DESERDOG'S
ORIGINAL GOLD SUCKER HAND DREDGE

TESTING NOZZLES TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL EACH SIZE CAN SUCTION UP.

On 02-08-2010,  I went out to Cajon Creek to test the amount of material different sized nozzles could suction up. I loosened up the material first with my 5 foot iron digging bar. I took for the test my 2 inch super gold sucker and adaptor and 3 nozzles, and my 3  inch super gold sucker. I suctioned up the loosened material, and then emptied it into my 14 inch blue proline gold pan, and then took a picture of the material collected. I also had a 3.5 gallon bucket and my 5 foot iron digging bar.

1/2 INCH NOZZLE

I first tried the 1/2 inch nozzle. Each stroke I could only suck up a small amount of material. Also I noticed htat it is much easier to get a plug up, and it is much harder to draw the handle when you use the 1/2 inch nozzle. Here is the amount of material suctioned up in one stroke with the 1/2 inch nozzle.

3/4 INCH NOZZLE

When using the 3/4 inch nozzle, you still can't suction up a lot of material and you get plugs pretty easy still. It is a little easier to draw the handle when using the 3/4 inch nozzle as compared to the 1/2 inch nozzle. Here is the amount of material suctioned up in one stroke with the 3/4 inch nozzle.

1 INCH NOZZLE

With the 1 inch nozzle, you can suction up more material than either the 1/2 inch or the 3/4 inch nozzle. And it is easier to draw the handle. Here is the amount of material suctioned up in one stroke with the 1 inch nozzle.

2 INCH NOZZLE

You can suction up a lot of material with the 2 inch nozzle! And the draw is much easier than than when using any of the smaller nozzles. Here is the amount of material suctioned up in one stroke with the 2 inch nozzle.

3 INCH NOZZLE

You can suction up lots and lots of material with the 3 inch nozzle! And the draw on the handle is very easy! Here is the amount of material suctioned up in one stroke with the 3 inch nozzle.

RESULT OF 10 SUCTION STROKES USING THE 3 INCH SUPER SUCKER

This is the result of 10 suction strokes using the 3 inch super gold sucker. I placed my 1/2 inch classifier on top of the bucket. Loosening up the material, pulling out the bigger rocks and sucking up the material took about 7 minutes.

The rocks and gravel you see in front of the bucket and 3 inch super gold sucker came out of the hole I was working on.

CONCLUSSIONS

The results of the test show that larger nozzles suction up much more material.  And it also shows that reducing the size of your nozzle just makes you work harder to suck up smaller amounts of material. Much larger amounts of material can be moved with less effort with a larger nozzle.

If you use a set up test, using just small gravel and sand in an aquarium, larger amounts of material can be moved with a smaller nozzle. But in the field, you just cannot move much material with a small nozzle. Regular motorized dredges are rated by their manufacturers by the amount of small gravel they can move, but they never come close to that in the field. If you were to use a 3 inch super sucker in an aquarium test, you would soon see what a difference there would be in a set up test and an actual field test will . I invite any gold prospector to come on out to who wants to to come on out to Cajon Creek, and do the test themselves. Or if someone would like to shoot a video of the test to come on out.

Recently a gold prosepctor from Idaho sent me this message:

"I had the good fortune to try one of your super suckers this week. I was working with IdahoGoldGettr on his claim. I tried to remove material from the bottom of a bedrock crack using every tool in my back pack but I knew there had to be gold at the bottom that I couldn't reach. I borrowed one of Randy's super suckers and removed 55 pieces of gold from one pan full of material. I would have left those 55 pieces at the bottom of the crack if it were not for your high vacuum super sucker.
Needless to say, I had my wife Maureen order one from you this morning and can't wait for it to arrive. "

So I emailed him, and here is his answer, and a couple of pictures that are used with his permission:

"The pic with the black sands in the pan is the 55 piece pan.

Here is a link to Idaho Bob's blog: http://bedrockorbust.blogspot.com/

The blue pan is the total that I removed from the bedrock crack...1.4 grams.

There's no way that gold would have seen the light of day without the use of your super sucker."

I welcome you to write a review of your gold sucker that you have purchased from me.

Recently, I watched a video called "Cleaning Out Boil Holes." In the video, it showed a prospector cleaning out cracks and boil holes above the water line. To clean out some of the last of the material, he would pour in water and then suck it up with a turkey baster, or with a plastic tube that he would suck on.

The nI had an older prospector friend who said when he cleaned out cracks and crevices, he would wear knee pads and stay on the groud, so he needed a shorter gold sucker.

So after a little experimenting and testing, I came up with the Sniper.

The Sniper has an 1 1/2 inc barrel, and an adustabel seal. When using, you hold on to the collection chamber while pulling up on the handle.

