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Post by aleksi on Feb 10, 2018 19:33:58 GMT 12
Hello everybody ! Here is a message I've posted on another forum and I've been adviced by pm to come here to ask. Here it goes : Hi all ! I am a french wannabe adventurer, trying my luck with gold and currently launching a gold prospecting / mining project in Africa. My team and I are planning to get a 6” dredge, both for sampling streams and as a production machine. As it is my first purchase of such a machine, I am investigating the options on the market. I basically boiled it down to two options : The Proline 6” dredge and the Dahlke 6” dredge. I am sure both are very fine machines, as are many other probably. But that is not my question. I would like to understand the specifics of each, meaning the poor and cons to help me out choosing the most suitable tool for us. Here are the proline 6” specifics as written on the website : Engine: (2) Honda GX270s Pump: (2) HP500s Sluice Box: 22" x 72" Dredge Hose: 6" x 25 ft. High Pressure Hose: (2) 2" x 90" Intake Hose: (2) 3" x 48" Flotation: 4 polyethylene floats 16" X 62" X 100" Air Compressor: T-80 or PCA10 Weight: 500 lbs Here are the Dahlke 6” specifics as written on the website : 13hp Vanguard power DP500 jetting pump Dahlke compressor 20’ hose kit HD swivel suction nozzle 75”L x 24”ID recovery tray I would like to understand the differences in between having in one case (proline) two 8.5hp engine and two pump and on the other hand (dahlke) a single 13hp and single pump. How does that affect the suction capacity of the dredge ? What about gasoline consumption ? Does 8.5hp + 8.5hp = 17hp (yes, i am not afraid to ask silly questions ) ? What about maintenance ? I am inclined to think that two of each things is a factor two of troubleshootings and breakdowns. Any remarks that aren’t in those questions are more than welcome. Speaking about maintenance, I do not want to waste time running around Africa to find stuff when we will eventually have troubles with the dredge. So I would like to order together with the dredge the most important and sensitive parts that will need to be changed in the coming year. Do you have any suggestion about what those extra pieces should be ? Thanks all for your attention, any remarks and advices concerning those two dredges are very welcome. Please forgive my english, as after all I am just a frenchman . I still hope I made everything clear. Good day for everybody ! Aleksi
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Post by aleksi on Feb 11, 2018 0:28:54 GMT 12
Hi all !
I forgot to mention it but since I wrote this, I've been in touch with Jeff from prolinemining. He took the time to answer many of my questions, in details, I very much appreciate that. He told me about a new 6" commercial dredge and am waiting to read the specifics of it. Could be interesting for my project. I'll let you know. Very good day to all of you.
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Post by goldnmick on Feb 11, 2018 5:50:41 GMT 12
Aleski, please keep us updated with your project. I'm sure Jeff discussed this with you, but other readers might have similar questions, so I'll elaborate a bit. Twin engines are a little lighter if they have to be carried in individually. If portability isn't an issue, they can still be beneficial...it's what I prefer. Running 2 engines at 3/4 throttle will allow more suction ( depending on various factors) AND cause less stress on the engines...resulting in longer engine life. You will not be sorry with the quality or craftsmanship of Proline dredges.
May I inquire as to what country in Africa you will be dredging? Depending on the country, I may be able to put you in contact with someone who could help if you need it.
If the gold you are recovering is "chunky", the stock Proline setup will likely serve you well. Some places in Africa have only very fine flour gold. If this is your case, some modifications might help. The Proline commercial dredge will be a big advantage over their standard model if your gold is primarily flour gold.
If Africa doesn't work out for you, there are still a lot of places that will give you the opportunity to have a very prosperous endeavor as a gold dredger. I would recommend that you talk to Lubo, who can get you set up in Papua New Guinea, or myself who could set you up in the Philippines. Lubo builds his own dredges in Australia and uses them in PNG. They are great for flour gold and are very portable. I use Proline dredges now. They are very reliable and are working great for us, but a little less portable than Lubo's dredges.
Whatever you decide, best of luck to you. I hope you have great success. Please keep us posted.
BTW, Lubo is on this forum as golddiverPNG.
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Post by addergran on Feb 11, 2018 8:23:05 GMT 12
Gday Aleski, if you could get in touch with me I can give you information regarding a venturi that is three times more efficient than what's on the market today. Get in touch, Cheers, harley.n@slingshot.co.nz
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Post by goldiverpng on Feb 12, 2018 1:18:49 GMT 12
Hi Aleksi,
I have read your post with interest and I am happy to see that gold dredging is not a dying hobby or professional adventure! To be involved in dredging as a hobby is one thing to do it professionally is a completely different story! Selecting the right equipment for your location is 1/2 of the project.The most important is your experience as a professional operator!
If you do need any advise ,please contact me at lubopng@gmail.com I do wish you success in your project!
