DIY beach sluice

Sluicer

Jr. Member
Apr 2, 2014
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
So I sent of the papers to hopefully get the permit required to process material off of the coastal beaches here in Washington I'm wanting to build my own sluice for this already have a stream sluice (large proline) and I am thinking that a 6"x4' sluice with vortex matting and possibly one riffle In a recicurulating system may work? any input? Thanks for any advice
 

LRC253

Full Member
Aug 5, 2013
159
64
Puyallup, WA
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Sounds like a good plan to me! I see mostly GoldCubes down there with the vortex matting and it works really well.
I applied for my permit on the 16th, hopefully it doesn't take the entire 45 days.
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,369
Summit County, Colorado
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Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
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Reach out to Doug Watson...he's the pro at WA beach sand. The black sand there can be over 50% magnetic iron sand and the gold is 50% less than 100 mesh..tough stuff to process. Doug has it dialed in. Reach out to him here BEFORE you spend money on the wrong gear!

PS both Doug's gear and the Gold Cube were designed for beach sand ...that's important.
 

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Sluicer

Sluicer

Jr. Member
Apr 2, 2014
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
LR from what I have heard they usually take awhile to get unfortunately. Kevin I have seen the gold cubes they look like they are the cats meow for beach gold but the price on them reflects that what I was thinking is a smaller electric pump with a sluice possibly without riffles with just vortex and run the water slower than one normally would that way gold would have a chance to drop out in theory and sands keep on washing down
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,369
Summit County, Colorado
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LR from what I have heard they usually take awhile to get unfortunately. Kevin I have seen the gold cubes they look like they are the cats meow for beach gold but the price on them reflects that what I was thinking is a smaller electric pump with a sluice possibly without riffles with just vortex and run the water slower than one normally would that way gold would have a chance to drop out in theory and sands keep on washing down
Agreed, you pay more and get more with the cube but it's not what everyone wants or chooses to afford. Check out the sluices Doug sells, reasonable price and designed on the beaches of WA! Advertised in ICMJ too :) send him a PM for purchase info.

Full disclosure: I'm friends with the inventors of the gold cube but get nothing from anyone mentioned here...other than some beach sand Doug sent me to give me a look at how that WA beach sand is to work with. LOL
 

Last edited:

Doug Watson

Sr. Member
Jul 29, 2010
330
154
Sluicer, If you want to stay inexpensive and have something that will work reasonably well, line your sluice with deep v ribbed matting and recirculate it. The deep v has been working better than the vortex for us. Prospectors Plus is having an outing on June 21st at Cape Dissapointment state park. If you can, come see what we're doing in person before spending a lot of money. I'll also be at the gold show in Puyallup WA May 10th and 11th with Prospectors Plus if you can make it. Be more than glad to share any info I can with you. If you do come by be sure to introduce yourself so I can put a face to the name. By the way Kevin, how did you like that sand? Fun stuff isn't it.
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,369
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
Primary Interest:
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Sluicer, If you want to stay inexpensive and have something that will work reasonably well, line your sluice with deep v ribbed matting and recirculate it. The deep v has been working better than the vortex for us. Prospectors Plus is having an outing on June 21st at Cape Dissapointment state park. If you can, come see what we're doing in person before spending a lot of money. I'll also be at the gold show in Puyallup WA May 10th and 11th with Prospectors Plus if you can make it. Be more than glad to share any info I can with you. If you do come by be sure to introduce yourself so I can put a face to the name. By the way Kevin, how did you like that sand? Fun stuff isn't it.

Hi Doug, I sent you an email about it but maybe that got lost in the spam folder ;-) thanks so much for sending the sand. It is crazy stuff and so it was way fun to experiment with...

I ran 2/3 of it through my bazooka Prospector ( with nothing else in the trap) and caught the tailings. VERY interesting result: ALL the +50 gold was caught in the trap but only a fraction of the -50. Also, the trap was not full...nowhere near (weird outcome as usually the trap fills immediately in use) instead 1.5 gallons of heavy black sand was reduced to about 2/3 cup. Then I loaded the trap with gravel and ran it all again. This time it caught virtually everything. So if you wanted to set up a bazooka as a highbanker on the beach, you'd have to bring along a pan of gravel to preload the fluid bed before running that nasty, heavy beach sand.

