I got a new sluice with GH Mats and need advice.

[Tahoegold]

I have been wanting to get a sluice with Gold Hog Mats and I came across this beauty. I couldn't pass it up. I am hoping it is something that will augment my other sluice which is a Bazooka Gold Trap sniper 24". I started getting interested in sluicing this year and I really enjoy it. The Bazooka sniper I have is so easy and really goes through the material fast. I watch the tailings flow out and shovel at a moderate speed it seems. And it seems to be able to catch really fine powder gold. After reading here about the Hog mats I thought I could use this in a similar fashion and not classify. I think I can even run this in slower water than the Sniper likes but would rather be in water that I can use to process. I bought this because I saw this and I couldn't pass it up as it seemed just right for what I was hoping to accomplish. However, I am new and really don't know if I am correct in my thinking. I will run this soon to really find out. I would like to have some advice and feed back. It has Yukon in the first couple inches, then Razor Back and Downdraft alternating all the way down. It is 2" wider at the bottom than at the top and the sides become shorter toward the bottom. I guess the width lets the water slow down for better fine gold recovery. But, I don't know why it would be made with sides that become shorter toward the bottom unless it was just a result of manufacturing a rectangle sheet of aluminium. So, I have some concentrates that I'm drying out and will process them soon. I know there was gold there but not sure if I was running things at the optimum. This pic is the first time I set it in. I have made some legs out of PVC that I think are unique and will post next time I get it in the river. Hopefully soon and with a little advice from my friends here! I wouldn't be doing as well as I am already if it wasn't for the great articles here! Here's my new sluice.

 

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[Goodyguy]

Good looking sluice

Someone will be along that has experience with GH mats. I haven't bit that bullet yet.
Pretty good info about proper mat usage on the GH site.........
http://www.goldhog.com/what_gold_hog_mat_to_use.htm

 

[bcfromfl]

The key to getting the most out of your new sluice with the Gold Hog mats is water flow. Doc challenges everyone to overcome their fears about blasting gold out the end, and step up the speed of the water such that most of the unwanted material gets blown out.

The trick, though, is to keep the water depth over the mats no more than about an inch and a half or so. You want the tumbling and eddy action created by the mats to create the various settling zones for your heavies. Too deep, and the water flow smoothes out too much.

If you check out this page: Stream Sluice - Placer Gold Stream Sluice you can see how Doc set up the low-flow mat and high-flow mat for his stream sluice. Yukon is not designed for a stream sluice -- it's a commercial mat for running under expanded metal. You may decide you want to swap this out for something that matches his stream sluice mats.

If you can't get the water flow at your site to run at optimum speeds, get a cheap tarp or two to help dam up the water a little better. It's always a challenge to try to stack rocks just right, if there are enough around, to make a proper dam.

I think you're right about the sluice being fashioned out of a rectangular piece of aluminum. I wouldn't have designed it with a wider flare at the bottom -- but all the more reason to keep the water flow high to take advantage of those Gold Hog mats. If your water slows down too much, the mats will fill up and fine gold may wash out the end.

Best of luck!

 

[Tahoegold]

Thanks guys! I knew I could find out more. For some reason it makes sense to me now. I needed shallower water and more angle. I'll put my DIY pvc sluice stand on it next time and dial it in! I'm trying for -100 and -50 gold where I was. The 24" Bazooka sniper caught a good bit and I think the mats can grab that maybe better. We shall see. Thanks!

 

[Tahoegold]

thanks forthe advice, it works fantastic now!

Thanks for all the advice about the mats. I took out the Yukon at the top and had a bit of downdraft I trimmed that had the perfect slope to tuck under the metal at the top. I flattened the metal riffle that was acting like a dam. Now material flows nicely and it works great! Thanks to the advice here! I was pretty dissapointed last time. This was my second time out. I had my new sluice standand it works great too! My bucket classifier moved lots of material fast. I couldnt have used my 24" bazooka sniper because of the clay. This was the ticket!! I only had pne clean out the whole day and had a half a cup of concentrates. I an very happy with this set up. Here's some pics of my set upnaw and the days take!!

 

[Tahoegold]

 

[mpgken]

Good gold! Glad it is working better for you.

It's right to get rid of the Yukon mat. That is only for commercial ops with HEAVY expanded over it. You can learn about it on the GH website. You won't ever use the kind of expanded the Yukon mat needs in your sluice.

You might try a section of Motherload at the end. It is Doc's new mat and catches the really fine gold. Doesn't create a lot of turbulence either so the really fine gold can drop out. It's made to work with the other mats so you don't have to worry about the flow.

