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I am inspired to write this post by sjmpainter and his recent dredging expedition.  It looks like so much fun.  

The intent is to share dredging tips, practices and modifications.  Currently I am going through my equipment in preparation to move back to Alaska this summer.

So I will start with business end.  I put an extension on all dredge nozzles to give leverage to maneuver.  I have seen many variations but all of them that I have built are made from aerators because I liked the shape.  One of these is on a 6" and the other is on a 4".
 
When I first decided to do this it was because I was mining in an open cut where all the work is done by feel standing up.  I used to take them off for river dredging but now I leave them on all of the time.  

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I also have an extension on my blast nozzle at well.  I addition I also but hooks on it to hook it to the nozzle.  I thought about making a bracket to fix it to the nozzle but I like the freedom to move it.

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Can you blast and suck at the same time? I bought a 2 inch suction nozzle with a blaster thing welded on via a short pipe and a butterfly valve to turn it off and on.Somebody in Ca makes it and sells on Ebay. Need to get out and use it this summer.

Got any video or photo of you doing the standup dredging thing? We made extension handles from PVC pipe and 2 hose clamps fastened together .

-Tom

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Thanks Steve.  It works great on rotten bedrock as I said in other post.

Tom, yes I blast and suck at the same time.  I don't have any recent pictures using the handle but in this one that I posted before I am standing on bedrock working in a old open mine cut.  

I have used the hydro force nozzles on a 3" highbanker.  I thought it worked pretty good and moved a decent amount of material 

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Since we are talking about breaking bedrock the best tool that I have found for under water work is the crackjack.  It is essentially a slide hammer.  I used it a lot in Georgia where there are a lot of bedrock shoals which basically are reefs.  The water was somewhat fast so swinging a hammer to hit a bar under water did not work out so well. 

The rubber mallet is crutial to get plugs out of the hose.  I have seen some guys use dead blow hammers but I haven't tried it.

Most dredgers I have met spray paint their tools orange for visibility.  I recently sprayed these with tool dip.  I can already see the downfall to this because once it starts to peel it will completely come of.  Even if the surface is prepared by cleaning and scuffing.  Either way I think the top dip will be easier to grab the tools underwater. 

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