Gold Well Sluice test run

[Reed Lukens]

Here's the first video of an actual test on the Gold Well sluice. We ran it maxed out on water and it survived well.

 

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[Goodyguy]

Never was any doubt in my mind from the start that it would catch gold. And I like the small amount of concentrate. Still not convinced it's worth the money though.

You said $300 but according to Gold Well's website it's on sale for $550.00 marked down from $675.00 for the 6" x 48" like you used in the test. Cant see why I'd ever want to pay that much just to end up with a smaller amount of concentrate

But hey, If you can afford it then why not.

6" Wide Sluice Box - Gold Well LLC

 

[Reed Lukens]

Yea, we used the 6" x 36" so it was still $400+ so next we will see if it compares to the cube. I just hate to screen to 1/8" though. Maybe I can screen to ¼ then run it through the Gold Well fast like this, then screen the same material to 1/8 for the cube and test it for speed also. this will be later this summer though cause I hate screening. & I hear ya on the price though but for people that have plenty of money to burn, I'd rather burn it on this then the craps table

 

[wa-au-nut]

Good test Reed. Kinda figured it would work. But and thats A BIG BUT, I was so turned off by everything they did trying to get the word out on thier product that I personaly will not buy one. I think the damage has been done and they shot themsleve's in the foot. Can they overcome it? Only time will tell. I will use my Angus Mackirk Recon or Forman. If they were smart enough to get in the hands of someone like you in the first place that is respected in the Prospecting comunity they would not have the problems they have now. John

 

[Reed Lukens]

I'm in total agreement there John. I wasn't asked by them to do this, I fell into it fortunately for them. What I haven't totally decided on yet is if it is actually worth the price. Unfortunately these days with my YouTube channel I just don't have time to read all of the posts here and I don't go anywhere else but here. Just like when i was on 49erMikes, I was there only because of the lack of free time I have to coast pages on the net. So I've missed out on 99% of the negative comments on whatever other forums their on. So now I am basically doing a bunch of unbiased tests to see if it is worth the $500 to me. I thought it was around $299 but I don't know where I came up with that figure. At the $463 that's in the ball park of a cube but can it out perform it? That's what I am looking into. I am sold on the unit itself so far but I'm not sold on the price yet for myself personally as a cheapskate who likes to make my own equipment. But if it can be used unscreened or to 1½" in a highbanker set up maxed out and hold the gold as good as or better than the cube then it will prove its price as reasonable. But that is still to come in our future testing... Then can it be set up as a concentrator later and rerun now screened -¼" supercons to totally separate the gold out of its own concentrates afterwards? This will be the proving point for me & it will either sink or swim from there. Right now people with money will buy the cool looking product because they can, not because it's proven itself to be worth its salt. These same people would buy it if it was Gold Plated & tiger striped just for the looks, whether it works or not... lol. That's what my point is meant to be in the first movie. If I was one of the rich & shameless and I didn't care about money, give it to me in Gold hehe

 

[63bkpkr]

Thank you Reed, interesting test video on the GW. How would you compare it to the Bazooka Gold Trap, say the super mini size or a touch bigger? Don't know how the GW will stand up to quality/ability but you did run a lot of material through it with heavy water and I did not loose much.

Also, what brand/model/type video camera were you using as it did well, IMHO? Thanks again................63bkpkr

 

[oldbrundogg]

Yes Reed as a newbie I feel compelled to say thanks to you for sharing that great video. Super informative and unbiased.
OBD

 

[Reed Lukens]

Thank you Reed, interesting test video on the GW. How would you compare it to the Bazooka Gold Trap, say the super mini size or a touch bigger? Don't know how the GW will stand up to quality/ability but you did run a lot of material through it with heavy water and I did not loose much.

