You ever heard of a gold shaker table? No? Well, let me tell ya, it’s one mighty handy thing if you got yourself a bit of gold to sift through. Ain’t no fancy contraption, just a good ol’ shaker table, and it can help you separate that gold from all the other stuff you don’t need. And guess what? You can make one yourself, right at home. Don’t need to go buying one for a heap of money. I’m here to walk ya through it. It’s simple if ya got the right stuff and the right know-how, so let’s get to it!
Now first thing’s first. A shaker table works by shaking or vibrating, and that vibration helps separate gold from all the dirt and rocks. The gold’s heavier, so it falls to the bottom, while the lighter stuff just gets pushed out. Simple, right? But before you can start shaking, ya need to make the table itself. I’m gonna tell you just how to do it.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
Now, I ain’t saying you gotta go out and buy the fanciest stuff, but you’ll need some basic things. Here’s a list for ya:
- Wooden planks or a piece of plywood for the base
- Metal mesh or a screen for the top part (helps with the shaking and sorting)
- A motor or something to shake it, like a hand crank or even a little electric motor if ya want to get fancy
- Small bolts or screws to hold everything together
- Some basic tools like a saw, drill, and screwdriver
See? Ain’t too much to gather. It’s just some simple materials you can find around. You might even have some of it lying around in your garage, if you’re like me.
Step 2: Build the Frame
Now, we’re gonna start with the frame. Take your wooden planks or plywood and cut ‘em to size. The size depends on how big a shaker table you want, but I’d say about 3 feet long and a foot wide is a good place to start. You want a sturdy base, so make sure it’s not flimsy. You can nail or screw the planks together to make a solid frame.
Once the frame is ready, you gotta make sure it’s a little slanted, just a bit. That way, the stuff shakes downwards. If it’s too flat, all the dirt and gold won’t move like they’re supposed to. The slant should be around 3 to 5 degrees. Don’t worry about it being perfect, just make sure it ain’t too steep, or else you’ll lose some gold.
Step 3: Attach the Screen
Next up, you’re gonna attach the screen or metal mesh to the top of your frame. This part’s important because the gold and dirt will be passing through it. Make sure the holes in the mesh are small enough so the gold doesn’t slip through but big enough for the dirt to fall through. You don’t want a mesh so fine that it catches all the dirt, and you don’t want it so big that the gold falls right through it.
Stretch the screen over the frame and use small nails or screws to keep it in place. Make sure it’s tight, you don’t want it wobbling around when the shaking starts!
Step 4: Add the Motor
Now, if you’re feeling fancy, you can add a motor to get that table shaking. You don’t need some big expensive motor, just something small will do. Even a simple vibrating motor can work, like the kind used in washing machines or fans. You can find these motors at a hardware store or online. Attach the motor under the table, make sure it’s secure, and then wire it up. If you don’t want to mess with wires, you can always use a hand crank or even just shake it by hand. It’s a bit of work, but it gets the job done.
Step 5: Test Your Shaker Table
Once you’ve got everything set up, it’s time to test it out! Pour a little bit of dirt and gravel with some gold into the top and turn on the motor. Watch how the table shakes and see if the gold settles at the bottom. If everything’s working right, you should see the gold start to pile up while the dirt gets pushed off the edge. If it ain’t working quite right, adjust the slant or the shaking speed a bit. Every little change helps.
Step 6: Start Sifting Your Gold
Once you got your table working, you can start using it to separate gold from dirt. Just keep feeding small amounts of material onto the table and let it shake. You’ll be surprised how well it works. Just be patient, and take your time. Sometimes, it might take a few tries to get everything just right, but it’s worth it when you start seeing that gold pile up.
Now, I know it ain’t exactly a quick process, but when you got gold on your mind, you don’t mind putting in a little work. Plus, you made this thing yourself! Ain’t nothing more satisfying than that.
So there ya have it! A simple guide to makin’ your own gold shaker table. Ain’t no need to spend a fortune on one when you can build it with your own two hands. Just remember, patience is key, and with a little bit of work, you’ll have yourself a fine shaker table in no time.
Tags:[gold shaker table, DIY gold mining, how to make a shaker table, gold sifting, gold mining equipment, homemade shaker table]