I need some opinions on my homemade sluice box

NCHomesteader

Greenie
Feb 26, 2017
16
16
Western NC
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All Treasure Hunting
Clear Creek that runs outside of Denver was my first panning experience a couple summers ago and netted about 1/4 gram of dust and small flakes just using my pan over a couple months. I was hooked! So I started learning more about other processes and tools and came across the sluice box. To me, it reeks of awesomeness in itself to create mini turbulents to capture that heavy stuff we spend hours digging and sifting for. I came across this plastic tray that has a 3/8"x3/8"x1/8" grid, cha-ching for a base right? had some old training wheels...they go on to create an almost perfect 22.5 degree angle and helps with maneuverability. Mom was going to throw out some broken wood blinds...no way! They're now my louvers to happiness. And of course the top grate to help filter the larger rocks. My concerns are whether this will actually work or not lol. I know it will be slow going to keep the rocks clear but it is all a process either way. I appreciate any advice and I apologize for incorrect orientation of photos

Angles for Hire.jpgSluice Box Pan.jpgSluice Box Louvers.jpgSluice Box Grate.jpg
 

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I am speechless...................:laughing7:
You should probably try to get a patent..................:laughing7:
 

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Fun project perhaps but please get something better so you aren't wasting your time at the creek. Really.
 

If you have a circular saw and the skill to use it, you could easily build a 4' drop riffle sluice from from a single 8' - 1" x 8" piece of lumber. The drop riffle sluice is a proven design.

I can hack one out in less than 1/2 an hour with less than $20 worth of wood and hardware. You could too most likely.
 

Looks like riffles are too deep? Angles? As suggested, get a better sluice so your not wasting your time. Time is money...


Sent from a spun out toilet paper tube (one ply)!!!
 

The biggest flaw in your project is actually the grid in the plastic container. It provides multiple horizontal channels for the gold and everything else of a size less than the depth of the channels a direct route out of the sluice beneath the makeshift riffles. This link will give you a better understanding of sluice design and how and why they work. https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gold+sluice+design&*.

Good luck.
 

Looks like you got something there. I wouldn't call it a sluice but... I don't want to discourage you by any means. In fact, just the opposite. Forge ahead. To your mom I send my deepest sympathy. You've got not only the gold bug but the companion affliction of DIY goldfarb fabrication.

Everywhere you'll notice classifiers, sluices and other wildly different ways to catch the gold. Welcome to our world.

I expect you'll meet up with Kevin soon. He'll find a way to get you hooked up with a Bazooka and you'll be done for a little while.
 

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Goodwill Salvation Army, 2nd hand junk shops will have all kinds of super cheap classifiers and things that can be tweeked into effective goldfarbs . And on occasion will have actual pans and sluices . Good luck
 

Looks like you got something there. I wouldn't call it a sluice but... I don't want to discourage you by any means. In fact, just the opposite. Forge ahead. To your mom I send my deepest sympathy. You've got not only the gold bug but the companion affliction of DIY goldfarb fabrication.

Everywhere you'll notice classifiers, sluices and other wildly different ways to catch the gold. Welcome to our world.

I expect you'll meet up with Kevin soon. He'll find a way to get you hooked up with a Bazooka and you'll be done for a little while.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Unfortunately he's now living in North Carolina so it may be a while before we meet up ;)
 

At ground zero of the California gold rush they axed out log sections for pans and rockers and made classifier screens out of woven tule.
 

At ground zero of the California gold rush they axed out log sections for pans and rockers and made classifier screens out of woven tule.

And lost a LOT of gold.
 

If the new member that started this thread can figure out a place of business, not a home address but a business address that will accept a package of boards, I could mail a 30" or 36" inch Wooden drop riffle sluice all cut out and almost ready to go. All you gotta do is screw it together, throw it in the stream and start learning to use it. That is, if are interested NCHomesteader.
 

The biggest flaw in your project is actually the grid in the plastic container. It provides multiple horizontal channels for the gold and everything else of a size less than the depth of the channels a direct route out of the sluice beneath the makeshift riffles. This link will give you a better understanding of sluice design and how and why they work. https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gold+sluice+design&*.

Good luck.

Thank you for the link! This was just a project to put a picture to the thousands of words I could have tried to use to describe what I was trying to make!
 

I wasnt sure, it was a shot in the dark lol. Thank you!
 

And, don't forget to ask your mother. I asked my mom if I could mail something and she said "o.k."

Thank you for the offer Duckshot, I believe I will take you up on this if it isn't too much trouble for you! I am limited with my selection of tools and supplies for building a more proper sluice, I'm all about homemade designs and hand-me-down techniques like back in the g"old" days! My mom was glad to be rid of the blinds to be honest!
 

The biggest flaw in your project is actually the grid in the plastic container. It provides multiple horizontal channels for the gold and everything else of a size less than the depth of the channels a direct route out of the sluice beneath the makeshift riffles. This link will give you a better understanding of sluice design and how and why they work. https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gold+sluice+design&*.

Good luck.

This link doesn't work for me but I really want to see it, anyone got it again?
 

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