you get 10 posts up Mervyn send me a PM.

Wal.

 

[WalnLiz]

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 ?

Not critical to have it exactly the same Jeff, but the more of the zig zag pattern the better. It's this pattern that extends the length the gold has to travel.

Wal.

 

[bazza2210]

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 ?

Not critical to have it exactly the same Jeff, but the more of the zig zag pattern the better. It's this pattern that extends the length the gold has to travel.

Wal.

As many "L" shaped sections as possible, example I drew up once for my own "Walbanker variant"

Cheers

Barry

 

[Tathradj]

Crikey Boss,
How long did it take to draw that one.
Well Done.

 

[bazza2210]

Crikey Boss,
How long did it take to draw that one.
Well Done.

Started with a photo then graphics program to erase the appropriate sections till I got it to the point where I had the maximum "L" shaped sections possible - then attacked it with a jig saw.

Cheers

Barry

 

[tvanwho]

Wally,

I went ahead and ordered a 2 x 4 foot piece of .540 inch height raised expanded steel with diamond size of 1.33 x 5 inches. Sluice length is 48 inches. Currently, I have all slick plate ending with an 18 inch section of 4 , 3/4 inch tall Hungarian Dredge riffles with carpet and miners moss underneath. Should I put the raised expanded metal in back of this section or ? and how long a piece of it for sapphire recovery? We are sposed to have glacial diamonds too altho I've never seen any yet.

Thanks.

-Tom V.. I used MetalsDepot.com in USA for a source of the taller raised expanded metal.

 

[WalnLiz]

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 ?

Not critical to have it exactly the same Jeff, but the more of the zig zag pattern the better. It's this pattern that extends the length the gold has to travel.

Wal.

As many "L" shaped sections as possible, example I drew up once for my own "Walbanker variant"

Cheers

Barry

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1112/1438991226_walbanker.jpg

That's exactly what you're looking for Barry.

Wal.

 

[WalnLiz]

Wally,

I went ahead and ordered a 2 x 4 foot piece of .540 inch height raised expanded steel with diamond size of 1.33 x 5 inches. Sluice length is 48 inches. Currently, I have all slick plate ending with an 18 inch section of 4 , 3/4 inch tall Hungarian Dredge riffles with carpet and miners moss underneath. Should I put the raised expanded metal in back of this section or ? and how long a piece of it for sapphire recovery? We are sposed to have glacial diamonds too altho I've never seen any yet.

Thanks.

-Tom V.. I used MetalsDepot.com in USA for a source of the taller raised expanded metal.

If it's mainly Sapphires and diamonds you're concentrating on Tom, I would have the last 15" of sluice with either a crate or Hungarians like you have, over miners moss. This will take care of all your gold, as most will be under the expanded above this. I would have a 15" section of expanded in front of the hungarians with nothing underneath it, and slick section of 18" above the expanded.

Wal.

 

[willo1]

Hi Wal,

Just wondering where you get your expanded mesh from. I was thinking about doing a run over to Ullrich Aluminium in Hume to see what they have.
..
If I was setting my banker up with the bread crate / mesh mix (both expanded and cat walk) for both gold and sapphires, would the sloped expanded mesh be better at the top or bottom. I don't have much cat walk mesh so I only want to have to cut it once. My sluice narrows towards the end and if I cut it to suit the bottom end of the sluice than it won't fit up towards the back.

Thanks

Jason.

 

[WalnLiz]

You're best running the crate at the bottom of the sluice and the expanded above the crate in both instances with sloped or catwalk. Just cut both meshes the same size so they can be interchanged.

I get my sloped aluminium in full length sheets from Melbourne. The stuff I use is very hard to get in smaller off cuts.

Wal.

 

[tvanwho]

You can get small pieces,12 x12 inch, of sloped aluminum from McMasterCarr.com in USA or MetalsDepot.com in USA in larger sizes, both in aluminum, and about 1/3rd inch tall.Whole sheets are nice,but rather expensive and hard to cut without a large brake machine like my welding shop has.

-Tom V.,photo shows side view of my sloped aluminum raised expanded metal, cut with mini Bosch Sawzall and workbench mounted vise, wasn't easy but tin snips won't work as metal is too thick This was cut from my 12 x 12 piece bought fromMcMasterCarr.com,Chicago USA,around 35 dollars US + shipping

 

[tvanwho]

My old, out the back discharge, highbanker slowly being converted to Wals design somewhat. We can still dredge here so I may use 2.5 inch dredge for input of creek gravels with a Keene/homemade quick connect adapter to eliminate some hose clamps. 16 inch diameter bike wheels and pull handle for transport in the creek. Attached 1.25 inch quick connect aluminum hose adapter for spray bar intake. 4 PVC spray bars to pound the dirt/gravel with 1/8 inch holes.

-Tom V.

 

[Geo2]

Cool design , your machine looks like a small rikshaw or some call it (tuk tuk) The handle on the front is a cool idea , makes moving the whole thing much easier.
I like the cart concept, that thing is ready to roam the creeks and collect all the yella it finds !
What is that black box on top of the spray bar? is that a tool box?

 

[tvanwho]

always felt the need for a toolbox, probably not really needed, but in goes wrenches, cleanout rod for dredge nozzle,hose clamp driver, vials, zip lock baggies, hand cleaner, etc...its a work in progress now after 10 years or so..I got some AG fittings that allow the aluminum spraybar intake fitting to swivel at all kinds of angles to avoid the kink in the lay flat blue hose problems...the bike wheels will roll over logs, rocks, etc.It has some shakiness but Wal is saying to make it shake a bit at times so I will not reinforce it.

-TomV. :/

 

[shortlife]

iv been a bit lazy but here's my build so far

 

[nucopia]

Wow they are looking good im wokimg on. Making a walbanker from his specs. I have the sluice Cut out and bent to shape , next stage its to get welded .
Then work on getting all the extras fitted and adding to the refinements.. hope Wal can advice me on the right material to use,
Im luck ai have a mate works ate a scrap metal yeard who is willing ro help me find the pieces I need .

 

[tvanwho]

Shortlife,

Where did you find the catwalk stuff at exactly? How much was it?

-Tom V.

 

[shortlife]

Tom pm me iv got a sheet ill sell of in bits

 

[tvanwho]

Too bad I don't know how to PM anybody on this site?...I got it sent finally..thanks

-Tom, or is it after 10 Posts?