Cut into the heavy sand with a shovel, then use the X-Stream hand pump to remove the target material from the bottom of the area. For users in deeper water or stronger current, consider wrapping a leash around the lid and tie it off at your waist to prevent the bucket from breaking away.Īvoid moving overburden with the hand dredge.

The flappers in the pumps hang on hinges which work best when the hinges are at the apex of the flow.Ĭlamps are not necessary unless you plan to use the system in strong current and want to be extra cautious. For the system to work most effectively, these marks should be pointed upwards. The check valves have white marks on the “top” side.

When first using your pump, placing the leather cups in water for a few minutes will allow them to conform to the diameter of the pump barrel and work more effectively. When wet, these cups will seat in the barrel of the pump.

The pump uses two leather cups back-to-back, attached to the plunger handle, to move material into the pump and out through the hose. If you've found a rich spot that is hard to access, these two hand dredges can produce some decent gold! Also check out the many accessories that make your hand dredge even better! It helps you get the gold out of some really tight spaces, a hand dredge is well, handy, when you're prospecting along a river. Gold can hide down in the deepest part of a crack or crevice or behind a boulder and often is best reached with a hand dredge, also called a 'sucker gun' or 'suction gun.' This gold prospecting tool is ideal for working below the water line when a motorized dredge cannot be used.

Instructables making hand dredge