Well, if you’re lookin’ to build yourself a small gold shaker table, you’ve come to the right place. Now, don’t go thinkin’ it’s some fancy, expensive contraption. Nah, it’s somethin’ you can put together with a few bits and pieces you probably already got layin’ around the house, or at least somethin’ you can get cheap from the local junkyard.
First thing’s first, let me tell ya what a shaker table is. It’s a simple contraption that helps separate gold from the dirt, rocks, and other junk. You shake the table back and forth, and the gold, being heavier, gets separated from the lighter stuff. Pretty nifty, huh? Now, if you want a small one, this guide’s for you. No need for fancy machines or high-tech gadgets—just some basic tools and a little bit of elbow grease, that’s all.
Materials You’ll Need:
- Old bicycle gears and chains—yes, that old bike in the shed can finally be put to good use!
- A wooden or metal frame—you need somethin’ sturdy to hold everything together, but it don’t need to be too fancy.
- Some scrap metal or wood for the table surface itself. You’ll want something that’s smooth so the gold can roll off, but not too slick that everything slides right off.
- Some bolts, screws, and nails to keep it all in place.
- A few washers to help with the vibration.
- A hand crank or motor if you don’t want to do all the work by hand.
Now that you got your materials ready, it’s time to start puttin’ it all together. First, you’re gonna need to make the table itself. If you got a piece of old plywood or something, that’ll work fine. You want it big enough to hold a decent amount of dirt, but not too big that you can’t shake it by hand. It’s gotta be able to vibrate, after all.
Once you got your table, you need to set it up so it can shake. Here’s where the bicycle parts come in handy. The gears and chains can help you create the motion you need. You can use the gear set to connect to a hand crank or even an old motor if you got one. The trick is gettin’ the table to shake just the right amount—too much and everything will fly off, too little and the gold won’t separate properly.
Making the Shaking Mechanism:
Now, this part’s a little tricky, but if you take your time, you’ll get it. You want to attach the gears to the table, but they need to be able to turn and move the table back and forth. This is where you’ll need to mess around with the tension and make sure the gears line up just right. It’s kinda like when you’re fixin’ a bike chain—if it’s too tight, it won’t move right, and if it’s too loose, it won’t shake the table enough.
Once you got the shaking part set up, you need to add a little incline to the table. This’ll help the gold slide off while the dirt and junk stay behind. You can do this by propping up one end of the table with a couple of bricks or a small piece of wood. Just make sure the angle isn’t too steep, or you’ll have gold slippin’ right off the table.
Setting Up the Table for Gold Recovery:
Now that the basic setup is done, it’s time to test it out. Start by puttin’ a little dirt on the table and cranking it. You’ll see the dirt start to move down the table, and the heavier stuff—like gold—will start to gather at the lower end. The rest of the dirt and small rocks will just slide off the table, leaving you with the good stuff.
If you’re not sure if your table’s workin’ right, you can always test it by throwin’ in a few small pieces of gold or gold flakes. If they’re gatherin’ at the bottom, you know your shaker table is doin’ its job!
Things to Keep in Mind:
- The size of your table matters. Too big, and you might not be able to shake it properly. Too small, and you won’t get enough dirt on there.
- Make sure the surface is smooth enough for the gold to slide off but not too smooth. You want the dirt to stay behind!
- If you’re using a motor, make sure it’s not too powerful or you’ll end up with a mess.
And that’s it, folks! With a few simple materials, you can make yourself a small gold shaker table that’ll help you sift through dirt and find the gold. Ain’t no need to spend big money on fancy machines when you can make one yourself, right? Just remember to be patient and give it a good shake, and you’ll be seein’ that gold in no time.
Tags:[gold shaker table, DIY gold table, build your own gold shaker, small gold shaker, gold recovery, gold mining, DIY mining tools]