How to use a sluice

[advhtgac]

I just got an EZ sluice. I wanted to test it out so I tried it today with a bag of dirt I recieved from a friend in New Mexico. I had panned it before and found gold so I know the gold is there. (I put it back) I set it up with a 1 inch drop per foot and put about an inch and a half of water through it It loads up with sand almost imiediatly, about half as much dirt that would fill a five pound bag of sugar. I put it through slowly, I didn't put it all at once. But it started loading up almost imiediatly. after repanning I found gold in the tailings of the sluice as well as in the sluice. About equal amounts. I know that the gold was probably in the last quarter of the dirt, because I have practiced with it several times and it is almost always on the bottom of the bag. It would be almost faster to just pan it , but I'm looking for a way to move a little more dirt per trip. Any suggestions would be appreciated. More water, faster water, more angle, deeper water? I've never used or have seen a sluice work except on DVD.
And thanks again for the dirt Dennis I'm still experimentin with it. Yours is the only gold I've found yet.

 

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[Jeffro]

Different sluice designs run different, and there is no set angle that is "perfect". What I do is adjust the angle depending on the volume of water and how fast its moving. What I use as a gauge is how fast the riffles clear after material is added. You should see the carpet between the riffles within a couple seconds if you stop feeding material. If you don't, try increasing the volume of water with a wing dam, directing more water into the sluice. If that doesn't work, try adjusting the angle.
Another thing to look for is that the material right behind the riffle should be swirling around a little bit, kindof like "dancing" behind the riffle. Your gold will sink into this no problem.
Obviously, if the riffles stay packed, your gold will slide right on out. Too little water and not enough angle are common culprits.

Hope this helps-

 

[Minstrel]

Here are a couple links to videos of a sluice in action

http://www.metacafe.com/tags/sluice/

http://video.google.com/videosearch...n&q=sluice&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&start=10

Dennis

 

[kuger]

First thing is ... the sluice will never be as efficient as a pan ( with optimal use of both ) in recovery.For obvious reasons. To me...some of these small sluices on the market today are TOO small for in stream ( or creek ) use.Everything seems to keep getting smaller with claims of equal efficiency.It's just not true.Everybody wants to pack in less weight....so do I....but that sometimes means giving up a little something else.When it comes to the sluice this is especially true.It's worth hauling the extra weight in this case.Everybody has their own way of doing things , and there are various riffle and catch setups for any sluice , as well as how to deploy the device in a given waterbody, with the understanding that the material has to move through the sluice at some rate.With out debating all these choices and variables I'm just going to state what I use and leave it at that.Minimum of two Keene A52 sluices.This gives me six feet of ten inch wide sluice not including the flare at the top.I have rigged them to bolt togeather in the feild.I have changed the sluice bed while keeping the lock down riffles.Each A52 sluice has 8 grids.That gives me a total of 16 grids.I have the first 4 grids with low profile V matting with no cover.The next 4 grids are high profile V matting with no cover. ( Shallow to deep with no wire mesh cover ( grizz ) helps even out material and flow ) .Next 6 grids are high profile V matting with wire mesh cover.Last 2 grid beds are made of an aluminum HVAC filter material with wire mesh cover.This is all locked down by the brass snap riffles that come with the A52. My ideal width would be 20 " but width is not as important as length.I would like to have at least 10' in length too ...of course you get heavier with every inch.The two A52's are as solid and light as what I could build myself for about the same money.Ten feet of sluice is better than six , six is better than three... and so on , doubt it not.It really comes down to what you can or are willing to haul.When it comes to the sluice....less is definitely not more. I am not following you here?First the sluice is not to take the place of a pan.The sluice allows you to classify more volume to pan.You have to pan your sluice concentrates in the end.Also the size of sluice depends on what size job you are doing.Just like different size dredges.If I am sampling in the back country I take my backpack sluice and of course pan.If I am going in for just a day of working a known "paying",area my one A52 is just fine.I pre classify before running the material and I challenge you to find any thing over flour gold (and a very small amount at that)in my tailings.Sure a Long Tom set up of 20 feet of sluice is great for great volumes of ground, but you still lose gold.

 

[rmptr]

Plenty of good advice to choose from!

Longer is better than shorter...

It's just another classifying device.

If you've got a lot of black sand, it will clog riffles quickly and need to be cleaned frequently,
or you'll have no riffle action!

Anything coarse I've usually had drop out right at the top of my sluice.

Some float gold is always gonna make the trip to your tailings!

1" per foot in the OP sounded kinda flat for the stuff I've worked.

As Jeffro said, a riffle should be self clearing. If it's not, you're overloading it's capacity.

If you can run a longer sluice, a drag plate is a good idea to let things stratify, then you can knife off the bottom layer as it passes through.

