Sluices For Sale?

H&F909ORO

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Dec 26, 2013
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golden sluice

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Dec 16, 2013
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Hello. Why dont you try making a sluice over the weekend, there are tons of sluice designs that are easy, fun and git the gold. Check on good ole youtube and get some cheap creative ideas. Im sure you can make a great sluice for less than 30 bucks.
 

63bkpkr

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Aug 9, 2007
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Well H&F909OR,
For starters, GS's suggestion is a good one. Another thing to consider is do you have a clear idea of how and where you want to use the sluice as the water supply or physical size of each location will only allow some sluices to work properly, water flow and really small creek widths vs large rivers or even the ocean beach below the Cliff House. The plastic sluices are not that expensive: Angus McKirk, LeTrap, CA Sluicebox, are but three and they come in a variety of sizes/costs. Then again at Home Depot there are rain down spout runoff trays that have small riffles in them and will work for small amounts of water and even smaller amounts of test sample but you'd be better off just purchasing a real sluice box in the long run. Just some thoughts and I wish you well on your way to catching gold fever!......................63bkpkr
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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You have enough in your budget to go online and buy a new one and save yourself a lot of what ifs..
 

Astrobouncer

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Jun 21, 2009
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Make one of these like I use. Cheap and effective and will catch as much gold as any other sluice out there.



If you keep the width to around 7 inches wide or less, you can straight shovel into them and not lose gold. The double drops protect the gold when the big unclassified stuff rolls by, and the width of your drops keeps out big stones as well.
 

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H&F909ORO

H&F909ORO

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Dec 26, 2013
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Great video Astro, it's a very nice looking sluice. I think I will go searching for ideas. Thanks everyone for the responses
 

goldenIrishman

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Feb 28, 2013
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H&F909ORO

If you decide to make your own, there's a couple of important things to keep in mind. The single most important of these is water flow. Think about how and where you plan on using your sluice. If you're going to go for a re-circ system, you have to make sure you have a pump that can move enough water for it. The wider you make your sluice, the larger the pump you're going to need. While a 5-1/2 inch wide "Long Tom" style running carpet for matting can get by with around 750 gallons per hour, a 12 inch wide is going to need something in the 1250-2000 GPH range to work effectively. It's always best to get the largest pump you can afford. You can always add a valve to cut back on the water if needed. If you're going to use it as a stream sluice, the same thing applies. You're not going to want a really wide sluice if the stream you plan on using it in doesn't have the flow needed for it to work right. If the water flow on either system isn't enough, your riffles will get packed up with materials and before you know it you're flat boarding your materials and loosing gold out the end. If they're packing up you will need to do one of three things. Get more water going through it, increase the drop of the box, or slow down on your feed rate.

Another thing that is going to come into play when it comes to how much water you will need is what type of matting you're using. Simple ribbed carpet will need less water flow than something like "Miners Moss" or the Gold Hog matting. Different types of matting will also have different requirements when it comes to classifying your materials. Some won't work well with larger sized materials unless you have a lot of water to move the materials through the box.

If you go for wood construction, your best bet it to use a good marine grade ply-wood. Even then you're going to need to seal it up with several heavy coats of polyurethane or marine spar varnish . Solid wood has a tendency to warp once it's been soaked and allowed to dry even if you've sealed it. Once it's warped, there's not going to be any straightening it.

Of course if you don't have access to a shop area to make this sluice, you may be better off buying one from a shop or fellow miner. I've always made my own sluices but since I just picked up a claim I'm thinking of getting something like a Gold Hog Viper Highbanker so I can move a lot more materials.
 

ALewis

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Aug 20, 2013
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Great video Astro, it's a very nice looking sluice. I think I will go searching for ideas. Thanks everyone for the responses


Also, check out Astrobouncer's vid on a fluid bed sluice.....Make your own version, or check out the BGT website...The BGT's might be a little out of your 50-80 $$$ range, but Well Worth it. Really good products.....you will move a Lot more material when not classifying....

Photo0296.jpg

This is my version, made from aluminum so it was a little lighter.....it really was not "that" hard to build, but as Goldwasher say's, it can be an experience working hard all day, shoveling material, all the time wondering if the thing even works !!!
 

goldenIrishman

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Oh yeah! You have to KNOW your equipment!!! Nothing worse than feeding a sluice all day only to find that you blew all the gold out because you had your setup all wrong!
 

Jeff95531

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Feb 10, 2013
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You can build your own or buy. I was on the fence a long time. People here helped me make my own decisions. I went home-built stand and a LeTrap sluice. When you build it yourself, you simply know more about it. I needed more than a stand because I wanted a high banker. It ALL depends on what your needs are and for the materials you got to work with. Keep researching till you know what you need, then build what you want. You won't regret it. :icon_thumright:
 

Marmentman

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Sep 10, 2013
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I have a jobe high banker that I am interested in selling. Pump died but high banker works great. Can be taken apart and used as stream sluice. Few small mods, like smaller screen for classifier, miners moss. If interested shoot me a pm.
 

Marmentman

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image.jpg image.jpg
This is what I have gotten so far. Not much but very fun and rewarding. 20 5 gal buckets.
 

Aufisher

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May 12, 2013
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Get a Bazooka and be happy.
 

Marmentman

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Have you seen the spiral vortex well sluice? The idea is good but for 400+ dollars seems a rip off. I know they have a lot in fab and materials but that price is insane. It's probably the best design I have seen out there. You say le trap and bazooka, but so far the best thing I have seen is gold hog Matt. I have tried it and it catches a lot more then just my standard sluice and highbanker. But again this vortex design really seems the best for the science. I will have to wait till the price comes down on it.
 

Marmentman

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You really can't tell from my pictures of the gold, but most of it is talc powder size, 100mesh-. You really think there's is $80 dollars worth there or where you referring to the sluice?
 

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H&F909ORO

H&F909ORO

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Dec 26, 2013
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Well maybe I should go ahead and buy yours. The reason is because I know bazookas are the best, but they are very expensive for me right now. I can't afford that much, but I want a sluice. I will PM you to tell you my final answer.
 

AU_Solitude

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Feb 24, 2014
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I'll sell you my MacKirk Expedition - $40. PM me if interested. Works best in streams and creeks and I usually hit up the big water and I already built its replacement.
 

Marmentman

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Sep 10, 2013
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Woody86 do you have pictures? That would be a hard deal to pass up if its in good shape. Especially for beginners. Also what was its replacement?
 

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