Well, if you’re out here looking to make yourself a homemade gold shaker table, let me tell ya, it’s gonna take some work, but it’s doable, even right in your own shed or garage. You don’t need no fancy parts, just the basics, a bit of time, and maybe some extra elbow grease. Here, I’m gonna walk ya through what ya need and how ya can put together a simple gold shaker table, good enough to shake out them small bits of gold from all that gravel.
What You’re Gonna Need:
- A solid wooden board or metal sheet, somethin’ flat to lay as the base of the table.
- Some metal riffles to put across the table’s surface – these are like little bars that help catch them gold bits.
- A vibration motor – this is what’s gonna do all the shaking for ya.
- Some springs, screws, and brackets to hold it all together.
- A power source – usually just a regular car battery or a small generator if ya have one handy.
Now, once ya gather all them materials, ya can start by fixing up the base. You’ll want a sturdy base, something that ain’t gonna tip over easily. Best to put it up on a small frame, maybe with some legs made outta wood or metal pipes. The goal here is to have a frame that holds the table steady while it’s shaking, so all that gold can sift out nice and easy without your table wobbling everywhere.
Building the Riffles:
Next thing ya need to do is add the riffles across the surface of your table. Riffles are them raised bits that make channels for the gold to settle into. You can use thin strips of metal or wood for this. Just screw them in tightly across the width of the table, spaced maybe an inch or so apart. These riffles need to be sturdy enough to handle the vibration, so don’t be shy with the screws.
Once the riffles are in place, you’re gonna need a way to create the vibration. This is where the vibration motor comes in. Now, you can buy one, but I’ve seen folks just take an old drill motor or even an old washing machine motor and attach it underneath the table. As long as it’s got enough oomph to give the table a good shake, it’ll do the job.
Adding the Springs:
Now, let’s talk about the springs. Springs are key here because they help control how the table shakes. You wanna put them under each corner of the table – these’ll help make sure the vibration spreads out evenly across the whole table. I usually grab some old mattress springs or even some from the junkyard, as long as they’re tough enough. Screw them springs tightly into each corner so they keep the table bouncing just right.
Connecting the Power:
Alright, now you’ve got your riffles and springs set up. It’s time to hook up the power. If you got a small motor under there, you’ll need a car battery or any small generator to get it going. Just be sure you got it wired up safely. If it’s all set up right, when ya turn it on, the motor should start vibrating, which’ll make your table start moving. Now you’re almost ready to get sifting for gold.
Testing It Out:
Before you go pouring loads of gravel and sand onto it, best to give it a test run. Just add a little bit of sand or pebbles and see if the table’s shaking them down the way you want. Adjust them springs or motor if it’s bouncing too hard or too soft. You’re aiming for a steady vibration that slowly moves material down the table while catching the heavier bits – that’s where the gold’s gonna settle in the riffles.
Once everything looks good, ya can start feeding it your gold-bearing dirt. The key here is patience. Gold is heavy, so it’ll work its way into them riffles, while the lighter stuff washes down and off the table. Keep an eye on it, though, as sometimes you’ll need to make small tweaks.
Maintaining Your Gold Shaker Table:
After you’ve got a few runs on the table, it’s gonna need some cleanin’. Dirt and grit build up, and that can mess with the way it shakes. Every so often, wipe it down, and check them springs and riffles to make sure nothing’s come loose. A little maintenance goes a long way in keeping this table shaking right.
And there ya have it, folks – a homemade gold shaker table without much fuss. It might not look like them fancy ones in the catalogs, but it’ll get the job done if ya follow these steps. Happy gold hunting, and remember to keep an eye out – ya never know what might show up in them riffles!
Tags：[gold shaker table, homemade gold table, DIY gold shaker, build gold shaker table, gold prospecting table]
