Question for the expert high bankers on the hopper design!

[Big bryza]

Hi, was wondering if the experts had any opinions on the design of a hopper box.
I had an idea of putting a hinged door or such over the grizzly/mesh as a lot of areas I work with the sluice have a fair bit of clay and thought this might help hold the material in longer so it is washed better to release the gold before it exits the box. I know it would be more time consuming but does this idea have any merit?
Or if the correct angle is achieved on the hopper box does the material just sit there while the water pressure and your hands can break up the clay material?
Some you tube clips I see it seems the material is just shoveled in and a lot seems to slide of in my opinion to quickly not giving the gold enough time to release!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am just thinking out loud!
My idea was to adapt something to fit my boss sluice and turn it into a semi/ high banker.
Also any merit in the idea of having a large enough bilge pump whereby I could feed the hopper and top end of the sluice at the same time. I thought with valves on both lines I could control the flow better to both areas maximizing its flow and performance!
Thanks for any suggestions, good luck

 

[Tige]

Hi bb
In regards with your hopper, definitely go with hinge , it is very handy to b able too adjust angle, u can also put ribbed rubber matting on floor of hopper which is also good because u can see if your on the gold while running without having to stop..

 

[Big bryza]

Cheers tige thanks for reply, I love the idea of mating at bottom of hopper box!
I understand the hopper needs adjustment for correct angle, but my hinge idea was primarily for a door that closed on hopper making it a complete box as such, the river material would be contained until I was satisfied it was cleaned then I could open door and scrape out burden over the grizzly if that makes sense? Not sure if we are on the same page with that idea!?!?
Lol probably a silly question, but as they say the only silly question is the one you don't ask!
Cheers and thanks again

 

[Tige]

lol I see what u mean, I would suggest that it would take too long too process material that way ( it's a volume game) plus u need a constant supply of water going over riffles, if u hav your hopper very flat angle the material will sit there until u move it by hand.
I am only speaking from limited experience but that's my 2 cents worth
oh n there is no such thing as silly questions on this forum we all learnin.

good luck.

 

[Guest]

I have a rectangle spray bar setup with some holes drilled so a few jets spray back up into the hopper, this help the material stay up in the wash box for longer and breaks up the clay nicely, also laying the hopper flatter will help, the water will force the material out the back even when its almost dead level. If you have clay issues don't even worry about mats in the top box as your going to want as much spray pressure as you can get so gold wont really sit in the matting anyway, plus your never going to see it in there in all the turbulence, good for a powered sluice but not really required in a highbanker. Although I have noticed D'arcy Cooper runs mesh and matting in his top box so I guess some steel mesh would help smash up the clay. You may also have pressure issues with a bilge pump the 12 volters arnt going to give you clay smashing ability, I have a 240v bilge but adding in a genny adds $ to the build. Just depends on how much the clay is an issue. Goodluck Balx

 

[HeadsUp]

my grizzly and top box are adjustable so if i am in clay i just lay it down flat and let the clay sit there until its broken down and it washes down towards the grizzly then anyway

if i am in normal gravels i adjust the box again up to around 20 degrees or so

 

[Big bryza]

Cool great advice thanks balx and heads up! Will take all that on board

 

[dave14110]

I have also heard & seen hopper box that have a series of shelves under the grizzly bars so material is washed from one side back to other side several time thus break clay up as it goes through hopper. Also if there is a small lip on shelves this can trap gold before it even gets to ripples. This box was recommended to me by a person in that uses it regularly for clay area's.

 

[Hare_Twigga]

I have rubber matting and mesh in my top hopper and also a mesh flap I can close to hold material back to get broken down longer. 90% of the gold gets caught in the top hopper even under massive water pressure. I run a 5hp motor on a turbine pump and it cuts clay like butter. I'll take a photo of how the mesh flap is set up so you can see how it works...

 

[Hare_Twigga]

At the bottom of this first pic is the mesh or expanded gal plate which is connected to a 1/4" L shaped rod that extrudes out the side of the hopper so you can open and close it, when it's closed water can still run over the top of it so it doesn't reduce water flow to the sluice.

Grizzly bars over the top.

 

[HeadsUp]

At the bottom of this first pic is the mesh or expanded gal plate which is connected to a 1/4" L shaped rod that extrudes out the side of the hopper so you can open and close it, when it's closed water can still run over the top of it so it doesn't reduce water flow to the sluice.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1994/1391334673_img_0517.jpg

Grizzly bars over the top.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1994/1391334714_img_0518.jpg

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1994/1391334787_img_0519.jpg

not sure mate

why dont you run it with that ali mesh in , then remove it and see if it makes any difference having it there . i am guessing you might just decide to leave that out eventually.

some people have no matting at all in the area where the gravel drops through the grizzly , this is called the stratifying zone and is usually either bare , or maybe has ribbed matting in the first 10 inches or so before some type of matting begins

the stratifying zone has little obstructions and allows the gold to move to the bottom of the slurry flow as it moves

:8

 

[Hare_Twigga]

HeadsUp the Ali mesh holds the rubber mats in place... I don't believe a stratifying zone can work in the top hopper of a highbanker there's to much turbulance then a drop+direction change before the bottom sluice. I use the mesh flap only when you get that nice grey/blue gritty clay and it holds it all back a bit and the rubber mat gets most of the gold caught in it. The way I think is why not trap as much gold as possible as soon as possible.

 

[Goldtarget]

Not sure if you could adapt it on top of a sluice but i run a top adjustable hopper/box that classifies to the rear of the machine taking out the need to pre classify, and where the flow drops from the first higher box to the lower i have a lip built in that uses interchangeable meshing to further classify smaller again. That said i think you're on the right track, just keeping the material there as long as it needs to break up should be well serviced by the method you have stated.

 

[Hare_Twigga]

Hi, was wondering if the experts had any opinions on the design of a hopper box.
I had an idea of putting a hinged door or such over the grizzly/mesh as a lot of areas I work with the sluice have a fair bit of clay and thought this might help hold the material in longer so it is washed better to release the gold before it exits the box. I know it would be more time consuming but does this idea have any merit?
Or if the correct angle is achieved on the hopper box does the material just sit there while the water pressure and your hands can break up the clay material?
Some you tube clips I see it seems the material is just shoveled in and a lot seems to slide of in my opinion to quickly not giving the gold enough time to release!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am just thinking out loud!
My idea was to adapt something to fit my boss sluice and turn it into a semi/ high banker.
Also any merit in the idea of having a large enough bilge pump whereby I could feed the hopper and top end of the sluice at the same time. I thought with valves on both lines I could control the flow better to both areas maximizing its flow and performance!
Thanks for any suggestions, good luck

Your idea's do have merit! There is always some degree of trial and error though... I thinks a totally closed top box can't work, but if water can still flow from it as with a mesh hinge/door it's quite possible and worth while.

 

[Goldtarget]

If youve got up pump you can make a pretty cheap and easy clay breaker bb, using the puddler post below as a guide all you need is a large tub, get a cheap stormwater pit (i use 35 x 45 cm) cut a letter box type hole at the bottom a couple of cm above the absolute bottom, get a bit of mesh (i use inch x inch square) fold it into a "n" shape where the top is above the bottom outlet hole then pump a high flow in over the top. It will classify it down to the mesh size and the clay will liquify. I recirculate the water and keep blasting away for the really heavy stuff then run it through the highbanker. A pic would be better but it works. The pipeclay in Huntly gives up its material pretty quickly.