Building a large capacity High-banker - Instructional video

[penfooey]

Wal, we are getting the materials together to start putting the walbanker together. On your plans it shows the top width 270mm and bottom as 210. On your video you indicate these dimensions as 300 to a 250 taper. Is the for the same walbanker? Also the length varies. 1200 and 1500.

Can we build the 1500 as per your specs and change the dimensions of 270mm - 210mm to 300 - 250 or by changing the overall length from 1200 to 1500 would this change the length of each of the other sections? Could you point me in the right direction please.

We have a WX15 Honda pump. What hoses are you running. Are you sticking to the 1 1/2" and are you using the lay flat hose.

Your help would be appreciated. We are keen to get this built!!!

Thanks Wal

 

[WalnLiz]

G'day pen.

I run 3 different Bankers, but my main gold banker is 270x 210x 1500 long. If you're running the wx15 you can comfortably run a 300x250x1500. Either size will do as they are the same proportions.

If you can put up with the length I'd certainly recommend sticking with the 1500. This gives you a longer slick plate and a more efficient sluice section.

I run the cloth covered 1 1/2" lay flat and highly recommend it. If you need any advice on the build just send me a PM and i can talk you through the best options for the region you plan to work.

Cheers Wal.

 

[penfooey]

Thanks Wal, appreciate your help. Will go with the 1500 we can see the logic in that. We just came back from the Newcastle camping expo and are now the proud owners of a Cub Offroad Drover camper trailer. Well we will be when they build it. Apparently it will be ready end of March - but may be into the first two weeks of April. This means we can't go anywhere just yet, so can concentrate on the build of the 'Walbanker'. Have already spied the bread crate just up the road from us. Have found someone to do the welding and waiting for our sparky friend to come up with the cable tray...

Anyway I hope we can do the 'Walbanker' justice in the build. Can't wait and will probably make the test run on the Shoalhaven as it is not too far from here. Will keep you posted. Trying to post pictures - still having probs with that. Originally thought it was because I was using my work PC but it must be just the driver.... :|

 

[Luke95]

Hi wal, thank you for your great videos I have built a backward hopper version of a walbanker so I don't need to stop shoveling to often. I'm using two 1 meter sluice trays and have incorporate your bread crate designe but I am struggling to find the correct cat walk mesh. Just wondering what the thickness of your mesh is please.
Thanks.
Luke.

 

[WalnLiz]

If you're running the banker for gold only, any sloped expanded will do so long as the height of the mesh is close to 10mm.

You only need the catwalk when there's sapphires with the gold, and this requires regular rocking, which is not really suited to a two tiered box.

If you're running the crate system i would run it to the end of the box, and the expanded from the end of the slick plate to the crate, with no matting under the expanded.

Cheers Wal.

 

[Luke95]

Thank you Wal I'll try that. Gold first then anything else, I'm not sure what other minerals or gems are hidden at the very top of the new England granite belt in northern New south Wales. I'll talk to some locals when I'm out there and see what comes up.

Luke

If you're running the banker for gold only, any sloped expanded will do so long as the height of the mesh is close to 10mm.

You only need the catwalk when there's sapphires with the gold, and this requires regular rocking, which is not really suited to a two tiered box.

If you're running the crate system i would run it to the end of the box, and the expanded from the end of the slick plate to the crate, with no matting under the expanded.

Cheers Wal.

 

[Tathradj]

G'day dozzer,

Sorry i haven't been of much use lately but just got back from chasing gold for the last 2 months in WA.

If it's purely for sapphires and you don't want any gold then you're best leaving the mat out altogether. I'd run a full section of 11mm catwalk from the end of the sluice to the slick plate section, making sure that the slick plate section is at least 500 long.

Remember that by doing this, with no mat, all the fine gold will wash through the box, (underneath the mesh), but you will get 95% of the sapphires. "don't use this method for gold"

After about every 10 shovels of material remember to give the box a good shake to keep the Sapphires and zircons at the bottom.

Cheers Wal.

Hi Wal,
Wonder what a water wheel with a small offset weight would do?
Not enough to shake the day lights out of every thing but just a gentle
vibration. :8
I am picturing a small rubber impeller out of an outboard motor with a disk and finally the small lead weight sitting off set.
sitting just off to one side under a convenient water jet.
Would not get to carried away but would you think it would be an advantage??

Doug

 

[WalnLiz]

I'm sure something like that would work great Doug. If you ran it from the discharge water from the end of the box and redirected the energy into some sort of shaker it would be a great advantage. If you design one let us all know of your principal....as I for one would incorporate it.

