Good Sluice

[mu50stang]

Whats a good sluice to buy that will run up to 1/2 material. Thanks.

 

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[prospectordamon]

run 1/2" and keep ALL the gold including the fines? none that I know of, any reason you can't classify lower? if not i recommend home built! that's my $0.02, but there may be some out there but when you weigh the price vs building one you will see....

 

[Goodyguy]

A lot depends on what the material consists of, such as clay content.
Typically 1/2" gravels and smaller mixed with sand and dirt will work in any type sluice.

Getting your water speed, water level, and sluice drop per foot is critical. If your box gets loaded up with gravel your fine gold and small flakes will wash out. So keep a close watch and carefully clear the larger gravels from the riffles.

Power sluices can handle the 1/2" gravels better due to higher water speed, normal hand sluices however, should be classified down to 1/4" But I've heard a Bazooka gold trap sluice works wonders with the larger gravels and there is no need to pre classify due to it not having any riffles, and because it has a built in grizzly

Here is a video of the new and improved Bazooka Gold Trap sluice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YusvRqDKW_Q


I have never used one personally but have heard good reviews except for the price.
A fellow prospector and close friend won "The Prospector" model in a raffle at the ICJM prospecting & mining summit in Ca. Last month, I'll let you know what he thinks.

Go for the Gold!
GG~

 

[Astrobouncer]

The bazooka is good but its ability to process so much material means harder work for whoever is using one. With a bazooka you will have to stop every 5-6 shovel fuls and shovel tailings out from behind it on smaller creeks (not as much a problem on big rivers though). You will also have to constantly bend down and pick the big rocks off the grizzly after every shovelful of material, unless you are working like a small gravel bar.

On the bazooka I use, I zip tied a 4 mesh screen over the grizzly cause the stock 5/16 one is too big and because the stock grizzly is only going in one direction it lets in long flat rocks. Those long flat rocks then turn sideways in the trap and then act like false bedrock, allowing the fine gold to exit with the slurry. Sometimes I even use 20 mesh screen over the grizzly if I know I am going to be working an area with only fine gold.

Another thing about the bazooka is when I use it, since I am working on a small creek I have to bury it in the creek and its a real pain to get it setup just right, since you need more angle with a bazooka then a normal sluice. Versus almost any other kind of sluice where you set it down and your about ready to go. But the upside to this is when you use a 4 mesh screen like I usually do, you can get away with fewer cleanups. I usually only clean it up once per sluice session, unlike a normal sluice were you might do a cleanup often.

The good side of a bazooka is it will process a lot of material and keep all the coarse stuff no problem. And they are easy to make as well. I will post some videos I took using the bazooka soon as I get them uploaded.

 

[Goodyguy]

Good info Astrobouncer
You just cant beat getting the 411 from someone with personal experience.

GG~

 

[gnewt]

Good info all you guys, and I never bought a sluice. I first started prospecting in 1949. I don't remember any company selling them then.
The last one I built was my best and easiest to use. The total I spent was less than 25 dollars. My friend gave me some 14" planned red oak lumber from his sawmill, the swing frame was from old bed frames, the bottom of my clasifier is from an old heavy gauge alum. microwave,tv dish w/3/16" holes. My expence was 20 ft of swing chain, eye bolts, J bolts and 1/4 inch bolts.
I actuall built two, swinging 27 and swinging 75. I can use these in the creeks , high bank or I now use them at the campsite due to my 84 years senility. I use a stock feeding tub for my recirculating water with a 12v pump. I have pictures and got to figure out how to down load .
My swing frame is like you would see on a porch swing except a lot lighter. The pitch can be adjusted, so the rifles will only catch the heavy stuff. The 75 rifles were carved with a pocket knife ( lots of work). I then painted the bottom with white paint.
A little wind keep this thing shifting back and forth like a pan, it does the same as panning. If you don't have wind then every few minutes you can put more load in and watch it do the work.( not me, I got lazy) Shift it one time and it will got for a few minutes.
The swinging 27 works good in the creeks and it has the same type clasifier. It will work on the same swing frame, but I don'use it, I was saving it for my shop vac rig when I use it for a bottom sucker, (another plan). Prospecting brings out the day dreamers. Gnewt