The Sniper also comes with a flexible tubing nozzle for reaching deep into skinny cracks and crevices.

Here are some pictures of a test I ran to see if the Sniper would pick up bigger pieces of gold.

Here is gold in the pan.

Then I sucked up the gold with the Sniper, no gold in the pan!

Here is the collection chamber over the pan.

And here is the result when I took out the plug from the collection chamber, gold in the pan again!

The Sniper is small enough to be carried in a back pack or in a bucket, and is a great tool!

Went sluicing with my wife Terri today at Cajon Creek. Used my 3 inch super gold sucker and la trap sluice. Got a little gold.

There were a bunch of people out today palying in the creek. I must have given the old prospecting talk about a dozen times! A couple of them seemed really interesed, so I told them where they could get equipment.

Jim and Annita were there again today. Jim was taking notes, and said, "Everytime I come out, I learn something new."

I have been a gold prospector since 1968, and I still am learning. I guess when I no longer am learning anything new, it will be time to hang it up!

This is an interesting thread concerning bucket hand dredges on the scottish gold prosepcting forum. And I don't sell much stuff to the UK, shipping has gotten way too high.

Report this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by kilomike1 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 6:48 pm Don't bother with the gold'n'sand, they are c**p! I bought one similar to use along side romps henderson pump, I now only use Rompindogs pump as its simple and effective. The gold ' n ' sand is designed to be used in sand, so if you encounter any overburden you are knackered, the check valves fall to pieces and the rubber swing flap fails along with the inbuilt classifier meshing, which eventually falls out. Goldfinger is spot on, don't classify it's just a waste of time, the sluice will do it for you... tried and tested!! Trust me,leave it alone and buy a romp pump Stevekilomike1 Posts: 106 Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:37 pm Location: Mid-Wales Private messageWebsite Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by goldfinger » Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:16 pm or make your own , cheaper stillThere are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold goldfinger Posts: 1071 Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 1:03 am Location: in the river Private message Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit postReport this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by deserdog » Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:44 am If you are in an area of big gold, yeah, you don'thave to classify. But if you are only dealing wiht small gold, just shoveling awy into your sluice will result in little gold at the end of the day.Can't find if you don't look!deserdog Posts: 96 Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:32 pm Location: High Desert, California Private message Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit postReport this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by deserdog » Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:59 pm kilomike1 , what maker did you buy from? and did you let him know about the units short comings?Can't find if you don't look!deserdog Posts: 96 Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:32 pm Location: High Desert, California Private message Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by kilomike1 » Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:18 pm I think it was fissureman, i use the pump purley as a back up henderson now, all of the check valves broke within 2 weeks Stevekilomike1 Posts: 106 Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:37 pm Location: Mid-Wales Private messageWebsite Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit postReport this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by deserdog » Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:09 pm I try to keep tools as simple as possible! Did he at least back up his product?Can't find if you don't look!deserdog Posts: 96 Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:32 pm Location: High Desert, California Private message Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report this postReply with quote Re: gold n sand by kilomike1 » Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:12 pm Sort of, he sent me replacement check valves, but they failed on the first outing (rubber split and the internal mesh classifier fell out) I wouldn't mind but it was around £80 plus import tax! the only thing that didn't break was the sniper scope

If you are going to buy something on Ebay, don't buy knock offs! There are 2 bucket hand dredge makers, buy form the original if you are going to buy one. Especially if the other maker tries to say he came up with the idea at the same time, that the 2 products came out the same week!

 Here is what this guy said on his blog; " Neither the SANDMAN nor Gold-N-Sand bucket and hose systems are copycats of one-another. Both designs came onto the market at the same time - within the same actual week. This is a case of two smart people coming up with the same idea and releasing a product at the same time – “serendipity” is a word that comes to mind for me."  

Here is the  earliest feedback for this maker's  bucket dredge that I could find on Ebay, note the underlined date:

A+ Great Ebayer works awesome!!! Member idrenosurfer ( Feedback Score Of 141) Oct-05-08 18:09 SMB_PROSPECTING HAND DREDGE_NUGGET_SLUICE_GOLD_SUCKER (#260292902687)

 Now here is the earliest feedback for the original bucket hand dredge that I could find on Ebay, and once again notice the underlined date:

Nice Looking Gold Tool, Great Communication,Fast Shipping Member id utahjoe49er ( Feedback Score Of 164) Apr-17-08 07:15 New!! Powerful Gold Pump Dredge!! (#180230453049) US $99.99

Let's see, from Apr-17-08 to Oct-05-08 is only a week. NO, it is 12 days short of 6 months!!!!!