Wal.

 

[Tige]

would love to design a water driven tromel on top of my hibanker 8)

 

[Tathradj]

LOL at Tige.

I have not even got anywhere near building mine yet but, Materials are being sorted out now. 8)
OK,
As you are sitting back sipping on a cold one pondering on the next asault,
Picture this,
A saddle of ally wrapped around your spray bar.
Tilted back away from your zealouse effort to shovel that 1oz paydirt in.
There is a hole that supplies your waterjet.
Must be accross the banker, not along it.
A bolt goes through a small impeller.
On the other end is a 4" disk.
There is a lead weight on it.
Gets a bit fuzzy after a couple but, don't get too carried away with the size of the lead weight.
You can also drill a set of holes in different places to adjust your, "Vibration".
This will also vary with the amount of pressure,
I would say that you would have to use flexible legs with small feet on them as , well, Titanic happening thing going on with your support legs going down.
Also as that momentum will stop at the place of most force you will have to supply a point of least resistance.
.
I would love to try this out before saying something but in my line of thinking, well, Gold and the other stuff sinks.
.
Keeping with the spirit of the site.
Next thing is "Durafix"
Aluminium brazing for those who do not own a welder.

 

[Tathradj]

Oh,
Tige, It is called a "Turbine"
.
Be carefull, "mechanical Force"
no body will see a small "impeller" making your walbanker shake a little.
:lol:

 

[Tathradj]

Just had a bloody funny thought thanks to Tige,
With a big enough turbine you could charge your fridge batteries to keep
your beer cold,

Oh Dear,

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I can see it,
Walbankering with your fridge of to one side.

I better shut up.

PMSL.
Seriousely, There is a lot of energy in running water.

 

[WalnLiz]

Don't laugh too loud mate, a lot of untouched merit in that thought pattern. You even got my thinking cap faced forward now.

Wal.[

 

[Tathradj]

I'm sure something like that would work great Doug. If you ran it from the discharge water from the end of the box and redirected the energy into some sort of shaker it would be a great advantage. If you design one let us all know of your principal....as I for one would incorporate it.

Wal.

Hi Wal,
Appreciate that and Thank You.
To make the wheel small enough so it is not too much of a hassle would be to put it under a high pressure jet of water. (Advantage)
Also being at the back of the bunker would induce a more of a shake without getting carried away.
And also to withstand the impact of being belted with whatever, a rubber thing would with stand that.(Cheep to replace)
Also thinking that you would have to have a big enough "Hole" to pass an object.
Maybe factoring a 1/2" pipe in underneath the banker to drive the wheel.
Dunno. It is worth a bit of thinking about.
How it is implemented is the challenge.

 

[Tathradj]

Hi Wal,
Now going to have to implement a UV light.
Diamonds and such show up under UV light.
Next thing is a turbine driven FM radio.
. :lol:
Just remember folks,
All of that energy is what has made prospecting and the world what it is.
We just have to think about it and help things along a little.
That pump we are using is creating a lot of energy.
Forced water creates more.

 

[WalnLiz]

Keep the ideas flowing mate, as I'm sure something quite ingenious could be lurking just around the corner.

Wal.

 

[V_8]

I have been toying with a water driven shaker, a turbine type impeller with an offset counter weight, to be run on a 1 inch pvc off the main feed line with a tap to adjust water pressure/shake
Have been messing about in some 3D software and will be printing so prototypes soon. Will keep you all posted, just not sure if it will generate enough force to make it shake.

 

[HeadsUp]

I have been toying with a water driven shaker, a turbine type impeller with an offset counter weight, to be run on a 1 inch pvc off the main feed line with a tap to adjust water pressure/shake
Have been messing about in some 3D software and will be printing so prototypes soon. Will keep you all posted, just not sure if it will generate enough force to make it shake.

yup

try a washing machine pump and fit an offset counterweight to it , and like you have accurately predicted you will need a ball valve on the water feed side to control the shaker frequency

frequency is very important

get the right frequency and it will hum all day , get the speed wrong and it will fight itself

i have bits here to use on a shaker feed hopper but its only been gathering dust for 2 months so far as i have been too busy polishing up river gravels

 

[Twapster]

A Walbanker is the ONLY true portable highbanker I have seen so far, it will likely be the designated Gold catcher for years to come. Wal is probably unaware of the significance of such a mechanism, but history will write a story about an ancient prospector who showed people how to find precious minerals in Australia.

 

[HeadsUp]

There sure is alot of different highbankers out there ?