Built my own sluice box... Not pretty.

[idowa]

Was at Home Depot today and thought I'd pick up some materials to throw together a sluice box.

From reading threads on designs and materials, I had a pretty good idea of how to make one, but I didn't find the "perfect" pieces, but figured I'd try it anyway and see what I find.

The rubber mat is the one thing I wasn't happy with; it is too shallow from what I've seen.

I will use the sluice only for processing buckets of material I bring home from interesting places I find while metal detecting...

Feel free to critique as I have thick skin...

 

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[Edson]

Expanded metal is to small and thin, matting is shallow, riffles are flat and worthless and have holes that create turbulence that will flush gold out, and to top it off it's wood so it will get nice and heavy when wet and warp on you. I would start over...

Hope this helps. Edson

 

[Astrobouncer]

Its not that bad at all for a first sluice and I am sure it will work fine once you make a couple improvements.

Start by sealing the sides of the riffles where they meet the board with something like liquid nail. Otherwise gold will wash out there. Next, make sure you water proof it. I prefer several coats of paint or decking wood stain then polyurethane. A higher raised expanded mesh would work better, but you can try that one and see how it does. I have used metal lathe mesh over grooved carpeting before and that trapped super fines very well.

Since you're new to sluicing, try to go out with someone who knows the ropes and can help you set it up, it will make things much easier till you get the hang of it. And take some pics!

 

[idowa]

Thanks guys!

 

[2cmorau]

considering the old timers used rocks or branches for there boxes that's a fine lookin first time sluice box

now check the tailings after yoour done using it with a pan and see if ya lost any

 

[idowa]

I used aluminum tile edging about 1/2" high and rounded, I spaced them 2.25" apart. Is that at least OK?

I can get the proper expanded metal from Ace, and the local prospecting store has the V-rib mat, so that's no big deal, either...

 

[KevinInColorado]

Honestly all the time you are putting into this seems a waste to me. Go buy a well designed sluice and put your time into prospecting!!

 

[idowa]

Well, what's the fun in that?

I like to tinker in my garage and there is a certain satisfaction in creating something and then using it to find gold...

I used to be an Aviation Structural Tech in the Navy, so I could create the ultimate sluice out of aluminum, if I had the brake and shears in my garage...

 

[roadrunner]

Go to youtube and put in the search bar :
progressive sluice.
Watch the video,then optin to the website and you will recieve the free plans.
I built mine for a total cost $4.99,but i had some material laying around.
Anyway,mine looks just like yours, basically,and works great.
4 foot by 10.5 inches.

Does exactly what it was designed to do.
Used polyurethane to water tight it.
Have gone through 5/5 gallon buckets of product.
Lots of water in my back yard.
Not warped at all.

 

[idowa]

I took it out and used it today and got nothing; not a flake, not a speck... Nothing.

Of course, I also panned and used the metal detector and got nothing with those either...

 

[Astrobouncer]

Idowa, keep with it. I don't want to mention how long it took me to find gold from when i started, it is embarrassing! But if you keep at it, it will eventually pay off. And once you start finding a little, usually you can then hone in on better ground.

 

[idowa]

After watching sluicing videos for a couple of hours, I realized I was doing it all wrong...

I was only classifying my material down to 3/8" and it was just clogging up the sluice.

Plus, I thought you just ran material through, then picked out the gold pieces trapped in the mat, carpet, and riffles.

I saw a video of a guy using a Keene, and he ran a few buckets of fines through, then took apart the sluice, cleaned it out into a bucket, then panned that material to get the gold.

Which is confusing, since I thought the sluice was supposed to eliminate the time consuming panning process??

 

[KevinInColorado]

Still gotta pan...but just the little bit your sluice holds onto :-)

 

[Keppy]

Honestly all the time you are putting into this seems a waste to me. Go buy a well designed sluice and put your time into prospecting!!

I hate to say this but for me what ....kevin... said here about go buy a well made one is the only way for me to go....... I love most type of T hunting but i hate to build things and it does take a lot of time away from you for prospecting............ You only get so much time here on earth so spend it hunting for Gold & Treasure not building things that do not do a good job for you . Like Sandman says always get the best equipment you can afford ..... So you do not waste your time useing equipment that is not up to par..