This is my comments on nozzles

“The PSP uses a friction fit nozzle. This type of nozzle is used to keep cost down, as using threaded fittings more than double the cost of the nozzles. Nozzles that rely on friction alone to hold them on can and do come off at the most inconvenient time. Plus if sand or grit gets trapped between the mating surfaces, then friction fit type of nozzles can be a bear to take off.”

This is Fissureman's comments n regard to my comments, read all of his blog, really funny!

"This is directed at the nozzle connections used on the FissureMan PickerStick Plus hand dredge. Firstly – to be clear – the slip fittings used on the PickerStick nozzles cost (with tax) - $.95 each. The larger 1” male threaded fitting that could be used will cost (with tax) $.75 each. I really don’t see how the cost could be “double” for a threaded nozzle fitting in this case – do you? You will always get more product for less cost with FissureMan products! "

Here are the real costs of nozzles, maybe Fissureman doesn't know where to shop!

For a set of 3 threaded nozzles, a 1inch, 3/4 inch and a 1/2 inch with threaded 1 inch female ul adapter, for connecting the nozzles to the hand dredge barrel:

3 1 inch ul male adapters: $.40x3 = $1.20 plus tax

1 1 inch by 3/4 inch slip/slip bushing = $.37 plus tx

1 1 inch by 1/2 inch slip/slip bushing = $.37 plus tax

1 1 inch female ul adapter = $.48 plus tax

For a total of $2.42 plus tax

Now for a set of 3 slip nozzles, with 1 inch coupling, for connecting the nozzles to the hand dredge.

1 inch coupling = $.31 plus tax

1 1 inch by 3/4 inch slip/slip bushing = $.37 plus tax

1 1 inch by 1/2 iinch slip/slip bushing = $.37 plus tax

For a total of $1.05 plus tax.

As you can see, $1.05 is less than half of $2.42. Maybe Fissureman does not only not know where to shop, or maybe he does not know how to add correctly; but if you read all of his blog and his ME pageon Ebay, you will seethat Fissureman is just shoveling the bull like he always does.

Comments are alway welcome, even from Fissureman!

 07-07-2010

It seems I errored! I thought Fissureman was using 1 inch fittings, but he is using 1 1/2  inch fittings. So here are the cost of a set of slip nozzles, using 1 1/2 inch.

1  1 1/2 inch coupling  $.41

1  1 1/2 by 1 inch bushing  $.53

1 1 1/2 by 3/4 inch bushing $.53

1 1 1/2 by 1/2 inch bushing $.53

The bushing cost the same.

For a total of $2.00 plus tax.

Now if you are going to make a set of threaded nozlzes for an  1 1/2 inch barrel, here are the costs.

1  1 1/2 inch coupling. $.41

1  1 1/2 by 1 inch bushing $.53

1  1 inch femal UL adapter $.48

3   1 male UL adapters $.40 X 3 = $1.20

1 1 inch by 3/4 inch bushing $.37

1 1 inch by 1/2 inch bushing $.37

For a total of $3.36 plus tax.

Plus when you look at fissuremans ad, he says it is his economy sucker. And if slip nozzle connections are just as good as threaded nozzle connections, why does fissureman use threaded nozzles on all of his higher priced items?  For one reason and one reason only, threaded nozzles are better than slip nozzles, even though they cost substantially more.

I do use a slip fitting on one of my hand dredges, the nozzle adapter for  the 2 inch super gold sucker. It is used to when you need to use nozzles with the 2 inch, but a slip fititng is the only feasible option. If you used a threaded fitting to attach the adapter, when not using the adapter, the thrreads would quickly get worn of by the abrasive action of sand and gravel.

Plus when you use UL adapters, which are best for nozzles, you have to use a bushing on the 3/4 and the 1/2 inch nozzles. You could use the plumbing fittings, but as I have said before, plumbing fitting have taper on the threads and can be very hard to take off. While some brands of UL adapters do not have taper on the threads, so they are not hard to get on and off.

   I went and did a little panning today on Cajon Creek. As I was leaving, I meet a first time prospector named Carol. She only had an old wok to use as a pan. So I showed her how to pan, using the wok. It was the first time I had used a wok to pan with, and I didn't find any gold. But I only did one pan from the surface.

   I have an old wok at home. I think I will try putting a good sized dimple in the bottom, and use it like a batea. I will report how it works.

    I hate when work interferes with gold prospecting!! I thought I was going to be able to do a little gold prospecting yesterday, but NO!! By the time I got a couple of 2 inch super gold suckers packed, mailed off, and went to get material for more hand dredges, there was no time left!

    I had just wanted to do a little sluicing in Cajon Creek. I had planned to feed the sluice with my 3 inch super gold sucker, and then again try my new gold pan, the gold grabber. BUT NO!!!! I was running around the High Desert mailing things and buying materials for more hand dredges

    Well, maybe this weekend I can get in a little gold prospecting!