Restaurant bus trays work good for cleanups. IMO 18" black plastic pans are the only way to go.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

 

[kuger]

First thing is ... the sluice will never be as efficient as a pan ( with optimal use of both ) in recovery.For obvious reasons. To me...some of these small sluices on the market today are TOO small for in stream ( or creek ) use.Everything seems to keep getting smaller with claims of equal efficiency.It's just not true.Everybody wants to pack in less weight....so do I....but that sometimes means giving up a little something else.When it comes to the sluice this is especially true.It's worth hauling the extra weight in this case.Everybody has their own way of doing things , and there are various riffle and catch setups for any sluice , as well as how to deploy the device in a given waterbody, with the understanding that the material has to move through the sluice at some rate.With out debating all these choices and variables I'm just going to state what I use and leave it at that.Minimum of two Keene A52 sluices.This gives me six feet of ten inch wide sluice not including the flare at the top.I have rigged them to bolt togeather in the feild.I have changed the sluice bed while keeping the lock down riffles.Each A52 sluice has 8 grids.That gives me a total of 16 grids.I have the first 4 grids with low profile V matting with no cover.The next 4 grids are high profile V matting with no cover. ( Shallow to deep with no wire mesh cover ( grizz ) helps even out material and flow ) .Next 6 grids are high profile V matting with wire mesh cover.Last 2 grid beds are made of an aluminum HVAC filter material with wire mesh cover.This is all locked down by the brass snap riffles that come with the A52. My ideal width would be 20 " but width is not as important as length.I would like to have at least 10' in length too ...of course you get heavier with every inch.The two A52's are as solid and light as what I could build myself for about the same money.Ten feet of sluice is better than six , six is better than three... and so on , doubt it not.It really comes down to what you can or are willing to haul.When it comes to the sluice....less is definitely not more. I am not following you here?First the sluice is not to take the place of a pan.The sluice allows you to classify more volume to pan.You have to pan your sluice concentrates in the end.Also the size of sluice depends on what size job you are doing.Just like different size dredges.If I am sampling in the back country I take my backpack sluice and of course pan.If I am going in for just a day of working a known "paying",area my one A52 is just fine.I pre classify before running the material and I challenge you to find any thing over flour gold (and a very small amount at that)in my tailings.Sure a Long Tom set up of 20 feet of sluice is great for great volumes of ground, but you still lose gold.

"First the sluice is not to take the place of a pan". Notice opening sentence, dumb azz. As for you not following the fact that more catch zones are better than fewer catch zones....regardless of how the material is screened before hand....well....that comes as no surprise.

Dumbazz,Huh!!!What people cant question you?Read your own writing,WHAT Do YOU MEAN the sluice will never be as efficient as the pan?they are two different tools.You need to read or have someone read what I wrote,when you find some gold worth talking about maybe then you can consider yourself an authority.Let me tell you you something anytime you want to come out and learn how to really find gold and not just read and think you know it all,come on out.Until then I suggest you know who you are calling names,you once again show what kind of a fool you are.

 

[arizonaames]

First thing is ... the sluice will never be as efficient as a pan ( with optimal use of both ) in recovery.For obvious reasons. To me...some of these small sluices on the market today are TOO small for in stream ( or creek ) use.Everything seems to keep getting smaller with claims of equal efficiency.It's just not true.Everybody wants to pack in less weight....so do I....but that sometimes means giving up a little something else.When it comes to the sluice this is especially true.It's worth hauling the extra weight in this case.Everybody has their own way of doing things , and there are various riffle and catch setups for any sluice , as well as how to deploy the device in a given waterbody, with the understanding that the material has to move through the sluice at some rate.With out debating all these choices and variables I'm just going to state what I use and leave it at that.Minimum of two Keene A52 sluices.This gives me six feet of ten inch wide sluice not including the flare at the top.I have rigged them to bolt togeather in the feild.I have changed the sluice bed while keeping the lock down riffles.Each A52 sluice has 8 grids.That gives me a total of 16 grids.I have the first 4 grids with low profile V matting with no cover.The next 4 grids are high profile V matting with no cover. ( Shallow to deep with no wire mesh cover ( grizz ) helps even out material and flow ) .Next 6 grids are high profile V matting with wire mesh cover.Last 2 grid beds are made of an aluminum HVAC filter material with wire mesh cover.This is all locked down by the brass snap riffles that come with the A52. My ideal width would be 20 " but width is not as important as length.I would like to have at least 10' in length too ...of course you get heavier with every inch.The two A52's are as solid and light as what I could build myself for about the same money.Ten feet of sluice is better than six , six is better than three... and so on , doubt it not.It really comes down to what you can or are willing to haul.When it comes to the sluice....less is definitely not more.

You should get or make a Long Tom!

 

[rmptr]

That Grizzly II classifier sluice on the video sure is a fancy job!

I think I like the Keene A52 better.

It's back breaking downright hard work at it's best.

I guess at worst, you have fun for the day and no gold!

Best
rmptr