I have only got 4"s!

Time to tinker with a semi-self classifier...

Decent flow to make the dream mat work at it's best seems to be the biggest challenge to get it work at its optimal capability.

And we all seem to be putting excessive angle on it to compensate for lack of flow.

So I decided to put a decent intake flare on this girl for extra catchment.

I once had 6"s! But sadly now I only have 4"s, Bugga! Must be the winter chill factor!

But maybe this extra compressed velocity might get it to work in lower flow conditions...

And back to the old saying "not size, but how you use it!"

I have three of these folded up at 6"s, but this one got the trim at the last minute of inspiration.

A drop zone of aprox 30mm, into a simple baffled/fluid bed, that has the bread crate suspended about 8mm of the bottom skid.

Then onto the dream mat tbat has been cut down to the 4"s.

+ I have some modified V mat to swap over under real low flow situations.

4.75mm SS punched sheet as a self classifier, is self locking that fits in without the need of pins etc.

I have made a 4" squeegee to aid in pushing the excess down.

Testing it out tomorrow hopefully.

Internet is poor here for uploading, so please give me some time (15mins) to upload some pics.

6" proto

One word " BRILLIANT "
Mackka

You will be having an issue with all the material that is larger size than your classifier holes.
Round pebbles close to the hole size will tend to wedge in to the classifier and are annoying to remove.

The other issue you will have with the large material is that the whole classifier screen will need to be submerged for the water to move the material and that will have a number of things that will need addressing.

If this is a highbanker project then no amount of water is gonna move that material , but going by it having a flare then obviously it is in fact a river sluice.

It's fun making and using your own gear.
i have mentioned that a project can always be improved on , and it's not until it's actually put in the field that modifications are found as being essential or at least beneficial.

100 out of 100 for looks though.

Fair enough, but a tip to using punched sheet... always use the underside of the punched sheet to the face side, yes there is two different faces to this stuff generally. One side has a deformation from where it has been punched, look closely and you will see a dimple affect around the out face, this you dont want on the upside face as small rocks can bed on this more so than the clean cut punch side on the underside. And as said above ... I have made a 4" squeegee to push the waste down the channel.
10 seconds to remove the screen, tap the tray on the ground to get the pebbles out, and put it back. Simple....?

Great work MH.
Mackka

Cheers, as always... it will get some mods the day after. It has even had some since pictured.
This 4" model was originally meant to be a 2 piece unit, but after taking a 5" grinder to it and cutting 2"s out of up the guts of it chsnged the neat fit.
So it it got tig'd up permanently. Sadly he had trouble with his tig and made a mess of the beads! So I gave him some needed curry for the ugly welds. Ha.
But got it running good at the end.
and got some 3mm folded up with a 50mm 45deg negative lip, 60mm flat, with a 90deg negative lip for the flare reinforcement. Loosing the ss bolts up front.
I dont want to have to cotton wool it.
If it" pans" out... I will make a 36x4" dream mat unit.
This way I will get 3 strips out of a 12" mat.
It cuts ok with care and a good sharp blade.
The cut edge can even be sanded nicely on a belt linnisher. Even glued together simply with a good bond with super glue.

Looks great. Youll have to put a video up of it working. How much did it cost in materials.

What are those carnival games called where a like a jack in the box pops it's head up again and again..., and your meant to smack it in the head with a mallet called again?

Looks like that will kill it
Looks good mate well done

What does the wing nut and the 2 handles bolted between the bread crate and the dream mat do ?

Ofv memory, i think I paid a about $140 for the 8x4 sheet of 1.6m and the channels folded up. Leaving enough material left over to fold up the 3 flares. All up for folding was about $150 ea.
The leg brackets I made up from some 10mm C channel I had kicking around. Mostly self labour time tapping threads into them etc.
The SS 4.5mm punched sheet was about $60 psqm.
Bit of 6mm alloy plate. Flat bar etc, SS fasteners etc.
Alwaays go to retail fabrication supplier for stuff. Their prices are usually far below bunnings or a non retail engineering work shop.