Breaking up clay

[Devonian]

I'm not sure if this idea has been posted before and/or is common knowledge.
Most of us know of the pain of trying to break up alluvial clay. I've tried just about everything, the best was a tumbler with high pressure water but it costs money to run and if there's no gold at the end of the day your going backwards and out of pocket.
So I went to Bunnings and bought a drill $60 and paint mixer $14. As I get down to the alluvial muds I fill the buckets with 1/3 of wash dirt and 1/3 water. Then simply wiz it all with the mixer for about a minute before putting it through my 12 volt solar concentrator.
Works like magic!

 

[Ned]

Attention Devonian

Could you explain the workings of your - solar concentrator as mentioned in your last post.

regards Ned

 

[MJB]

simple but effective....I like it

 

[GaryO]

Ya stole my trick lol. I use one at home as well when I have a few buckets of clay wash to break up .I have a heavy duty drill which is 240v , I wasnt sure how a cordless would go , as far as battery power and the gear box lasting .

 

[Devonian]

Attention Devonian

Could you explain the workings of your - solar concentrator as mentioned in your last post.

regards Ned

Sorry was meant to write solar powered concentrator. Very similar to a highbanker only modified to be powered by a solar panel charged battery that supplies power to a 12v marine bilge pump. Mods include a catch tray for heavy minerals with magnets underneath, and due to using a bilge pump I have narrowed the sluice box to allow a better flow. You will see these solar hibankers in shops but they have just taken a hibanker that is designed to be used with a petrol pump and put a bilge pump in which doesn't have the capacity for the wide sluice tray. I set it up with pvc legs to make it easy and light to move also. The unit is set up over two 54 ltr tubs that have a connecting pipe between them at around 20cm off the bottom and a piece of mattress foam to stop the muds from being recycled. It's in pieces across the back yard at the moment and getting dark here so tomorrow i'll put it together and take some pics to post.

 

[Devonian]

simple but effective....I like it

Just like a chocolate milkshake only chunky with gold

 

[Devonian]

Ya stole my trick lol. I use one at home as well when I have a few buckets of clay wash to break up .I have a heavy duty drill which is 240v , I wasnt sure how a cordless would go , as far as battery power and the gear box lasting .

Depending on how much use I usually get a day out of the two batteries. I need to get a 12/240volt converter to charge on site. As for the gear box I don't care, ozito drills are cheap with something like a 5 year warranty for under $60. I think the trick is to wiz up small amounts of dirt with heaps of water.

 

[OzzyDigga]

I saw a method on youtube where a guy put a bucket inside another, put a plug in the bottom of the inside one that sits like an upside down hat , the cons were added to the bucket and mixed with a drill the same as mentioned above... the gold is then drawn to the center collecting in the plug... the plug is removed, the water and left over cons fall into the lower bucket...... Seemed to work great, will try and find and post the link

 

[AtomRat]

I rack my brain every day trying to think of a better puddler to use out there.. these work really well off batt or generator though. I need a horse I think....

 

[Sniffy]

I rack my brain every day trying to think of a better puddler to use out there.. these work really well off batt or generator though. I need a horse I think....

Ha - a battery drill with a paint stirrer is a heck of a lot easier to feed than a horse Atom.

Can confirm the single bucket with batt drill works a treat. I then dump the contents through an AMK sluice, pan out into a single pan, and its all done.

 

[cracka]

Some other things help as well. Gypsum helps break clay up and also try using warm/hot water to soften the clay and keep the hands warm.

Cracka

 

[AtomRat]

Some other things help as well. Gypsum helps break clay up and also try using warm/hot water to soften the clay and keep the hands warm.

Cracka

Doesn't gypsum cause some caustic burning because its calcium carbonate like plaster and is exothermic? Or is it only a little warmth..