It is really amazingly heavy material and over 50% of it in the sample you sent was magnetic...WOW!
 

LRC253

Full Member
Aug 5, 2013
159
64
Puyallup, WA
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Sluicer- just got my permit today, The turn around time was only 12 days total so yours should be there soon. Heading out there this week, see ya around!
 

Oregon Viking

Gold Member
Jan 6, 2014
12,103
36,978
Brookings-Harbor Oregon
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White's prizm IV
Keene A52 with Gold Hog mats
Gold-N-Sand hand dredge
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Sluicer, If you want to stay inexpensive and have something that will work reasonably well, line your sluice with deep v ribbed matting and recirculate it. The deep v has been working better than the vortex for us. Prospectors Plus is having an outing on June 21st at Cape Dissapointment state park. If you can, come see what we're doing in person before spending a lot of money. I'll also be at the gold show in Puyallup WA May 10th and 11th with Prospectors Plus if you can make it. Be more than glad to share any info I can with you. If you do come by be sure to introduce yourself so I can put a face to the name. By the way Kevin, how did you like that sand? Fun stuff isn't it.
Hey Doug....
I used a Keene A52 and lined it entirely with V ribbed mating, 1/8 inch thick. Is that the approximate size of the V matting you use?
How about a pic of yours?
We have a lot of black sand here, especially Gold Beach area.
 

riden2low

Greenie
Aug 11, 2013
16
2
Oregon
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030
EQUINOX 800
Question.... I live on the Oregon coast, where do you apply for a permit for the beach?
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,369
Summit County, Colorado
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Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
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Glad you had fun with it. It's really fun when the whole beach is black!!!!!!!!!
one of these days I'll get up there to see that beach, it sounds just amazing!
 

Oregon Viking

Gold Member
Jan 6, 2014
12,103
36,978
Brookings-Harbor Oregon
Detector(s) used
White's prizm IV
Keene A52 with Gold Hog mats
Gold-N-Sand hand dredge
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KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,369
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/14007-oregon-beach-mining.html Some of the beaches are state parks, so I have asked the park rangers and get a.... I don't know...No pumps, gas or electric. I have never been questioned. The beaches that are not state parks, I believe are owned by the Highway department.
Correction, they are owned by the people/voters, regulated by the state and administered by whichever department (such as highways) is assigned to them by the legislature or failing that, the governor. You are welcome for the civics lesson lol!
 

Oregon Viking

Gold Member
Jan 6, 2014
12,103
36,978
Brookings-Harbor Oregon
Detector(s) used
White's prizm IV
Keene A52 with Gold Hog mats
Gold-N-Sand hand dredge
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I had to go to the local state park. They issued me a free permit for 6 months. I had to tell them what beach I would be on. It was good for a pan and a hand sluice. A couple of beaches I listed was Gold Beach area and Port Orford area. They couldn't issue a permit for there. I will have to go to Humbug Mt. state park for a permit in that area
 

riden2low

Greenie
Aug 11, 2013
16
2
Oregon
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030
EQUINOX 800
Thanks guys. Off and on I see a couple guys sluicing on the beach with a small sluice. They set the sluice up in a small stream running into the sea.
 

Oregon Viking

Gold Member
Jan 6, 2014
12,103
36,978
Brookings-Harbor Oregon
Detector(s) used
White's prizm IV
Keene A52 with Gold Hog mats
Gold-N-Sand hand dredge
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Correction, they are owned by the people/voters, regulated by the state and administered by whichever department (such as highways) is assigned to them by the legislature or failing that, the governor. You are welcome for the civics lesson lol!
Well yeh, that's what I meant! :laughing7:
Highway department...well...they spend their time workin' on the well...Highways!
Heh..:laughing7:
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,369
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
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Well yeh, that's what I meant! :laughing7: Highway department...well...they spend their time workin' on the well...Highways! Heh..:laughing7:
sorry, I just couldn't resist being a troll this once ;-). Now back to the topic of beach sluicing...
 

Doug Watson

Sr. Member
Jul 29, 2010
330
154
Oregon Viking, The deep v mat is approx. 1/8" to 3/16" deep that we are using. I had some pictures posted on another thread here not long ago.
 

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