highbanker combo DIY advice

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JDish
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highbanker combo DIY advice

#1 Post by JDish »

I am attempting to build a highbanker combo and am searching for some advice. I know, I know, by the time I get the material and put the time in it I should just buy one, but where is the fun in that?
I have done a lot of research on different setups and I'm just not sure, with my limited experience, what I want to start with. As much fun as I will have building this over the winter, once spring comes I don't want to have to rebuild or scrap the whole thing.
What I have to start with is a 12" wide x 4' section of bent sheet metal for the sluice part and another 3' long section for the box/grizzly. Plan on getting a pump from Harbor Freight, 2" clear water most likely unless somebody has a better option. Dredge nozzle plan to go with 2" but that is kind of an afterthought right now. First I'm trying to figure out what to do with the bed of the sluice. I don't really have a way to make riffles so I was thinking expanded metal over something, miners moss, carpet, vortex mat and the size of expanded is in question. That is where I am looking for some experienced advice. Whether that will work for my plans or if I should try and get a riffle setup somehow. Grizzly size isn't set in stone yet, I have stuff to go 1/2" and some wire mesh to go down to 1/4" so I'm open to suggestions on that as well but would like to be able to shovel right into it and not have to classify into a bucket. Highbanker operation is my main focus but I know once that is working it won't take me long to want to step it up to a dredge so whatever I end up with will need to handle that as well.

Also looking for an easy inexpensive way to do an adjustable stand out of conduit or angle or something sturdy. The sheet metal I have is just a bit too thin to stand on it's own so I will be making a bit of a frame for it to sit on, probably out of 1x4s. I don't have torches or a welder or I could fashion something up pretty quick. Maybe I need to get something I can at least braze with as it will open up my options a bit more for a stand?

Any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Jay

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MAIL MAN
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#2 Post by MAIL MAN »

Hey Jay I have access to a nice mig welder and can weld up some of your project if you get it ready. I do not have a spool gun, so I'm limited to welding steel.The club has some DVD's you might want to watch before you get started, just to get some ideas. One shows the benefits of expanded metal over riffles and the other shows how to build a sluice box with a cheap set of riffles from wood and sheet metal. They use pop rivets for some of the build. If you aren't in a huge hurry you might get some good ideas at the next meeting, which is being held at the Buckabilly sluice box manufacturing facility. We could lean on that main builder fella and make him give up all the trade secrets. If he knows any.

Kevin P
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JDish
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#3 Post by JDish »

I'm not in much of a hurry. More interested in attempting to do it right and to have something to work on over the winter. Still very much in the concept and design phase.

I will have to bring my spy cam to the next meeting. I didn't even think about it being at the Buckbilly HQ. Time for some recon ;)

I did see a YouTube video with a guy building riffles out if angle and carpet transition strips. That was pretty interesting so maybe a riffle design isn't out the window yet.

Thanks
Jay

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#4 Post by JDish »

Making some progress. Got the pump for Christmas. Thanks Santa! Also got some expanded metal from Buckabilly at the last meeting. Thanks Bill and Shelly! And some miners moss from mail man. I see that there is some new matting going to hit the consumer market in February. Looks pretty interesting. Lots of info on their site too. http://www.goldhog.com/

Time to start on the frame I guess as that is the next step.

Wish everybody a Merry Christmas!
Jay, Kelly, and Justin

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Kevin
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#5 Post by Kevin »

Haven't checked it all out but did wath some of the test video. From what I under stand it only comes in sections of about 6". I need to check out the site more.
Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#6 Post by JDish »

Yeah, 6" long and 36" wide. If you watch the installation video it shows how to cut and put the sections together to make whatever width and length you want in 6" increments. The did a video with it under expanded that looked really good. I'm curious on the pricing though. Probably going to be a bit spendy if I had to guess.

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#7 Post by Kevin »

Sent them an e-mail to see about the cost. Should hear something in a day or two.
Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#8 Post by JDish »

Alrighty, try not to laugh too hard. My first attempt at building something like this.

My intention was to mimic the design of the Angus MacKirk Klondike http://angusmackirk.com/product_pages/highbanker.html

The Hog was easier to cut than I anticipated, but harder to get to fit together. I also had a slight angle on my knife on a couple of pieces that made the cut look weird but I don't think it will hurt anything. Tape is still on while the glue is drying on some of the seams. I didn't glue them all, just the transition between the UR and scrubber as there is not sufficient room for the tape to adhere before the micro riffles.

This is build out of a combination of wood and some thin gauge sheet metal. A bit too thin to support itself, that's the reason for the wood frame. Even with the 11lbs of Gold Hog installed I'll bet it only weighs about 20lbs total. 12" wide and 4ft long bottom part. Grizzly is just under 1/2" wide grill grate that I had laying around. Bigger than I wanted but it fit too good to pass up.
DSC01163.JPG
Looking down the mouth of the Hog
DSC01164.JPG
Side View. Pay no attention to all the crap in my basement.
DSC01166.JPG
View of the hopper. I'm thinking I will need to raise the sides a bit but I want to try it like this first.
DSC01167.JPG
DSC01168.JPG
Just need to get my stand and nozzle from Mail Man and I'll be ready to try this think out in highbanker mode. Had a bit of a set back with some lay flat that will delay my dredge testing a bit, but I'll get there.

Later
Jay
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Kevin
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#9 Post by Kevin »

If you haven't already done it you may want to put some sealer on the wood for longer life.
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#10 Post by MAIL MAN »

It's time to feed that Hog some dirt!

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#11 Post by Flourchild »

Nice job look forward to seeing it in action ;)
A river runs through the Garden of Eden called the Pishon in this river is gold and the gold there is good Genesis 2-10-12

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JDish
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#12 Post by JDish »

Goldeneye wrote:If you haven't already done it you may want to put some sealer on the wood for longer life.
Yeah, the first thing my wife said when she saw it was, "Seriously, you stained it?" I said well yeah, it's got to look purdy whether it works or not. :lol:

I had some cedar colored sealer from my son's play set that I threw on. Hope it will slow the decay process a bit.

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#13 Post by JDish »

Finally, action photos from the DoubleD claim this past weekend.

Have some tweaks to make but overall I was happy with the operation.
Will post the final clean-up too when I get that done, hopefully this week.
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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#14 Post by JDish »

Finally got to go through the stuff from DoubleD
This is probably a 3 to 4 hour run with expanded over Gold Hog matting.
Image

Image

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#15 Post by mrjim1021 »

Very nice Jay....
Jim..

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Re: highbanker combo DIY advice

#16 Post by Flourchild »

Yes very nice looks like the new mat is doing what is say's it does good job ;)
A river runs through the Garden of Eden called the Pishon in this river is gold and the gold there is good Genesis 2-10-12

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