Anyone have first hand experience with this thing?

[bigrex]

http://www.bearbottommining.com/

I find it interesting that it seems idiot-proof, meaning you know you've got the correct slope if the top trough is angled parallel to the ground, and no matter how you slosh in the water it regulates the flow that travels across the sluice. I guess you could also hook up a pump to it. You also don't need to rely on running water, so you could dump buckets of water in one end and place it on a dry ledge. —That is if it does what they say it does, I realize it seems overpriced, but I would be curious to know if it does catch more fine gold. I guess every contraption claims that it can, but as you know, UT is fine gold land, so it could potentially be a plus, especially over here. I'm not extremely interested in it, but I am curious and open to listening to what anyone with direct experience might have to say about it.

Rex

[John Hoser Oates]

Modified rockerbox and have you ever tried to run one. bad enough hefting feed buckets of gravels all day--now add the ungodly weight of a few hundred buckets a water ya gotta lug and pour too. Tooooooooo much $$$$$$$$$$$ for tooooooo much work. A proline HB is a cool tool and much better design,and then you have 2 real pieces of equipment,much better recovery and better resale too-Yes I ran one and was not impressed-at all-John

[bigrex]

Modified rockerbox and have you ever tried to run one. bad enough hefting feed buckets of gravels all day--now add the ungodly weight of a few hundred buckets a water ya gotta lug and pour too. Tooooooooo much $$$$$$$$$$$ for tooooooo much work. A proline HB is a cool tool and much better design,and then you have 2 real pieces of equipment,much better recovery and better resale too-Yes I ran one and was not impressed-at all-John

Thanks for the reply John,

Just curious if there was anything you didn't like beside the practicality issues you mention, were you able to get a feel for whether it was getting any more gold than a regular sluice? I guess you could attempt to divert water with a pipe so as to not lug water buckets. I'm just thinking this would still beat panning and cost less than a dredge. One place here in UT only has a couple cow ponds, so no running water without a pump anyway. I have a little recirculating highbanker and will probably continue to use that, but the "high gold recovery" claims had me interested. Did it look like it had lots of small, compact riffles instead of big riffles spread out over a long sluice? I imagine you have to lug dirt with any other method unless you're running a dredge or dredge HB combo.

Rex

[John Hoser Oates]

Metal detector and or a drywasher would be my choices right off the bat. Extremely slow going so production AT ALL was not there. Recovery with any periodical run type a machine is never there as constant flow-which you evidently do not have enough water to run-is always superior in all catagories. Many superior units out the for much less cash-build was ok but design lacking much--John

[garimpo]

Bigrex...don't mess with that little woosie stuff...get a man sized sluice like this...

placier mining in the Bradshaws 2009....L-R: Uncle Ron...Grubstake....Terry S...

[bigrex]

Thanks again John,

I appreciate the advice, I guess in this case you're getting less than for what you're paying for, I wouldn't think it would matter how much fine gold you are keeping if you can't process dirt at a reasonably fast rate.

I like how Don (Garimpo) thinks, that sluice reminds me of the one we had at the old ruby mine, now if I can just find a spot good enough to justify a big set up and beat off the fed's and their red tape :hmmmmm:

[garimpo]

Now that is a "manly" sluice even with the umbrellas!!! Just need a back-hoe to feed it...

[Steel Pan]

Manly sluice box? How's this one?

8" wide, 4" deep, 21' long. The box at the top end is a home made griz. Takes a 1 1/2" line fed by gravity. Aprox. 63 GPM.

Water collection funnel 18" to 3" wide, 24" long, 6" deep w/35' hose:

The sluice box:

[John Hoser Oates]

I ran a gravity dredge in Mariposa for just under a year with a collector about twice that size and a 4" rigid hose,necked down at 100' to a 3" then 100' to a 2" to run a 3' dredge. No gas/no bs/no permits,jus' quiet heaven--till stolen that is-John

[zbrik]

I ran a gravity dredge in Mariposa for just under a year with a collector about twice that size and a 4" rigid hose,necked down at 100' to a 3" then 100' to a 2" to run a 3' dredge. No gas/no bs/no permits,jus' quiet heaven--till stolen that is-John

[zbrik]

This thing is alot faster then panning and the recovery of small gold is real good. You don't have to rock it so it is faster then a rocker. Sure a high banker is better, if you have the water to run it. As much work as this thing may be it is alot easier and faster and productive than panning.

[John Hoser Oates]

I'm still trying to track down the mfg of a add on to a sluice called RDH, we're giving it away on a raffle and it works great as a highbanker /stream sluice and /or cons concentrator-will post when found. Quick/ez/3 way/cheap- :twocents: John

[bigrex]

I'm still trying to track down the mfg of a add on to a sluice called RDH, we're giving it away on a raffle and it works great as a highbanker /stream sluice and /or cons concentrator-will post when found. Quick/ez/3 way/cheap- :twocents: John

RDH sells his wares on eBay, I think maybe exclusively, here's a link to the rdh i'm thinking of: http://shop.ebay.com/rdh-prospecting/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686 Maybe you already tracked them down. I've had one their recirculating mini-highbankers for a few years.

Rex

[John Hoser Oates]

:twocents: thanx much Rex-John

[pgg]

I have one used for a half day very slow to process material. I will sell it for half of what they sell for new. I cant ship it for a few weeks as it is in Wy and I wont be there for a few weeks. Thanks PG

[Fritz]

I thought that BearBottom box was designed for very fine flour, which usually blows through most boxes. It takes a semi-low water volumn. Has anyone tried it on very fine beach placer???

Loved those pics of 'Long Tom' box thanks, gives me a few ideas to think about.

On that H2O collector box, it's a high tech version of a 'gravity sock' made from canvas for 1.5" hose. I used one years ago, but necked it down to 1" hose it worked great. No noise, light weight, and folds flat. Too much head drop and you can blow a hose when you shut off water flow at the box.

It's hard to find good low water volumn equipment that also works well.

Keep Smiling... :cigar: