How to make a bucket classifier 

If you would like to see more from my gold mining course, click link below. ru-vid.com/group/PLjyi8ZCd8kjcXaoVbMOExYBogdlCe599D

You are a very good teacher Dan! I was a Band Teacher, so I relate to the large group instruction style and keeping everyone engaged with the task at hand.

What a class, wish they taught me this in school! Thank you for teaching children useful life skills!

Dan, you rock! Just followed along and made two for myself, a 1/2” and a 1/4”. What a great idea and thank you for posting this step by step tutorial. 👍🍻

That was pretty cool stuff Mr Hurd...takes me back to 1985 and Mr Collier's metal shop class. Without a doubt someone there is learning a lot.

This is awesome. I was debating spending more money on a classifier right now, but I have all of this stuff around the house. I'm making one of these!

Watched this years ago, finally got around to making one. Thankyou for all the great video's!

Thank you Dan, great project for my son and I and you just save me $$$, I was getting ready to order a set. I must compliment you with your patients & instructional methods. I've taught high school students of the past decade at a Vo-Tech Community College in the welding lab as an adjunct instructor and conducting finals as the third party AWS-CWI/CWE. Personally rewarding work, but for the love of God and Country, y'all deserve to get paid exponentially more. As a parent of a young man who is now entering High School, I thank you for your work and I will teach my son to always respect educators.

Nice lesson Mr. Hurd. YOU GUYS PAYING ATTENTION??? How many times have I said that line... I teach shops as well. Giv'er buddy! SWEET class.

Wow Dan Perfect timing I just decided to make a couple using buckets and i thought that Hmmm maybe i should check on youtube to see if others had the same idea.. Man this is way better than what i was thinking of.. I really am enjoying learning on youtube.. Truly this is a golden age for our time.. Even though this may be small but RU-vid and the internet has more information than the library of Alexandria ever could have.. Unless i am wrong.. Either way We sure have a wealth of knowledge and instructional videos at our fingertips .thanx a million

Wow, glad I found this video. I brought some dirt back from my prospecting trip to Alabama. It has been sitting in 5 gallon buckets in my garage for over 20 years, since I had to give up gold prospecting due to health issues. I can now at least finish clasifying the dirt looking for any gold. Thanx for video - oh yea, you had my total attention, lol

Wish I had a teacher like you, when I was a punk. Real world applications always prove their worth. Thank-you, Sir.

When I was in shop...you had to pay attention just in case the shop teacher decided to chuck something at you....like a hammer! He could throw a hammer like a Tomahawk! Looking back...he was the best teacher I ever had. Learned things I still use over 30 years later. Things are a bit different today...so maybe only a NERF hammer for Dan. Nobody believes in good discipline anymore, but back then it was socially acceptable for anyone to clobber you if you were being out of line or disrespectful. Had one teacher who could hit you with erasers from 30 yards. lol Kidding aside...you seem to be a great teacher. Teachers are one of the most under paid and under appreciated people there are. Good teachers are one of the most important and sometimes the only role model in some kids lives. Very important people.

This is a great project. I am going to find a bucket and make one. This will be handy for when I get to go out searching. Thanks Dan for sharing all your knowledge and secrets.😊 Hope you're doing well and healing quickly, we misd you. Prayers 🙏

Those kids have no idea how lucky they are to have a great teacher to learn from. Learning to make the tools I need has got me by in a lot of projects I've worked on.

so many of those kids werent paying attention which is crazy , id give anything to be in your class and learn from your experience

I've found that cutting the 5 gallon bucket about halfway or 2/3, using a classifier which is either 1/2" if I'm quantifying the volume of material quickly or 1/4" if I'm running material through a sluice or just conducting a samples in the pan. I've just taken a few old 1/4" and 1/2" classifiers, drilled 4 holes in a cross-like formation, drilled the same pattern of holes in the bucket and holding it all together are 4 bolts and wingnuts. I uses plastic milk crates also for sampling material quickly and it seems to do the job. Love the vid. Sampling is the most crucial to any digsite and I've gotten a few ideas from watching this. Great job, Dan!

I appreciate what you are doing for the youth. Not many would take the time to teach kids, as it was apparent throughout your video, some of these kids will need the positive influence and mentoring to keep them out of trouble. Thank you Good Sir for what you do.

How I wish my old High School had your course and you as the instructor. Awesome class.

You're really a good teacher mr, and you handle that class really well! I'm about to finish making my own! Thanks in advance.

Love your education channels. I watch them over and over. Keep them coming Dan!!!

I bought something very similar from the prospecting supply store in Phoenix up on Northern Ave in the late 1990s. Gifted one to my prospecting buddy Dad and he still talks about it being the best classifier ever. ;) The one I had was nested with various meshes and would sometimes get stuck inside a larger one, but you could pull on those rivets to dislodge it. So basically you have one big 5 gallon bucket with the handle, and then you have nested slices of a 5 gallon bucket with that wire mesh and the riveted inside collar. I think ours was three levels deep, and then after collecting material, you would shake it back and forth with the outer handle, then look through the coarse stuff for nuggets and dump it, and finally get to the fractions that are pannable/sluicable.

Very ingenious, it is great to see someone teaching kids how to make and do things for themselves. Great design as well, because you can simply use it over another bucket.

I've been making this classifieser and wish to thank you for your showing us how to make one.

great video. I would like to see more of the stuff on the wall behind you as well. Also you can take an old Iron from goodwill of so and melt the wire to the bucket. It hold well.

Thank You for teaching kids something USEFUL..

Kids who don't pay attention get on my nerves -- bless you for your patience. Parents should teach their children to respect their teachers !! Knowledge is power.

thank you for the tip on making one. I would enjoy a workshop from you on making gold finding gear. you should have told the kids how much gold goes for per gram and ounce and I bet that would change their attention from their phones right to you and the instruction how to make one gold classifier in a heart beat.

Superb teaching! Trusting young people to handle sharp and dangerous tools and equipment gives them confidence. Drumming in the safety advice as you go is also vital! You made this lesson interesting, and kept their attention so well. Inspirational stuff! And I'm going to make one of those myself! :-)

You are a very good teacher and I hope your students appreciate what you are teaching them!

On the d clamp, put a extra wood peace to lift it over the mesh so you can hammer it all around at one time 😉 Superb channel you have. Love it.

Dan:”I do have band aids and I have a feeling I’ll be naming them out today” Student: “Are they Hello Kitty” 😂 Dan I must say you have some amazing students.

Man I sure am glad that cell phones didn't exist when my teacher taught us some cool stuff, my carpentry / computer tech/ welding teacher was flipping awesome, there was always a few kids in the class that would slack off, they didn't last long and he made sure they didn't hahahaha but the ones that stuck around and did a good job and paid attention for the next year got the opportunity to help him build his retirement house I was one of them I can tell you're a cool teacher people like you have a huge impact on people like me

Great vid Dan, I just started panning about 3 weeks ago and with the .08 grams I've found I DO have the fever now, and this classifyer will be great for my pack. Thanks.

You are a very patient teacher, a true natural. Much more than me, I would be giving them some bootcamp type instruction! Just kidding.

These are terrific, really like these courses you have done.

Awesome.. great teaching sir, these kids will remember this someday in their life.

Been making these for quite some time during my Prospecting. Cheap, Functional and Work most well. My only issue is up to date every one I've ever made has Walked Off at some point in time. It would seem a pile of people figure they're so easy to make I won't be missing this one ? ???? I simply cut a circle hole out of the bottom leaving a 1 inch lip around the circumference and liquid nail some hardware cloth to the bottom. Not as tidy are yours. I'll give this method a go. Thank You.

Thank you sir. Just finished mine. Good job with the kids too. They're lucky to have such a good teacher, even if they don't all realize it.

Dan, i live in Arkansas and my family is planning a trip to the Crater of Diamonds. i use the plan to make three classifier. To be use in the park hunting for diamonds. i bet you did not think someone would be using this video 7 years later to make classifiers.

Excellent explanation for those of us that like to make our own gear.

I wish I had this kind of class at my high school. Thank you for sharing your classes.

Well done Mr. Hurd thx for doing this

Glad this popped up in my mind i was making the process more difficult. I was going to put the hardware cloth on a sheet pan, heat up the pan/mesh and melt the bucket into the mesh....this way is much easier 😂😂 my brain always overcomplicates things for some reason

Great job Dan, you sure are a teacher.

Hello, thank you, I've been watching videos from Istanbul, Turkey.

Thank you for this video! I'll be making one for fossils!

Very informative tutorial yet again! Thank you.

I wish I could have had a teacher like you when I was in school. And one that could have taught your same class! Those young mush heads do not appreciate the gift you are giving them now but when they get older and wiser they will!

Ignorance is the shackles of youth. Pay attention and learn all you can. Even the most trifling of actualities will one day prove it’s worth.

Dan, you are a mad genius!

At 8:30 the "irritated canadian" voice comes out 😁😂😂

Thank you so much i really like how you teach your students, you are the type of teacher i would be happy with you ; anyday teaching my children, we need more like you in australia.GOOD JOB

It's incredible how many of those kids didn't pay attention to the class, it's pretty interesting and enjoyable to make handmade tools.

same job,same shop situation for 45 ears,same "challenging" kids, "great job man. You are going to so enjoy your retirement! lolYou are doing a great job!!!

love all your course's. thanks

You're very patient and well spoken. Great video! About to save some money and make some of these =]

Nice Dan. I was actually looking for a diy sluice. Then saw this

Great video Also your classroom management is fantastic

thanks for filming and uploading these videos. i love DIY stuff but im just going to buy a classifier set. their a lot cheaper these days. but if i ever want to build my own I'll know how.

Enjoyed watching your video nice work!🙂

awesome class getting taught how to make a classifier great lesson dan :)

I'm guessing a hack saw would work too??? This is perfect for sifting rocks from dirt-really neat!

A very interesting and useful episode anything that helps with getting more gold is a great idea 🍻👏👏👏

man...... i would have loved to have you as a teacher. your so cool.

Great video Mr. Hurd!!

Great Video Dan! Classifiers are pretty costly...this was an awesome video, and as others stated, I would love to be in your classroom!!! lol =D

Your an awesome instructor.

Great video!! Very in depth

i just drilled 1/4 inch holes in the bottom of a 3 gallon bucket. works about as good as a store bought one.

nice job dan much respect to you

Even though this is ment for a high school class I have learned a lot ....... Good job on teaching this lost art to our youth. ....... I wish I would have had a class like this When I was in school I would be a pro prospector by now ...... Good job man if you ever come to Colorado and do a live how to or try adult classes. I would be first in line

LMAO! I searched for a video just for DIY classifier and started listening to the video in my headphones meanwhile i was doing other stuff. I was thinking the whole time: Damn this guy sounds like Dan Hurd :P No wonder... xD

I want to make one of these, I have stainless steel 1/16 inch screen (approx).. it doesn't bend as easily as the galvanized stuff you used here. Should I attempt to make as shown in this video or do you think I should take a different approach? I like this method you have. But not sure I can get the screen to bend as easily. Maybe I should cut the bottom out of a bucket, leaving a one inch rim to fasten the screen too? Not sure what to do. I'm limited on the screen I have and don't want to ruin it first try

Thank you for sharing this Dan. But when do we use the Dynamite lol.

Nice work Dan thanks

Your an awesome teacher🥰😄😄👏🏽

Now that's a great classifyer👍

My local hobby shop carries several sizes. Not sure if hardware cloth comes in anything other than 1/4". If you were going to buy classifiers what size(s) are most useful? I am thinking just a 4 and 8 at this point.

Just a small suggestion use a drill bit that is larger in diameter than your drill bit start on the right side of the line because you will not be using that section that section that way the left side of the line will be smooth and not have the hole in it if it matters to you. But that way your whole will be there for your salt blade to go into instead of fighting it

Do you guys even know what a great teacher you have there??

Very nice great idea

I understand now, why I got in trouble soooo much in high-school. I wish I could do it all over and pay attention in shop class more.

I want to take your course! But I got a bit for free thanks to RU-vid! Still,I'd go to bc for a week of work with you!!! But of course I'd want my fair share! I would love to find native gold!

excelente....fantastico.gracias

This video is awesome!

I really like this video as I like to make my own tools for whatever I maybe doing

Easier way to cut the buckets is use a dermal saw blade on a drill mandrel. S the depth on the drill press and rotate the bucket, then repeat for the band that holds the screen.

Bucket classifiers were $25 usd in Bass Pro Shop yesterday.

Was this your design? Because it really is genius. Thanks!

Do you still teach, dan? You're such an awesome dude.

Would screen door mesh also work?

ooor you could use the circle you cut out to push down the screen and ring?

You’re a genius. Thanks.

I just rolled the hardware cloth into a cylinder and literally sew it up with bailing wire, then cut a piece for the bottom and sew it on the same way. Roll the top down so it ain't Sharp. Looks like a little wastebasket, and it fits in my bucket. You can slam material through those things

Awesome video with your kids

Awesome class

I would love to have this class in my school. Too bad I live in the middle of the US where there is just about no gold here.

I hope your kids appreciate you showing them that I know I do

I'm going to go make one now thanks!!!!!!!!!