Shoutout to the old timer on the Klamath River who showed me the bucket trick

I was working a small suction dredge up there last fall, fighting with a jammed intake for the third time that day. This retired operator watching from the bank just yelled over, 'Son, you ever try a five gallon bucket with the bottom cut out?' He told me to put it over the suction head before you drop it in. It acts like a big strainer for the first foot of silt and stops the big rocks from getting pulled in right away. We tried it and didn't have a single clog for the rest of the week. Has anyone else used a trick like that for gravel beds?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrewr6511d ago

Oh man, that's brilliant. I've spent way too much time clearing jams that a simple bucket could have stopped (I'm not the sharpest tool sometimes). Those old-timers have all the good tricks.

barbara_baker5711d ago

My grandpa showed me that trick when I was maybe ten.

eva_ross4d ago

Okay but like, is it really that big of a deal? People act like these old tricks are some kind of magic. It's a bucket with no bottom. You're basically just adding a bigger screen. I've seen guys use a milk crate or even some heavy wire mesh for the same thing. It helps, sure, but it's not gonna fix everything. If the gravel is full of clay or sticks, you're still gonna have a bad time.