A sluice without riffles?

[hurthawk]

I am always on the lookout for new gold recovery technology so I ran a test on this piece of equipment while on a trip last week to the Downieville area of the Mother Lode. Check out the video.
Rick

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[russau]

thanks for the video! ole buzzard would be stiring in his grave!no safty pan!haha nice job!

 

[keverett]

So how would you rate the sluice's ability to retain the fine gold. I would assume it would do well on the coarse pieces, but the smaller, say 20 mesh or below gold, how would you guess it held up?

 

[hurthawk]

So how would you rate the sluice's ability to retain the fine gold. I would assume it would do well on the coarse pieces, but the smaller, say 20 mesh or below gold, how would you guess it held up?

I will have to put it through it's paces before I could answer that question....the physics involved in the construction seem sound.
I will post after running it a few more times.
Rick

 

[Goldwasher]

i walked past the window of my local hardware store where they sale these, i instantly new what it was. and how it worked. i didnt have the cash to buy the one that was the size i would need, so with a few modifacations i built my own. and it works very well. it keeps very very fine gold the trap keeps blacks sand so it keeps fine gold.and you can really dump alot of material in it at once if your gonna sluice this is by far the most productive sluice you can use.and if any one disagree we can meet at a spot of your choice and have a sluicing contest and i will win

 

[kuger]

I have to tell ya I was skeptical,but I watched the video from there site,and I am intrigued........I need the big one though!!!

 

[hurthawk]

The sluice is constructed of ABS plastic on two levels...the top is slick and necks down to a grizzly then terminates at the gold trap. The bottom channel necks down to two tubes with agitation holes terminating in the gold trap. The physics are elegant...higher flow water through the grizzly on top and lower flow (i.e. lower pressure) at the bottom causing heavies to fall out into the trap. Agitation provided to keep the material in the trap from compacting and overloading.
I will be running more tests on maximum water flow, fine gold loss etc. Right now it seems to be a perfect solution for surveying a prospecting site...no multiple buckets, classifiers and related tools...just one bucket, a shovel or scoop and the very small sluice.
The drawback...price. The backpacker model is $95.00...the Miner (standard size sluice) is $195.00 ...and the large production size is $295.00.
If the guy who invented (and patented) this answers my e-mail I may get a chance to do another video on the other sizes. Right now, I will be testing my model and posting results for you guys.
Rick

 

[Hoser John]

tinker toys for little boyz-seen 100's a these flops over 50+ years a gold grubbn'- John

 

[Goldwasher]

ive used it it works very well it keeps very fine gold. if it flops its becauseof the price. but, like i said the design smokes any normal sluice box you can literaly run a five gallon bucket in under a minute with no classifacation you dump the dirt and the sluice does the work its really nice.no more hand feeding. if im sampling now i use this sluice the amount of material it runs lets me get alot of sampling done.

 

[homefires]

Who makes it and what does it look like?

 

[Jeffro]

Nice shots up and down the creek. I'm having a hard time finding where he could've dug that bucket of 1/2" minus of unclassified material though. And dry as desert sand, to boot.

Look, no one doubts that sluices catch gold. All kinds of different makes and models out there too. I know one that even surpasses this one for "rifflelessness" if there can be such a word. Pretty much a slickplate, and will catch fines all day long. Not trying to pee on your parade, if you're happy with the sluice thats fine. It's probably a good thing. But if this turns into some kind of promotion for a certain manufacturer or outlet, well.......

 

[Goldwasher]

you guys are insulting and i feel bad for the barrier the guy who built this has to deal with but i will make my point again. properties of gold dont change recovery equipment does. and this sluice works ive shovele bank run directly into it and it keeps the gold even the smallest fines.it works i wish it was around when i first started i would have found more gold easier period because i could have ran more material faster with good recovery. and if you read my other post youd know i have no reason to promote this guys stuff cause i built my own box using his idea.it is superior to annnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyy traditional sluice period!!!!!!!!

 

[Jeffro]

Sorry if ya feel offended- not trying to be insulting at all. Plain fact is there are tons of different setups for sluices and all will catch gold. Some may be better than others, but the worst of the bunch goes by the wayside pretty quickly. As for the rest, I can't how any can be superior in any way in all circumstances.

But every time someone comes out with something "new", they always claim it to be best, or at least better than others. I put new in quotes because John is right, its been done before.

Again, if you like it and it works great for you, by all means stick with it. But until you find someone that has run a thousand yards or so or the exact same material through this sluice and another in side by side comparisons under strictly controlled conditions you can't convince me that any one is better or best, ever.

Lemme give ya an example. I can pan gold with a Dixie cup, a pie tin, and even my bare hand. Done it before just for giggles. Is the standard green pan with riffles cut in better? Hell yes. Is the pan with riffles cut in AND a little recessed pocket even better? Or wider riffles? Or more riffles? Or the ones with riffles, a rough side and a smooth side?

I dunno, I can pan with any and all and catch gold. Good gold. Quickly. I can win panning contests with just about any.

But theres guys out there 90 years old, can barely walk, and can kick my butt with a plain old riffleless copper pan.

If it works for you, use it. But don't get caught up in "bigger, better, faster, more" purchases. Try new stuff and see if it works. If you can do that without laying out a penny, even better. If you are continually upgrading your equipment, I think you're gonna find out you'll have wasted your money when you shoulda been out digging instead of tweaking!

Ain't trying to knock this guys design, I'm sure it works just fine.

Just my two cents- explained a little better, I hope.

 

[Goldwasher]

im not offended its not my sluice, i was just tryin to deal with some of the close minded attitutes i find on these posts sometimes i guess we post to get info and opinions, it just seems that when someone is using somethin new or is making there own equip or a new guy has a used detector or buys a 2 inch instead of a four inch more people jump on you for using a "bad" design or "old" design. or its like " man you bought that piece of junk those are so oldschool you should have spent all your hard earned cash on this me and all my friends did" and we are sooooo coool. i dont know the guy who invented the goldtrap thats in the above video he actually has his own and better video on youtube. i dont know him and have no reason to promote his gear. i have used the design and it works perfectly and does not lose gold.and by the way this guy might know what hes dong hes 3rd gen gold miner and hes base out of coloma, Ca. so as far as someone who might be an excellent mining equp. designer this guy might know whats up. so for those seeking their own info look for his videos on you tube. Im gonna go find gold today how about all you guys?

 

[Goodyguy]

Say Pvillehunter,

Would you please post some detailed pic's of yours? I would like to make one too.

GG~

 

[Astrobouncer]

I was thinking about making one too, but I cant see enough in that video to even guess at where to start.

 

[Jeffro]

Sure thing- post a few good pics- I'm always up for trying something different. It can't hurt!

 

[Goldwasher]

yea i will my sluice is stashed by the creek right now but, im headin out to go dredging in a few minutes..... i have my camera and will take some pics of it down by the creek. ill also post some pics of the gold we found yesterday we got some pretty nice flakes.i will try to post and attach pics tonight.

 

[Goodyguy]

yea i will my sluice is stashed by the creek right now but, im headin out to go dredging in a few minutes..... i have my camera and will take some pics of it down by the creek. ill also post some pics of the gold we found yesterday we got some pretty nice flakes.i will try to post and attach pics tonight.

 

[garyww]

These 'gold-trap' type sluices are nothing new to the marketplace and I've seen them described in mining journals from the mid 1800's when section of 'U' channel were being embedded in wooden sluices. They do work on fine material so there is nothing wrong with them but so do other types of sluices that don't use conventional riffles. There is actually very little 'new' in the world of placer mining, just things that are re-invented over time.