If you haven't done it yet go to Doc's website and watch the video's. His You Tube channel has over 100 videos. Once you watch them you'll be an expert on how to catch gold and how to use the GH mats.

In addition to asking questions here, you can always contact GH directly. They'll answer any question you have about their products. Doc and his staff are great at helping.

 

[Tahoegold]

Thanks mpgken, I would like to try some of that bed rock. but, this setup catches all of it before it gets to the end. nothing in the bottom area almost all in the first 3 mats. I bought this witth the Yukon put in place in the sluice. I didn't put this together. Plus to get the metal flashing over the Yukon they had this big ramp that acted like a dam. Now it runs smooth and no riffle in the beginning. Thanks, I went to the GH website many times and that is why I bought this sluice, it seemed to have what is recommended for a stream sluice for fine gold. I am very happy as I believe it catches all the gold. And with my leg setup I can adjust the level and hight easy. It is now fun and working like it should. It's my second time and I am studying how to find the layers where the gold is. I know now that some was in the muck and clay, but most next to the bed rock. I'll be hand dredging into this sluice next time and getting the bed rock material. I can't wait...It's exciting to see this much color. I haven't found that much ever. I did work hard to get it but it was fun!

 

[Tahoegold]

Mpgken, I like the idea of the bedrock. I thought it had to be tuned or run fast. I may want to make another set of mats for ripping water. So , I'm beginning to think about a design for mats for this sluice. I may go to th GH site and see if I can find put a little more about what I can do....I Like this sluice as I can customize it!

 

[Pyrofx]

Build what is in his stream sluice. I used the high flow on the bear for 2 days last month. Found a gram and a half and was feeding it fast. As in 3 minutes per bucket classified to 1/2 inch.

 

[bcfromfl]

Awesome gold! I like how your photo of the gold sitting in the mat demonstrates how well the GH mats capture it quickly. The fact that you have a lot of sub-100 mesh stuff is good, too.

I can tell by the "vee" of the water running through your flare that you could really step up your flow a lot more. The main benefit of this would be twofold: you won't have to spend time classifying to 1/2" like you are (just toss out the rocks bigger than 2-3"), and you can increase your processing rate with more material. If you watch Doc's videos, his flow is high enough that the rocks roll right through the box. Eliminating the classifying you're doing could easily double the amount you can run in the same amount of time. The fact that all your gold was concentrated in the upper 4-5 grooves tells me you could continue to use the mats you currently have with higher water flow.

That looks like a beautiful spot you've got! I'd really encourage you to get a small tarp -- the ones with the grommets around the edge (about $6 at Harbor Freight). Get a couple lengths of narrow rebar or metal stock, thread them through the grommets, and drive into the gravel so they focus more water towards your sluice.

I can't tell how you adjust your legs. Do the legs just slide up and down through the collars? They must fit tightly enough that they stay in position where you put them.

 

[mpgken]

Tahoegold, Bedrock is another good mat.

The nice thing about GH mats is you can tape them together in different configurations until you find the combination that works best for your area. Then they can be glued together if you want.

Don't throw that clay out without reducing it and checking for gold. The old timers used to throw it away but later found out it can hold good gold too.

Sounds like you are going to have a great summer! Good luck.

 

[Tahoegold]