Also, what brand/model/type video camera were you using as it did well, IMHO? Thanks again................63bkpkr

I'm glad you brought that up because I have been giving it a lot of thought. As far as the Bazooka, I've never seen one ran that fast. I have friends that have them & I have seen them run but the owner of Bazooka didn't want to cut loose with one last year for me to test it when I talked to him at the ICMJ convention. It would be nice to run them side by side or front to back both ways to see how they compare but I don't have one to test with right now. And then this brings me to the next point of the price of ABS sluices or highbankers. To me they are priced really high for being made of cheap plastic, especially the thin shelled California Sluice Box & ones like them. Bazooka on the other hand has a great product and even though it is still plastic, it's thick and sturdy. So when I look at the price of those in plastic, then I look at the price of the Gold Well being made from all aluminum & stainless steel, I would rather go with the all metal basically because it is so much better made. I also found out that the prices for the Gold Well that are listed on the web page are just standard retail BS for the dealers MSRP. So depending on the actual dealer and what he is selling them for, the prices can vary a lot. I was quoted a price of around $425 from one of them for everyone's info & then $399 from another. So the price listed isn't accurate, it's like car sales so they do wheel & deal. And that's the way I like it, heck I've never paid full retail from Frank at Pioneer, we're wheeling & dealing back and forth all the time, but then again I've bought over $50,000.00 worth of equipment from him over the last 40 years everything from gold vials to a few 8" dredges along with many others in between. Heck I've even traded gold straight across for items that I wanted from him & I got a better deal because the nugget from my collection was one that he really wanted. I would have him seeing the elephant and then walk out, he would stop me and accept the deal I offered him. But we are really good friends so we make it fun as both of us are as cheap as they come, hahaha

Here's the camera

 

[oldbrundogg]

Hey Reed,

Thanks again for the great video, when I saw how long it was I honestly didn't think I would sit through the whole thing but I did and I'm going to check out your Chanel for sure.
Let's see if I can articulate my thoughts now, cause my mind is spinning. I have a question or idea for you and all the knowledgeable and talented fabricators on here. I definitely don't have those abilities. Please bear with me.
Plastics or rubberized materials. Couldn't a large manufacturer like Rubbermaid take the Gold Well design and press it, lathe it, router it in some way. Then it would be like a mat even if it were 1 inch or more thick. Then you make it to either fit the most predominant sluice box out there my guess would be Keene dimensions, or even cut to fit. Now all you have to buy is this mat and you have two sluices. Your out in the field you run your Keene with the riffles expanded metal and carpet clean it out. Throw in your new vortex mat pour in your clean out. Or depending on conditions you just run your mat in the box. I understand the materials and workmanship gold well uses are great but maybe over the top for the average joe. Their sluice almost looks like medical equipment.
I'm just not sure how they can patent drop riffles and vortices.
I'm really not trying to tear them down it looks like a fantastic product, but their is a reason Wal Mart is so successful.
I'm sure everyone will let me know if I'm off the mark.
OBD

 

[rodoconnor]

OBD check some anti-fatigue mat at Lowes/Homedepot

 

[Hard Prospector]

It's though these days for the small business guy to make it in this country. If it works well and is American made, I will always try to support the home team and pay a little extra.

 

[AzViper]

I just can't get over the pricing. When Gold Well (LP13) brought it to our attention the price was $525.00. Then the price was reduced to $360.00 and now the price is back up to $463.00. Now LP13 claims that the $360.00 price was and introductory price. If you go to there website now they are showing the price was $575.00 and now marked down to $463.00. I suppose we are to feel we are getting a deal being marked down from $575.00 to $463.00 but it was never at $575.00. When the website first rolled out it was $525.00.

