Show off yer sluice

[LP13]

Here's a recent build I sent to Africa. This huge mining company there with 40 square miles of claims and 16 two man crews, had some 12" units and after they found out how well they worked, they had me build 18" units. Here's what they looked like. Unfortunately it's dry over there in the bush now where their claims are but I am hoping pretty soon to get some good video of their operation, and especially the gold they get!

I built them in March/April/May. Unfortunately I won't likely be personally building any more of them as my hands are just about useless now due to severe carpal tunnel.

 

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[rodoconnor]

Sorry to hear about your carpal tunnel. Repetitve motion can kick your #*$

 

[russau]

LP13 go get the surgery! I had both hands done about 12 years ago and im glad I did it!

 

[LP13]

LP13 go get the surgery! I had both hands done about 12 years ago and im glad I did it!

Thanks Russau, I have considered it many times. The main detractor here is that anesthetics don't work on me very well. Every time I had a surgery that they knocked me out I came to in the middle of it! They didn't believe most times until I told them what they said or did in the operation at the time. I also feel pain then too. Just can't move and let them know I'm aware. And things like local anesthetic will work for a few seconds to a minute, at most. So surgeries are very scary to me and I just can't bring myself to have them any more (fortunately in my life I only had a handful of them.)

 

[CO2]

Here's what I was running last year: a 12' corrugated plastic drainpipe with alternating scrunched-up sections. Since I didn't cut the plastic, it was really versatile and trapped colors really well (I could easily induce turbulence by snaking it up and down and side-to-side around rocks) and it ran material fairly quickly, but cleanouts were just awful. Just awful. Like 20+ minutes awful. Bad.

Now I have a BGT Pro. 30" on order. Never again, drainpipe, never again!! Gonna throw my classifier in the proverbial trash, too.

 

[GFBurke]

Here is my first. Homemade craigslist find for not a lot of money. It's steal, goldhog mats, 4000 elec pump and 12v battery. Works well.. but heavy lol. It was fun to test and practice with. Catches fines well in which is what we have around here. I just posted it back onto craigstlist now though, due to we found a good spot and I want something that's a bit lighter and be able to run more material (larger). But this thing was fun. We ran about 10 buckets and came back with a few grams. I'd really like to go buy a GH Raptor. Or maybe I'll setup an electric 2in dredge attached to my new 36in Bazooka. Not sure yet!

 

[Duckwalk]

A few grams in 10 buckets is some good pay!

 

[GFBurke]

It probably was closer to 20! Hard to tell over the 3 days of shovel'n and beer brakes.

 

[johnedoe]

It probably was closer to 20! Hard to tell over the 3 days of shovel'n and beer brakes.

Still better than a poke in the eye......

 

[Oregon Viking]

Beach sluice!
Keene A52 with V-matting. Doug Watson mentioned they were using V-mat on the Washington beaches and having some success.
I can put the expanded metal and riffles over the V-mat, no need for the carpet.
Simple? Yes.

 

[AimSmMissSm]

Beach sluice!
Keene A52 with V-matting. Doug Watson mentioned they were using V-mat on the Washington beaches and having some success.
I can put the expanded metal and riffles over the V-mat, no need for the carpet.
Simple? Yes.

View attachment 1245789

Just run the V mat or vortex mat all by itself no need for the expanded metal or riffles on the beach.

 

[nh.nugget]

Here's mine hard at work!

 

[Oregon Viking]

I have found a sluice box blank the same size as the A52. I'am going to make a long tom beach box.
Why? Why not? I was going after a sluice box blank anyway....in order to build a miller table. A long sluice box blank, I can cut off a 24" piece....and use the remainder for the long tom! One blank=two completed projects.

 

[nh.nugget]

I'll tell YA' I like my A52 it catches everything from chunks to poop! As you can see from the pics. Sets up easily I check my tailings constantly, nothing. So I know it works consistant!

 

[Oregon Viking]

I'll tell YA' I like my A52 it catches everything from chunks to poop! As you can see from the pics. Sets up easily I check my tailings constantly, nothing. So I know it works consistant!

Is there expanded metal in your A52? Hard to tell.

My A52 "Long tom beach box" will be just for the beach.
I have the A52P also. Keene still makes them but they are metal not plastic. Mine is plastic. It can be taken apart ( P means portable) but you had better not!! It takes a long time for reassembly and things break.
I can pull 2 pins and fold it.






And my high production sluice....

 

[nh.nugget]

Yes mine does have the expanded metal. So far with all the material I've put through it I've not found anything past the second riffle. It catches most of the gold in the v-matt and pushes off to the sides. Mines portable it's got a handle on the side. LOL!

 

[wildminer]

Just run the V mat or vortex mat all by itself no need for the expanded metal or riffles on the beach.

I am considering using a piece of vortex mat that I use in a hi banker for mat in a beach box. It is 12" x 48" and my question is what are the opinions of you guys as to how much slick plate, if any, should I start with
? I don't have the box built yet so I'm starting from scratch. I also have ribbed mat that I could use or interchange. The creeks running into the ocean have a good flow right now and that is where I want to set up. I'm in Oregon so have to consider the no motor BS. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I am considering using a piece of vortex mat that I use in a hi banker for mat in a beach box. It is 12" x 48" and my question is what are the opinions of you guys as to how much slick plate, if any, should I start with
? I don't have the box built yet so I'm starting from scratch. I also have ribbed mat that I could use or interchange. The creeks running into the ocean have a good flow right now and that is where I want to set up. I'm in Oregon so have to consider the no motor BS. Thanks in advance for any input.

To get proper exchange with vortex mat, it has to be running at 15 degrees...really tough to do in a stream!

(Source: Red Wilcox, co-inventor of the Gold Cube)

 

[arizau]

I am considering using a piece of vortex mat that I use in a hi banker for mat in a beach box. It is 12" x 48" and my question is what are the opinions of you guys as to how much slick plate, if any, should I start with
? I don't have the box built yet so I'm starting from scratch. I also have ribbed mat that I could use or interchange. The creeks running into the ocean have a good flow right now and that is where I want to set up. I'm in Oregon so have to consider the no motor BS. Thanks in advance for any input.

From what I have read on this and other forums, the consensus opinion is that it is best to use ribbed mat in stream sluices for beach sand where motors, etc. are not allowed. A fairly long slick plate with a smooth transition to the mat will allow the gold to better classify and settle prior to entering the mat section.

I am experimenting with goldhog mats but I did not have ideal stream flow in the one time I ran it. I did catch gold though and intend to do further testing this coming summer, conditions permitting. I also have run a homemade magnetic sluice (very much the same as a Cleangold sluice which is reputed by some to be the best for the mostly minus 100 and much smaller mesh Oregon beach gold) a few times with success. The Cleangold is pooh poohed by some/many (they are not owners and seem not to know how the sluice actually works) but it does work well. One problem is that virtually all of the concentrates collected by the Cleangold method is tiny, heavy magnetic black sand and is extremely difficult to pan. There is an unpublished/secret method on how to more or less solve this problem and is only revealed to purchasers of the product which seems to lead to most of the skepticism.

Good luck.

 

[wildminer]

Thanks for the input, guys. I'll start with the ribbed mat and see what I can come up with.