How long to run a sluice?

[Sluiceguy42]

First post!
I was at a GPAA gold show last year and during one of the lectures the speaker said that gold travels down a sluice box around 1 inch per minute. But on some older threads here on TreasuerNet it seems I can run my sluice all week without doing a cleanout. Not sure I should cleanout my sluice every 30 minutes or once a day . Any advice would be appreciated.

 

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[KevinInColorado]

How about if a miner wants to take a half hour lunch. Leave the sluice in the water whith no material running through it, or clean it out?

Fine for a fluidbed, risky for other types as any rise in water level in the creek will blow out gold most likely since you aren't there to adjust the sluice for the increased force of the water.

 

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[Herby D]

Rockygulchjoe...I can't speak for other folks..but.. I would never dredge alone.. always had a relief..If we did have to shut down then it depended on how long we'd been running or we'd start it back up slowly with a catch tub attached to the end of the dredge sluice.. Nowadays, if it's my Keene A-52, & I am alone, then it only takes me about 10 minutes for a clean up and reset it... Just an f.y.i.. I never really worried about the big stuff, I have always been concerned about collecting the flour gold.. Big nuggets are always fun but not as realistic...IMHO only..

Most important two letter word sentence.. "If it is to be, it is up to me"

 

[rockygulchJoe]

Thanks guys. Looks like I better learn how to spell.

 

[Sluiceguy42]

Like I said before I will test and experiment with my sluice more thoroughly when I get to Colorado, but in the meantime, thanks for all your comments. I won't worry about it anymore if all you say gold won't move through the box. I must have heard the speaker wrong or something. And no it was not Todd Hoffman. (lol)

 

[Reed Lukens]

I pull it & clean it every time I take a break. Also I put in v-rib between the flare and the first riffle. I watch the gold as it migrates down the v-rib and either suck it out with a sucker bottle on the run or because the sluice is so small and easy to clean I usually just pull it and then easily wash everything into a bucket. Cleaning it only takes a few minutes, so clean it when you feel like it because the A51A is a great little sluice that can be used in extremely low water conditions. Mine walked away with a friend here a few years ago and I haven't seen it in a long time but it sure worked great and was easy to clean. If you have the regular carpet then just dump the whole thing into a bucket of water and clean it without taking it apart for the day and then do a full clean out when it's time to go home. Leave all of the clean outs in the bucket and then you will still only have ½ a pan at the end of the day to concentrate down.

 

[Sluiceguy42]

Reed Lukens,
I cleanup after I finish running all the dirt I dug, then go back to my hole and dig some more, then sluice, then cleanup. Or if I take a break. And I Agree, the a51a is a great little sluice, small amount of cons when it is time for cleanup, and doesn't require as much water.
I know most of the guys here dig all there dirt at once, but usually works better for me to dig, sluice, cleanup, dig, sluice, cleanup. Usually spend somewhere around 3 or 4 hours before I do a cleanup just because I have to refille my bucket(s).

 

[425jesse]

Fluid bed=lunch/beer breaks with no worries.



JB

 

[Sluiceguy42]

I'm sticking to my Keene for now.

 

[goldenmojo]

Whats a break?

 

[ALewis]

My fluid bed has kept the gold after floating 10 ft downriver (and settling at the bottom, 4 ft deep)......just sayin. After that, I doubt I am losing much when it stays in position !

Imagine the fun Sluiceguy, instead of: - "dig, [CLASSIFY], sluice, cleanup, dig, [CLASSIFY], sluice, cleanup"
You could just Dig, sluice, dig, sluice.....All day.....

Think you know where I'm heading........

 

[Sluiceguy42]

ALewis
My hole is to far away from my sluice to shovel straight into it, and if I carried buckets of unclassified dirt to the sluice, it would be less efficient because the rocks would be heavier, and they would take up space that could be filled with gold bearing dirt. These reasons stated; I am content and happy with my keene.

 

[Duckwalk]

i dont mean to argue or anything but could one not sluice faster (even with heavier buckets) by shoveling dirt into a bucket and dumping the bucket on the sluice without taking the time to classify?

 

[Sluiceguy42]

I didn't realize you are actually dump the entire bucket all at once! Aren't you supposed to scoop material in to it? I do like to be able to see whats going on in my sluice and I enjoy feeding it.
I don't mind classifying anyway

 

[QNCrazy]

i dont mean to argue or anything but could one not sluice faster (even with heavier buckets) by shoveling dirt into a bucket and dumping the bucket on the sluice without taking the time to classify?

Duck, with the A51 or any similar sluice design, if you dump a whole bucket at once you are asking for trouble and missed gold. Number one, the amount of material in a bucket would kill the water supply. And Two, if you gradually but continuosly dump the bucket, you take a risk of the riffles not clearing out and the gold getting caught in the slurry and floating out the sluice.

As far as classification, you'll have better recovery of the fine gold if you classify down. Larger rocks can get stuck in the riffle changing the flow which may also cause gold to dislodge and leave the sluice.

 

[Duckwalk]

Yes, im aware. i was refering to the fluid bed design that ALewis posted about.

 

[QNCrazy]

10-4 Duck! My misunderstanding.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Yes, im aware. i was refering to the fluid bed design that ALewis posted about.

You're right of course. I shake the unclassified material right out of the bucket onto my fluid bed sluice. Takes 30-90 seconds per bucket for unclassified material depending on water flow. That Bazooka Prospector will work you down to a nub if you let it!

 

[ALewis]

Yep, i do the same...dump or quickly shovel the unclassified material straight through. I feel another benefit is that even though im hauling heavy buckets, i wash all the rock, afraid of losing some if i dry classify? Whatever works for others tho ! Im still learning. ....

 

[425jesse]

I ran an A-52 for a while, great sluice for sure. That box got me a lot of gold. I do not like to classify, I just like to pound material thru my sluice. We all run at different speeds, but for me and some of the other bazooka owners, it full speed as long as I can possibly stay at the river. Time at the river is gold all in itself. All In all we all just live for that damn yellow stuff!

 

[goldog]

That A51 is a good sluice. If you like it I support you Sluiceguy. Had a lot of good times with that little Keene. Heck! you can hardly even call the BGT a sluice! Its more of a table with a box. Where would THAT leave you. You are "Sluiceguy" after all.

Oh to answer your question, set it up right and run that sucker all day