Highbanker without expanded metal?

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:33 am

I just got a hopper to convert my A52 to a highbanker. I also got the new dredge riffles since they have a higher profile. They don't have a flat piece on the bottom of each riffle like the original riffles had. When I tried to put the expanded metal under the riffles, it created gaps underneath them. In fact, I had to get a higher/thicker piece of carpet to make sure the riffles didn't have a gap under them.
Does it make much difference if the highbanker is used without the expanded metal?The dredge riffles are so hig that it is hard to use the hold down clamps as it is. If I should use the expanded metal, I'd have to figure a thicker mesh carpet that the expanded meatl can sink into, but that is thin overall. Otherwise there will be gaps under the riffles.
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\ This is about how the new dredge riffles look

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\__ This is about how the original riffles look, with a flat bottom piece

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 3:56 pm

Tim,you might want to get rid of the carpet and use miners moss over ribbed mat. Wes

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 8:01 am

Wes,
I've thought about that but will the riffles seal tightly against the miners moss and not leave gaps underneath them or thru the moss? Couldn't this allow water to not be able to create the tpye of back eddy that traps gold behind the riffles?
Would you suggest deep "V" or shallow "V" matting?
I got piece of furnace filter that is similar to miners moss but with thinner, but more and closer woven fibers, and the riffles pushed done and seemed to make a fairly tight seal, but between the riffles, but it bulged upward to almost level with the top of each riffle.
It may be because there is little gap between my new dredge riffles and the bottom of the sluice. Instead of just raising the top of the riffles, Keene made the lower part of the riffles deeper and didn't use the flattened piece on the bottom of each riffle.
Just using the original carpet and expanded metal with the new riffles made it very hard to use the lock down straps. Keene suggested filing the top of the place where the straps attach to the sluice frame downward to relieve the pressure. This would only raise the lower end and I don't ee a way to raise the upper end of the sluice frame.

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:56 pm

Tim if you use raised expanded over miners moss the riffles will push it down into the moss and fill most of the voids.
I like the deep v mat simply because it holds more material.
That being said I have take all of that out of my highbanker and 2 1/2 dredge and installed Gold Hog mats. Wes

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:58 am

Good, I already have some deep V matting.
Is there any special water flow you need for the gold hog mat?
Does is catch both large (if only) and fine gold?

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 3:53 pm

I've only ran my highbanker 2 times since I put it in.
You have to run a lot more angle than normal so the water flow is fast.
It catches really fine gold,I don't ever find any big gold! Laughing

Wes

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 9:28 am

Thanks Wes.
I think i'll buy some miners moss and try it with deep V undeneath. I may also buy another sluice support and put my Angus Expedition to catch what comes out of my highbanker, (just in case) to see if any gold gets thru. The Angus is just a tad wider than the A 52 so it fits nicely. I've done this when sluicing but only found 2 tiny flakes in the lower Angus out of the 2 times I tried it.