Keene 4 Inch Triple Stage Box Sluice

Hey Gold Adventurers...

I used to own this really good running Keene, 4-pontoon, 3-stage 4-inch suction dredge with air when I lived in Georgia...

Ran I dozens of time over about a 3 year period.  It was all 1 man could handle, especially as to loading & unloading on/off my tilt trailer.  No wonder Keene came out with the ultra mini 4-incher suction dredge, which I own now...  I later replaced the hoses with new ones, rebuilt the air pump and added side rails/tail gate to the trailer.

Here's some pics:









I liked the 3-stage sluice box, however it would take me a good 20 minutes to do the cleanup on it by myself.  Plus, it generated a LOT of heavy black sand cons that needed to be panned/concentrated down after 2 full days of dredging.

Later, after I rebuilt the T-80 air pump, I made a long fresh air intake out of PVC pipe and aluminum brackets, so as to not risk sucking un exhaust fumes if the wind changed, cool air forced the exhaust low/down by the pump inlet:




Sadly, the eco-Nazis are making the suction dredge a thing of the past...with a collaborative/criminal government doing their every bidding.

Randy  C-17A  

Randy on my air intake on all of my equipment I also made and installed a filter to keep the bugs out of the compressor. a "clean" sock did the trick! I saw a video several years back when a fireman showed his carbon dioxide detector and he ran the engine and moved his detector all around the engine trying to find out what the "CD" did after leaveing the engine . The "CD" never got to the air intake and he stated that we didn't need a air intake because the "CD" NEVER got close to the engines air intake ! BUT I just don't trust the wind blowing around and possibly getting into the intake so I also have air intake stakes on my "stuff" . Hope to get out your way this Spring / Summer!

Russ,

Thanks for looking at this older post.....

Well, I never got any bugs or rain in my air intake, even dredging in Georgia during the hot, sweaty, buggy, thunderstormy summers a lot.

A few times you could smell the exhaust clearly, IF the wind shifted quickly or was a littler gusty, but never much, not a big problem.

Worst thing was the long length, the constant vibration of the engine made the silicone seal at the air pump come apart, so I'd have to reseal it sometimes...

Come on April! John, Bill, Ron, Gary & me will try some cold water dredging on a big gravel bar in the middle of the Ark. I did some test pans and I see decent color. IF we can move a LOT of rocks, sand & gravel............we might do O.K., despite the ice cold water.

Most likely take 30 minute shifts, cleanup every hour. We'll know in the first day IF it's worth running there or pack out and get dry & warm!

9 F this morning, crystal clear....3 feet on the ground. Supposed to get 2 more big storms in the next 2 weeks or so. Woo-Hoo!

Randy C-17A

Randy, Will the Ark be running high and fast this spring. That snow pack has to go somewhere.

I hope to get to SC this May for a week and get some cons collected to bring home. Both grand sons graduate from HS this May and it will be busy for us.

Take it easy shoveling all that snow. None here in IA. I have a couple pork butts in the smoker cookin right now.

Happy trails.

dickb

Dickb,

"I have a couple pork butts in the smoker cookin right now."

Nice! I love smoked pork butt................and crock potted too...

One of my favorite smoker items are chicken leg/thigh combos.........leave the skin on, trim only the excess fat, season with a little butt rub...

.....then slow cook for about 5 hours at 225 and several doses of pecan wood or apple wood for my smoke. YUM!

Randy C-17A

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt  will give you the conditions when you pick a state and click on the water body you want.