Kind Regards,
Lubo PNG
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Post by aleksi on Feb 13, 2018 8:49:04 GMT 12
Hello everybody ! Thank you very much for your very kind and interesting answers ! It is pretty encouraging. goldnmick : I'll be dredging in Gabon, where there is virtualy no dredging activity at all in the country, yet. Just someone I know there is trying to make his homemade 8" dredge work since almost 3 years... There is a video of his dredge on youtube. If you have some contacts in Africa, I'll surely be interested to hear about their experience. Many things can go wrong in those places and very often for the most unexpected reasons. So I would be glad to hear what they have to say indeed ! The river we'll first work is 65-70 feet wide, bedrock around 9 feet deep. From top to bottom : sand, auriferous gravels, clay, bedrock (shist). The gold is in flakes shape, almost no flour gold. One of the places I explored there, with nothing more than shovel and gold pan, gave me average 15 to 20 of those flakes in each pan on the surface layer. It is from there that I want to start the sampling program. I believe most of this gold come from a rich bench deposit very near by. About Philipinnes, that sound interesting. I do have the project in futur to work in those area. I might be sailing around with a 4" or 5" dredge. But it is a totally different story . addergran : Thanks for offering, but I'll keep it simple for this one. I am starting out, and I do not want to go adventurous on the important stuff of the project, wich is the dredge. So many other variables will surely take lot of my time and energy. goldiverpng :Thanks for your advices and kindness. I do believe that choosing the right equipment is important, wich is the reason I've spend much time reading, investigating and asking around. Also, I am aware of the fact that being a beginer in gold dredging is a big drawback for the project. I will work hard to learn the right way. I am currently soaking as much theory as my brain can take. The field is a whole different world I know, but I prefer to arrive with this theorical knowledge than nothing. I'll send you mail for further questions, thanks a lot for offering. I might need it ! All the best for everybody, and I'll surely keep you inform !
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Post by addergran on Feb 13, 2018 14:55:07 GMT 12
You are most welcome. Good luck with your venture and it would be interesting to read your progress, Cheers
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Post by aleksi on Feb 14, 2018 6:44:50 GMT 12
Hi all ! Thanks a lot for your answers. Looks like I made up my mind toward proline. I'm gonna make a list now of what extra pieces I will order together with the dredge and post it here so I can have your comments and suggestions. I still hesitate in between the regular 6" and the commercial one. The commercial one is pretty heavy duty stuff though, and as I mentioned, we will use the dredge both for sampling and dredging. The regular 6" seems to me a good compromise, some places are quite remote and we might not stay on the same river in the near futur. I attached a picture for you to see the kind of gold we recover in the river. This is after hand paning 10 pans in the surface material. Best regards, Aleksi
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Post by aleksi on Feb 15, 2018 7:02:03 GMT 12
Hi everybody !
Here is the list I came up with, reading carefully what you guys are saying, for the spare stuff to order together with the proline dredge.
-Pump seals, gaskets, and compressor drive belts -Spare hose (there are three sizes of hose on the dredge) -A set of replacement sluice box matting -A box of replacement nuts, bolts, and washers for the dredge -Clamps and fittings -spark plugs
Any remarks more than welcome !
Since I'm here, I do have another newbie question. I red several time how better a swivel nozzle is compare to straight ones. So much better indeed that it can increase production quite drastically. I would like to understand a little bit the science behind that, if anyone could enlight me on this one please ?
The best for all of you !
Aleksi
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Post by RKC on Feb 15, 2018 9:15:32 GMT 12
I do have another newbie question. I red several time how better a swivel nozzle is compare to straight ones. So much better indeed that it can increase production quite drastically. I would like to understand a little bit the science behind that, if anyone could enlight me on this one please ? G'day aleksi, The more flexibility you have at the nozzle the more production (wash through the nozzle). And the more flexibility you, as the diver, has at the nozzle, the less fatigue (longer in the water, equals more production). The swivel nozzles were a particularly good innovation on the Keene 5-inch dredges as Keen have always used fairly solid and inflexible suction hoses. Dredges that use flexible hoses like the Eolo hose have the flexibility in the hose and the use of a swivel nozzle would then not be as useful a feature. Regards, Rob (RKC)
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Post by goldnmick on Feb 16, 2018 1:24:24 GMT 12
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Post by goldiverpng on Feb 18, 2018 18:07:43 GMT 12
Hello everybody ! Thank you very much for your very kind and interesting answers ! It is pretty encouraging. goldnmick : I'll be dredging in Gabon, where there is virtualy no dredging activity at all in the country, yet. Just someone I know there is trying to make his homemade 8" dredge work since almost 3 years... There is a video of his dredge on youtube. If you have some contacts in Africa, I'll surely be interested to hear about their experience. Many things can go wrong in those places and very often for the most unexpected reasons. So I would be glad to hear what they have to say indeed ! The river we'll first work is 65-70 feet wide, bedrock around 9 feet deep. From top to bottom : sand, auriferous gravels, clay, bedrock (shist). The gold is in flakes shape, almost no flour gold. One of the places I explored there, with nothing more than shovel and gold pan, gave me average 15 to 20 of those flakes in each pan on the surface layer. It is from there that I want to start the sampling program. I believe most of this gold come from a rich bench deposit very near by. About Philipinnes, that sound interesting. I do have the project in futur to work in those area. I might be sailing around with a 4" or 5" dredge. But it is a totally different story . addergran : Thanks for offering, but I'll keep it simple for this one. I am starting out, and I do not want to go adventurous on the important stuff of the project, wich is the dredge. So many other variables will surely take lot of my time and energy. goldiverpng :Thanks for your advices and kindness. I do believe that choosing the right equipment is important, wich is the reason I've spend much time reading, investigating and asking around. Also, I am aware of the fact that being a beginer in gold dredging is a big drawback for the project. I will work hard to learn the right way. I am currently soaking as much theory as my brain can take. The field is a whole different world I know, but I prefer to arrive with this theorical knowledge than nothing. I'll send you mail for further questions, thanks a lot for offering. I might need it ! All the best for everybody, and I'll surely keep you inform !
