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.

I also plan on using some sort of a float tube or such to make it easier on my back! I'll take a pic or 2 when I have it all together.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. The whole package will probably weigh around 25 pounds or less (not including beverages of choice.Beer!) and fit into 2- 5 gallon buckets. I won't need the large volume pump for the sluice, (the stream will provide the power there). I am going to make an adapter so I can dredge and it will dump into a backpack sluice that I'll put in the streams I'm going to work.

The rest of the set up is basically going to be pvc and some 3/4' hose and reducers etc. That and a small, roll up solar panel to recharge the battery and I figure I can get about 4 hours or so of continuous action out of the thing depending on the amp draw of the pump. I am going to use a 12 volt bilge pump and a portable deep cycle power pack like they sell at auto stores. Not a 2 incher, but something a little smaller to help in the cracks and in the holes. I am putting together a portable electric dredge right now.

Blue dog hand dredge