Hey Guys, all good advice! Thanks! I have Razor back, downdraft, razorback, downdraft, razorback. That is basically the low flow/medium flow middle part of the GH stream sluice and what Doc seems to think are the two best low flow mats. I can only fit 5 sections in the sluice at a time so maybe I could try some talon on the top followed by some bedrock for a little faster water. Both those mats require faster water than razorback and downdraft and since this sluice gets wider towards the bottom the flow becomes shallower and is nice for the razorback and downdraft mats. I can see how increasing flow could move more material. I was shoveling from the bank directly and just washing off the big rocks and throwing them onto the dam. It really did fine. But, when I was diggin in the middle of the stream I ran into clay and it was thick with black sand. That was why I began classifying to break that stuff up. It was fast with this bucket classifyer. 2-3 full shovels, swish it knead the clay a little. I went through more material than the guys with riffle sluices for sure. There wasn't enough slope to get the sluice much incline, so I was dealing with that by building the dam on the side. The middle was over 3' deep. I'm thinking the clay had only a little gold compared to the looser gravels below that. Next time I'm using a hand dredge to vacuum up the bottom. The legs slide through those fittings. They are pretty tight and move by twisting and pulling/pushing. They work great! Wow, a gram and a half of gold at the bear is nice! I'll increase my flow so the fine gold moves more toward the upper middle. It makes sense that I should watch where the gold is being captured and less about the black sand and gravel. I could move more material that way and am confident now that if the gold gets in this box it's not leaving. I ran it all day and TRIED to blow gold out and only one clean out at the end. I kept seeing the same flakes just stiitng in the same groves and the gravels were exchanging out. I'm a happy camper. The mats in it right now I think are the best for this spot but I think I could just use tape to connect the mats to swap out and use talon and bedrock when I find faster water. I see Doc using bedrock at the end but its rated as a medium flow so mine has faster flow up top. I see UR being used too. I just am thinking the shape of my sluice varies the flow so the mats are being exposed to different flows down the length. Bottom line is kind of what Kevin in Colorado said about moving as much material as possible and knowing the gold (not the gravel) is staying in the box. I can't switch mat sections to different positions because of the shape of my sluice. I could cut sections for the lower area and experiment! I like having this ability to switch things up for the right water flow. I am super confident I can shovel straight in like a mad dog and it will do it's job. With the correct mats, for the flow conditionsthis will let rocks roll through even with the conditions you see my sluice has. I didn't have ripping fast water and I could shovel straight in and hand pick the really big rocks out like what we do with the bazooka gold traps. I felt like these two methods were comparable in speed. I still am eying the Grizzley Gold trap Motherload! But, for now, I think my production with this mat sluice is higher than my 24" bazooka sniper. But for hiking and the production the sniper gets, it's a great back packing solution. Can't wait to go out again and get some more experience with this mat sluice! Shovel more, get more right?

 

[Tahoegold]

I went to look at some of the other mats to see if there is something I could use to improve efficiency. I seem to need pretty good flow on the top third as the rest slows because of the shape. I just seem to think my first two mats would go bare too fast. I got some talon mat. It can handle the initial heavy material load and high water flow. I'm hopeing with two talons then razorback, downdraft,razorback, I can have the whole sluice activly working the load properly. It's a challenge as the widening seems to effectively create a varying flow as maybe a longer sluice might have. I either had my first two mats blow out or my last two mats load up. It may have worked better if I had a little more incline. Well, I ordered the Talon so now I can have some mats to put in for faster water and keep the current mats for slow water. I liked how the talon mat worked. It has lots of vortex action. Looking forward to getting it and going out with a hand dredge too. I think this is my dream set up! At anyrate, I have a sluice that is customizable and thats part of the fun! Thanks all! I'm grateful as I never would have gotten this far by myself. Already I have found more than I thought I would. And I got a little fun in the sun!

 

[Tahoegold]

New Talon mat is in!

The Eagle has landed! I put 2 Talon mats in at the top. That Talon looks perfect! The scrubber mat has a high ramp and I already had problems as the original build had a similar ramp that inhibited flow too much. This Talon has some very interesting properties. It's vortexs draw the gold down and actually up hill and into the lower corner very aggressivly. I know this mat up top is the right choice. Doc recomends Talon or Scrubber up top and UR. So, now the sluice should be effective top to bottom with great production in stout water flow. I have taped the Razor back and Downdraft section and held it down with a wing nut and kept the Talon separate but taped and held down with another wing nut. Now, I have 2 different top mats to choose. Plus, it makes it easy to clean just half at a time! I cant wait. I am just taping the sections together so I am able to swap out Razorback and Downdraft when the waterfliw dictates... Thanks to you all here I am making significant prodress and doing so much better at production I'm totally amazed. Here's my "convertible" sluice...

Heres the Talon mat (on the right) next to the Razorback. Talon looks like Razorback on steroids. ...

I'll be going out to test it in a week or so. It's great having this set up to use all it's properties effectively. You know how it is when you work with equipment that you know could be better? It's always nice to hace your gear running like you want. I feel like I've got it set just like it should. Thanks Doc from Gold Hog for all you hard work to post your tests and show the properties and details on each of your mats. It's a huge help in choosing the right ones. I'll post the performance of this set up once I get out and run it. Maybe someone else with a sluice shaped like this can benifit.

 

[bcfromfl]

I can't tell exactly from what you've written, but are your mats in the flare easily removable? If so, what you've set up is known as an "assay mat." You can test a bucket and quickly see if you've got any gold, then shake it out into the sluice and test again.

