Alright, folks, buckle up! Today I’m sharing my hands-on experience with the “James Harness from Gold Rush.” I know, I know, sounds like some fancy piece of equipment, but trust me, it’s all about getting down and dirty to recover that sweet, sweet gold.
So, it all started when I decided I needed a more efficient way to process the dirt I was pulling out of my claim. I was losing too much fine gold with my old setup. After watching a few episodes of “Gold Rush,” I figured, hey, if it works for them, it might work for me. The James Harness seemed like a good option – relatively compact and supposedly good at catching the smaller stuff.
First thing I did was some research. I didn’t just jump in blindly. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, read some forum posts, and even talked to a couple of guys who’d used similar systems. Got a decent idea of what I was getting into – the pros, the cons, and the potential pitfalls. Knowledge is power, right?
Next up was sourcing the darn thing. Couldn’t find a local dealer, so I ended up ordering it online. Took about a week to arrive, and when it did, I was like a kid on Christmas morning! Tore open the box and started unpacking. It was mostly pre-assembled, which was a relief, but there were still a few bits and pieces to put together. Nothing too complicated, just some hoses and fittings.
Putting it together was pretty straightforward. The instructions were actually pretty decent, which is always a bonus. Took me about an hour or so, just double-checking everything to make sure it was all tight and secure. I hate leaks, especially when they’re losing me gold!
Then came the real test: getting it set up at my claim. I needed a good, level spot near my water source. That took a bit of digging and leveling, but eventually, I got it sorted. Hooked up the water pump, ran the hoses, and made sure everything was flowing smoothly. So far, so good.
The initial runs were… well, let’s just say not as spectacular as I’d hoped. I was still losing some gold. Turns out, the key is in the flow rate and the angle of the sluice. Too much water, and you wash everything away. Too little, and the material clogs up. It was a balancing act, a lot of trial and error.
I spent the next few days tweaking and adjusting. I changed the angle of the sluice, adjusted the water flow, and even tried different types of matting. It was slow going, but I started to see improvements. The fine gold was definitely getting trapped, and I was seeing less of it in my tailings.
After about a week of messing around, I finally hit a sweet spot. The gold was accumulating nicely in the matting. I ran a few buckets of concentrated material, and the results were promising. I was getting significantly more fine gold than with my old setup. Victory!
Cleaning out the harness is a bit of a chore, but not too bad. I just disconnect the hoses, tilt the sluice, and wash everything into a bucket. Then I pan out the concentrates to separate the gold from the black sands. It’s a messy job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the James Harness. It’s not a magic bullet, but it’s definitely helped me recover more fine gold. It took some time and effort to get it dialed in, but now that it’s running smoothly, it’s a valuable addition to my mining setup.
Here are a few key takeaways from my experience:
- Do your research before you buy.
- Take your time with the setup and make sure everything is secure.
- Experiment with the water flow and sluice angle to find the sweet spot.
- Don’t be afraid to try different types of matting.
- Be patient! It takes time to dial in any new system.
And that’s my experience with the James Harness. Hope this helps any of you fellow gold-seekers out there. Now get out there and find some gold!