Making sluice

Sick4gold

Sr. Member
Jun 11, 2013
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You don't want to permanently attach it as you'll have to remove it to do a clean out.
It should be cut to fit snugly in the box. If you need to you can run a machine screw upwards through the bottom of the box near the front and cut 1 hole in the mat that the machine screw goes through.
 

socalocmatt

Jr. Member
Mar 19, 2013
87
48
Corona CA
I use 3 screws in across the the sluice/gold hog matting in the first inch. As Sich4gold said, you want to be able to remove the matting to clean it out unless it is just a nugget catch in the first couple inches of the flare.
 

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Dante7621

Dante7621

Tenderfoot
Jul 23, 2013
8
3
Ok what do you have in the way of big riffles I was going to make a frame to go over the rubber matting with four or five angled riffles on it that can come off in one piece
 

DizzyDigger

Gold Member
Dec 9, 2012
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Concrete, WA
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Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
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Ok what do you have in the way of big riffles I was going to make
a frame to go over the rubber matting with four or five angled riffles on it that can come off in one piece

There are a bunch of materials you can use to make your riffles, from wood to steel.

My sluices are both set up so I can use a variety of different configurations of Vmat,
carpet, expanded metal and riffles. This way I can tailor the sluice to perform the best
based on the flow conditions and size of the gold in a given area.

For holding it all down, I simply use a couple pieces of 1/4" paneling cut to side height
and length. Lay in your matting, carpets or whatever, and then one board on each
side with 2 C-clamps (per side) holding it down solid.

DSC_0023.JPG

For clean-out, I lift the sluice out FLAT, tip it into a 5 gal. bucket 1/2 full of water,
and then before I unlock anything I'll wash it down several times with a big panful
of water. Next, with the sluice tilted back about 45 degrees, remove the clamps and
lower the riffles into the bucket, then the rest piece by piece. Flush out (now bare)
sluice, set aside. Wash the expanded metal, etc. one piece at a time, being careful
to keep them in the bucket till clean so no gold is lost. Wash the rest out good, and
then put it back together.

Set up this way, it takes me about 2 min. (max) to properly clean out the sluice from start to
finish, and have it back in the pocket running material again.
 

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socalocmatt

Jr. Member
Mar 19, 2013
87
48
Corona CA
I use razorback and scrubber. I have the first two section separate from the other sections so I can swap them out for UR if I wanna use the sluice as a highbanker. That way the UR will be under the box with the rest razorback and scrubber.
 

bedrock bubba

Sr. Member
Jun 27, 2010
446
396
If you are just using the rubber matting, without a riffle rack, just glue it in with G.E. clear silicon! Easy!

And if you need to take it out, the silicon peels off real easy! With the rubber grooved matting, you now have a low flow, fine gold box. Just be sure to screen to 1/4 " before you run gravel.

Riffles are such a pain to get to work right. You DONT need them!
 

kevin1

Full Member
Oct 14, 2012
107
54
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looks like a great flour gold sluice, though getting the flow right to avoid blowout may be tricky with that narrow profile. I'd set it up as a recirculator for better control.
 

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Dante7621

Dante7621

Tenderfoot
Jul 23, 2013
8
3
Thanks for the input and yeah flour gold is the best I can get in the area I'm in if I want bigger will have to hike for day or so cos no road access and just don't have the time to do that now
 

Sick4gold

Sr. Member
Jun 11, 2013
252
175
Indiana/Ohio
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Don't know if it would be much help but you should read the Clarkson study.
Even if you aren't able to apply anything it's a great read.
 

goldenIrishman

Silver Member
Feb 28, 2013
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Golden Valley Arid-Zona
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Dante,

Here's a couple of shots of the system I'm getting ready to field test this weekend. Since I'm in the desert it's a re-circ system using a 1250gph bilge pump for the main box and a 750gph bilge pump for the header box. The Header has a 1/4 inch hardware cloth "Grizzly" on the bottom. Matting is simple Astro Turf for now.

0909131224a.jpg
0909131224.jpg

Pumps may need to be upgraded as this one is wider than my last one which was a "Long Tom" style and not as wide. If I upgrade the pumps I'll most likely switch it over to Gold Hog matting since I'll have enough flow for it to work.

Construction is all 1/2 inch nine layer Birch ply and the size of the main box is 48" long and 12" wide. Inside was dyed black and then everything was sealed with several coats of Polyurethane.
 

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