Screen size ???

[Mine Shaft]

Hi everybody i have a newbie question for my sluice box. What size classifier screen should i use for my con's, i don't know if i said that right lol any way i have 2 baskets one is a 3/8"holes and one is 3/16" holes the sluice box is 57" long 10" wide and 4" deep with heavy expanded metal and carpet, will it catch fine gold going with the 3/16" holes ? or use the 3/8" or just shovel material in it if not to rocky ? i will be going this Monday for my first time, thank you for any info.

 

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[Goodyguy]

With that sluice you can feed it up to 1" material with no problem, as long as you have a fast enough flow.
Classify to 1/2" if the flow is not fast enough to clear 1" gravels. or classify to 3/8" if 1/2" gravels wont clear. All depends upon the flow and sluice angle.

Riffles and heavy expanded together are not a good mix. See the daylight underneath the riffles? Defeats the low pressure zone you are trying to create behind each riffle.
You are only creating un-necessary turbulence, as well as making it harder for the larger gravels to travel down the sluice if the flow is too slow.

Not saying you wont recover gold just that you may lose some.

Keep in mind not to over feed the sluice, let each shovelful run it's course before feeding the next.
Not as critical on that length sluice but just be aware of not over feeding.

If a sluice gets too overloaded then the mats cant do their work, the gold just rides on top of the material and off the end.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Thank you Goody!!! i watched a lot of vid's on sluiceing and they had expanded metal with riffles, but not the heavy stuff with riffles, i was thinking i had to go big or go home lol. I might delete the 1/2" riffles and i will make sure the sluice clears and not load up, i got one more question how do you tell or know when to clean the sluice & mats ? and should i run the "con's" is that whats left after i sluice ? through my 3/16 mesh or finer screen ? thank you again, hope i am not asking to much lol.

 

[Goodyguy]

Thank you Goody!!! i watched a lot of vid's on sluiceing and they had expanded metal with riffles, but not the heavy stuff with riffles, i was thinking i had to go big or go home lol. I might delete the 1/2" riffles and i will make sure the sluice clears and not load up, i got one more question how do you tell or know when to clean the sluice & mats ? and should i run the "con's" is that whats left after i sluice ? through my 3/16 mesh or finer screen ? thank you again, hope i am not asking to much lol.

Clean up the sluice at the end of the day. Rinse the mats in a tub or bucket and pan the concentrates no need to classify unless you want to. (the concentrates or cons is what remains in the sluice after you are finished sluicing)

If you decide to run your cons through the 3/16" screen just be on the lookout for nuggets, then pan whats left.


GG~

 

[Mine Shaft]

will do, thanks once more.

 

[goldog]

i was thinking i had to go big or go home lol.

You're obviously not planning to go home.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Clean up the sluice at the end of the day. Rinse the mats in a tub or bucket and pan the concentrates no need to classify unless you want to. (the concentrates or cons is what remains in the sluice after you are finished sluicing)

If you decide to run your cons through the 3/16" screen just be on the lookout for nuggets, then pan whats left.


GG~

To extend what GG said, also get a 20 mesh and a 50 mesh classifier. Then separate your cons using those classifiers and pan each size range separately. It'll be quicker and easier. If you really want to get it right, follow my article on panning your cons:
http://findinggoldincolorado.com/finish-processing-your-concentrates-after-a-day-of-digging/

 

[Mine Shaft]

Thank you for that info Kevin!!! I like the magnet setup idea i have a heavy duty one that's 2"x 2" x 1" thick. Good luck in the field.