World’s first portable multi-stage mineral jig is Alaska made and Alaska capable!

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The Pioneer Peak Max is the world’s first and only multi-stage mineral jig! It is a Riverdance Max (patent pending) duplex jig mounted on a removable 2nd stage attachment. These machines are handmade in Alaska.

I packed mine (27 lbs) plus buckets and gear to a secluded spot a little less than a mile north of the highway. I slogged through a moose bog (stinky and muddy with lots of moose tracks and scat) and meandered along game trails near the creek until I found the perfect spot.

I used a 12v converter to power the machine with a 5ah M18 Milwaukee power tool battery. I used a 20ah 12v lithium X2 Power battery for the pump (1500 gph submersible 12v).

Since I only brought 2 5-gallon buckets, I used 1 for a pump shroud and 1 to fill and feed the machine. I didn’t classify the material as I filled the bucket aside from tossing out rocks that were bigger than my fist. I missed a few and plucked them out when feeding the machine.

I used 1/8” steel BB gun ammo from Walmart for the jig shot. It has a zinc coating and resists rust much better than the 1/4” steel sling shot ammo I usually use. Thanks @pathofthebee2873 for the idea!

The next 3 hours were enjoyable as I filled buckets quickly in the creek and scooped the material into the machine. Enjoyable = I remembered snacks, water, and mosquito repellent. I have forgotten 1 or all 3 on occasion… not a great time.

As I emptied each bucket, I left the machine running while I filled the next. That was partly to test battery life, but also to let the machine clean out a bit between loads. I have found that you can start and stop the machine without losing gold, so you can do whatever seems best for you at the time.

Once I had run 10 buckets, I was ready for a break so I let it run and clean out a bit as I wolfed down some snacks and drank water. Then I shut off the water and let it drain while the motor continued pumping all 3 diaphragms up and down. As soon as the water level dropped below the screen on the 2nd stage I shut off the motor.

I left the 2nd stage and feed chute in place as I removed the 1st stage screen and set it aside. Then I washed down the inside of the 1st stage hutches with a spray attachment I brought for the hose.

I repeated the process for the 2nd stage, and then removed the jig shot from both trays by screening it through an 1/8” bucket screen over a gold pan. I did that while keeping the concentrates separate. One benefit of a mineral jig is that it classifies while separating by gravity. This 2 stage machine gives you 3 size classifications and eliminates an incredible amount of excess material.

When I was done with each stage I panned it quickly. There was not much material to process, less than 1/4 of a pan each for the first 2 stages and not even a 1/4 cup in the final cons (-100 mesh). If I was hauling it all out I could have used a quart size ziplock.

When I was all done and ready to pack-out, the Milwaukee battery still showed 1/2 charge! That surprised me. The X2 still had a couple hours on it as well. The pump has a much higher power draw than the jig’s motor.

All in all it was a great trip and well worth my time and effort. I think people are really going to like how powerful a concentrator this 2 stage machine is!!

Machine:
Pioneer Peak Max


Batteries:
X2 Power 20ah lithium with Bluetooth


Milwaukee M18 5ah
Home Depot or anywhere Milwaukee tools are sold

Pump:
1500 gph pump


#gold #alaska #mining #2024 #veteran #adventure #backpacking #family #riverdanceminijig