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Post by goldiverpng on Feb 18, 2018 18:08:45 GMT 12
Hello everybody ! Here is a message I've posted on another forum and I've been adviced by pm to come here to ask. Here it goes : Hi all ! I am a french wannabe adventurer, trying my luck with gold and currently launching a gold prospecting / mining project in Africa. My team and I are planning to get a 6” dredge, both for sampling streams and as a production machine. As it is my first purchase of such a machine, I am investigating the options on the market. I basically boiled it down to two options : The Proline 6” dredge and the Dahlke 6” dredge. I am sure both are very fine machines, as are many other probably. But that is not my question. I would like to understand the specifics of each, meaning the poor and cons to help me out choosing the most suitable tool for us. Here are the proline 6” specifics as written on the website : Engine: (2) Honda GX270s Pump: (2) HP500s Sluice Box: 22" x 72" Dredge Hose: 6" x 25 ft. High Pressure Hose: (2) 2" x 90" Intake Hose: (2) 3" x 48" Flotation: 4 polyethylene floats 16" X 62" X 100" Air Compressor: T-80 or PCA10 Weight: 500 lbs Here are the Dahlke 6” specifics as written on the website : 13hp Vanguard power DP500 jetting pump Dahlke compressor 20’ hose kit HD swivel suction nozzle 75”L x 24”ID recovery tray I would like to understand the differences in between having in one case (proline) two 8.5hp engine and two pump and on the other hand (dahlke) a single 13hp and single pump. How does that affect the suction capacity of the dredge ? What about gasoline consumption ? Does 8.5hp + 8.5hp = 17hp (yes, i am not afraid to ask silly questions ) ? What about maintenance ? I am inclined to think that two of each things is a factor two of troubleshootings and breakdowns. Any remarks that aren’t in those questions are more than welcome. Speaking about maintenance, I do not want to waste time running around Africa to find stuff when we will eventually have troubles with the dredge. So I would like to order together with the dredge the most important and sensitive parts that will need to be changed in the coming year. Do you have any suggestion about what those extra pieces should be ? Thanks all for your attention, any remarks and advices concerning those two dredges are very welcome. Please forgive my english, as after all I am just a frenchman . I still hope I made everything clear. Good day for everybody ! Aleksi
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Post by goldiverpng on Feb 20, 2018 16:45:20 GMT 12
Hi Aleksi,
from the photo, the gold is from flood deposition -mining will be spread in the first 3-5 feet. To achieve the best returns you can update
to a good 8" dredge with a proven fine gold recovery! Olso you need to know all the logistical requirements and the local people.
I do not know anything about Gabon , but in PNG is mandatory to have the support from the landowners and a JV in place before you
do spend big money!
Whan, do you planning to start your operations?
Regards,
Lubo
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Post by goldstampx on Mar 29, 2018 20:53:33 GMT 12
Hey guys,
I would be very interested in getting a chance to go to PNG to do some dredging if you know some honest people who need help. I have a claim in NZ and run a 5in proline. I also do mineral exploration in Canada so am very experienced in the Bush. If anyone can put me in contact with someone that would be awesome. I have a good job to return to making good money but always wanted a bigger adventure and PNG sounds very interesting.
About the proline dredge and what extras you might need. Your list is pretty much bang on. I would also get a good set of wrenches and sockets. The dredge being American is in inchs, and the motors are millimeters. I have about 700 hours on mine and have had to get 2 welds on.my frame, mostly from pulling the dredge up steep hills when floods are coming. My power jet and venturi did wear thru this year, only on 1 side tho, so had to get a plastic Weld. I had a screen fall off a foot valve so just watch the rivets as they do wear if your valves are rubbing on rocks. Other then that I love my dredge. Worked on keenes and can't say I like them as much. To much to fine tune. Proline with 2 motors is always going to win over a single motor. The keene 4in has horrible problems with rocks being jammed in the power jet because of only having 1 motor. The rock hits the water jetting out and flips up on edge and jams. Not sure if other dredges have that problem but 2 motors is better then 1. The proline hose is also way stronger then the keene. I bash mine with a crow bar to free up jams. Do that to a Keene and you will get holes right away. Just store it out of the sun or it goes black and makes it hard to find jam ups.
Another thing to get is accu link belts for your compressor. It will save you pulling the whole pump apart and will have you dredging in less then 5 minutes if you can find them when they wear out. I got 150 hours going on mine but 1 or 2 links will break once and a while. Worth every extra cent over buying regular belts.
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