The way I've done it in my GH sluice is with v-mat cut into the shape of the flare, and held down with two square metal stock pieces 12" long along each side and two small C-clamps at the top. I only put it in when I'm testing.

 

[Tahoegold]

I can see how it could be confusing. I only placed the old mats in the flair for the photo to show them as extras. I don't leave them there. I can place them back for low flow if I need to. Thats why I'm saying it's a convertable. I can now swap the top mats by losing 2 wing nuts and slipping them together. This sluice now has 2 talon mats up top replacing those old mats. I have a couple of inches of downdraft right against the flair tucked below some metal flashing making a smooth transition onto the mat bed. I can deffinitly see gold get caught there like you described. I can see when I'm on the gold pretty easy like you described. I can't wait to see how well this works! I like the idea of the ribbed mat for testing. I'll have to give it a try thx!

 

[Tahoegold]

The test went better than expected! I was shoveling material with rocks up to 3" and just hand picking the bigger ones as I worked. I got in a spot 20 feet away from the last and in the middle of the stream. I got about 4 grains of +20 flakes and hardly anything smaller. I did have amounts of -50 and -100 black and blond sand. There was about 5 tablespoons of that small sand. However, this time I had very little gold in that small size. The sluice was doing everything great. The Talon was doing a fantastic job of incremental processing and areas cleared out while a row stayed holding gravels. That's a real work of hydrologic wonder that mat. That allowed me to use higher flow up top and when material reached the bottom the water was ripping at about a half inch. The Razorback and downd draft sections kept a line of gravel where they should and cleared out where they should. I can shovel fast as I want. Dug a big ole hole in one day. I am very very happy! Now I have a production sluice! I have one question. Since I got plenty of very small -50 and -100 sands, shouldn't there be gold that size as well? Maybe where I was had mostly bigger gold? I would think if I caught small sand small gold would be there. 20' away and higher up the bank There's lots of the small stuff. This gold had mercury and I had bits of white colored lead. I am going to go back out in a week and shovel more into this beast! I really think this sluice is processing well from top to bottom. Anyone else with a sluice shaped like this may want to try the mat configuration of what this has now. Talon-Talon-Razorback-Downdraft-Razorback.
Thanks again for all you guys' input!

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

The test went better than expected! I was shoveling material with rocks up to 3" and just hand picking the bigger ones as I worked. I got in a spot 20 feet away from the last and in the middle of the stream. I got about 4 grains of +20 flakes and hardly anything smaller. I did have amounts of -50 and -100 black and blond sand. There was about 5 tablespoons of that small sand. However, this time I had very little gold in that small size. The sluice was doing everything great. The Talon was doing a fantastic job of incremental processing and areas cleared out while a row stayed holding gravels. That's a real work of hydrologic wonder that mat. That allowed me to use higher flow up top and when material reached the bottom the water was ripping at about a half inch. The Razorback and downd draft sections kept a line of gravel where they should and cleared out where they should. I can shovel fast as I want. Dug a big ole hole in one day. I am very very happy! Now I have a production sluice! I have one question. Since I got plenty of very small -50 and -100 sands, shouldn't there be gold that size as well? Maybe where I was had mostly bigger gold? I would think if I caught small sand small gold would be there. 20' away and higher up the bank There's lots of the small stuff. This gold had mercury and I had bits of white colored lead. I am going to go back out in a week and shovel more into this beast! I really think this sluice is processing well from top to bottom. Anyone else with a sluice shaped like this may want to try the mat configuration of what this has now. Talon-Talon-Razorback-Downdraft-Razorback.
Thanks again for all you guys' input!

As long as you are doing some testing....Put the mats in backwards (Razorback-Downdraft-Razorback-Talon-Talon) and run some material through it.
Point simply being - you will probably have similar recoveries.
I would suggest throwing in a larger odd shaped piece of lead to make sure it won't get rolled out by larger rocks (running steep and fast).

 

[Tahoegold]

Thanks for responding IMAUDIGGER,
This box is narrow at the top and widens by 2" at the bottom. So, I can't change the order of the mats. Also, the issues I was having were due to the box shape. I had to send a pretty good volume of water through the top to make the bottom have the right flow. The two sections of Talon at the top do a great job of incremental processing a full shovel of dirt and the bottom 3 mats seem to be catching the light thin paper like flakes of gold. Now the top isn't blowing out and neither is the bottom portion. I had razor back and down draft up top already and replaced with Talon as the strong flow was blowing out the top 2 mats. I think this now has the correct combo for this unusual shaped sluice.