 

[Hard Prospector]

I agree, consistent pricing would make for a better business model.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Hey Reed,

Thanks again for the great video, when I saw how long it was I honestly didn't think I would sit through the whole thing but I did and I'm going to check out your Chanel for sure.
Let's see if I can articulate my thoughts now, cause my mind is spinning. I have a question or idea for you and all the knowledgeable and talented fabricators on here. I definitely don't have those abilities. Please bear with me.
Plastics or rubberized materials. Couldn't a large manufacturer like Rubbermaid take the Gold Well design and press it, lathe it, router it in some way. Then it would be like a mat even if it were 1 inch or more thick. Then you make it to either fit the most predominant sluice box out there my guess would be Keene dimensions, or even cut to fit. Now all you have to buy is this mat and you have two sluices. Your out in the field you run your Keene with the riffles expanded metal and carpet clean it out. Throw in your new vortex mat pour in your clean out. Or depending on conditions you just run your mat in the box. I understand the materials and workmanship gold well uses are great but maybe over the top for the average joe. Their sluice almost looks like medical equipment.
I'm just not sure how they can patent drop riffles and vortices.
I'm really not trying to tear them down it looks like a fantastic product, but their is a reason Wal Mart is so successful.
I'm sure everyone will let me know if I'm off the mark.
OBD

Plastic doesn't define catching the gold as well as aluminum or steel. You can't put a sharp edge on plastic. Walmart is successful because it comes to town, drops the prices blow the cost that competing local businesses can even buy products for, so they drive the little guys out of business until there is no competition, then they raise the prices back up for their own profit, so you really need to watch the prices at Walmart because on many items they are extremely high.. Aluminum or steel is better for catching gold, when designed correctly a good steel drop riffle will out perform a plastic one any day. This is part of the reason that Keene and many other leading sluice manufacturers use steel & aluminum for the finest quality sluices. Personally I think if Bazooka made an aluminum or steel boil box type of sluice, I think it would benefit them greatly.

 

[oldbrundogg]

Cool Reed, I figured you'd know sounds reasonable. Even if you could get an edge on plastic it wouldn't last long with what we throw on it, and I would imagine just the slightest change would drop the hold percent quickly. Thanks for the reply.
I hope it didn't come off as if I thought Wal mart was a good thing it just is what it is.
OBD

 

[pmgsourdough]

A friend who owns a machine shop that he uses for replacing parts on his drill rigs is going to manufacture me a drop riffle from heavy aluminum. 10" by 48". He is going to produce 25. I will be giving them away. Hell, i will even pay shipping. Lol. Let me know if your interested. Let me add.... I am not selling these boxes. Like i said, i am giving them away. Should be available after May 24th. Not attempting to reinvent the wheel. Will be a one time only production.

 

[Doug Watson]

I have to disagree on the wear factor. They've been putting plastic in the bottom of steel conveyors for years here and the plastic will outwear the steel by a long shot. Also alum is a soft metal and sharp edges will not stay sharp. I've been using a plasatic sluice for quite a while and it shows less wear than the alum ones I've used. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[oldbrundogg]

I'm by no means a material expert but there must be something out there. That can have good manufacturing qualities and good price qualities to compete with what GoldWell is using. Or not ?
OBD

 

[Reed Lukens]

I have to disagree on the wear factor. They've been putting plastic in the bottom of steel conveyors for years here and the plastic will outwear the steel by a long shot. Also alum is a soft metal and sharp edges will not stay sharp. I've been using a plasatic sluice for quite a while and it shows less wear than the alum ones I've used. Just my 2 cents worth.

Hi Doug
The plastic or sometimes felt slide plates on the conveyors are used to raise and protect the steel from hitting and wearing on itself. This is usually UHMW or another heavy oil based plastic being used as a wear plate. The plastic or felt pads are replaced often and are used mainly because they are cheaper than steel, aluminum, or felt wear plates by far. The ABS used in sluices is a different type of plastic altogether. I also use a lot of plastic sluices like the LeTrap and I love it but this still not the same plastic that I see being used in the California Sluice plastics and the edges are purposely rounded in all of the plastic sluices that I have seen. The sharp and flat edges on the steel or aluminum riffles in this case are actually a big part of that particular design to help with this style of recovery system. Is it any better? I don't know yet but I do want to find out.

 

[sidvail]

Any thoughts on Kydex? I'm making my Bazooka out of it now. It molds well, cuts well and is supposed to have superior wear and strength. I found it easy to work with and has a nice textured side that I hope will hold the gold.