making a sluice .need a tool?

[restless spirit]

just kicking around the idea of making a sluice. and wonder what some guys use other than a big metal brake...

 

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[kcm]

...A big rubber gas pedal??

Cut your aluminum to the "total" size of your finished project; for example, if your finished sluice is to be 24" wide with 6" tall sides, make the TOTAL width of the flat aluminum 36". Then cut 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood that are 4" longer than your sluice - the plywood should extend 2" beyond each end. Drill holes through the 2" extensions about every 4"-6" and run 1/4"-20 hex bolts with nuts to clamp everything together, taking care to position the plywood exactly where you want it. Then take a Ball Peen hammer and hammer over the sides, taking care not to beat the aluminum so badly that you damage it. ...Maybe a large rubber mallet would work.

If you want to be doubly sure your metal won't move within the plywood form-clamp, sandwich a layer of gripper shelf liner on each side of the aluminum between the aluminum and plywood.

I hope this makes sense - have spent most of the day in bed with everything spinning , so let me know if it's actually turning out as jibberish! Hmm...spell cheak says jibberish should be gibberish, but I was raised using a "J", so there!!

 

[mike(swWash)]

You can use ABS and all you need is a heat gun, a crude wooden form and a few clamps. Easy to use, lightweight and durable.

 

[Oregon Viking]

mike(swWash),
Where did you get that ABS?
I see an ABS miller table in my future....

 

[restless spirit]

wow abs plastic!!

 

[mike(swWash)]

Look for local plastic suppliers in your area online. Mine runs about $80. for a 1/4" 4'x8' sheet. You can easily use it for flairs, leg brackets, crash boxes....your imagination and creativity are the only limit. It can be bolted, threaded or even glued/welded with common abs pipe cement. If you worry about wear in crash boxes and such, it can be lined with rubber sheet or uhmw to protect the plastic. You could even make a vacuform set up if you so desire. There's lot's of videos on youtube and diy websites like this one: Homemade Tools Categories
It's the same stuff BGT's are made of.
Have fun, it's addictive and fun to use.

 

[mike(swWash)]

This was the 1st one I built:

also used with a second box as a dredge:

 

[restless spirit]

very cool I doo have a metal brake, do ya think it would bend it ok

 

[mike(swWash)]

Heat it 1st and it should work fine. Once you see it starting do bend on it's own, it's ready. Trial and error are the best experience for getting the right softness.

 

[kcm]

Lightly oil the brake prior to heating plastic sheet. That way you avoid any possibility of the plastic getting too hot and sticking to the metal.

 

[arizau]

Look for local plastic suppliers in your area online. Mine runs about $80. for a 1/4" 4'x8' sheet. You can easily use it for flairs, leg brackets, crash boxes....your imagination and creativity are the only limit. It can be bolted, threaded or even glued/welded with common abs pipe cement. If you worry about wear in crash boxes and such, it can be lined with rubber sheet or uhmw to protect the plastic. You could even make a vacuform set up if you so desire. There's lot's of videos on youtube and diy websites like this one: Homemade Tools Categories
It's the same stuff BGT's are made of.
Have fun, it's addictive and fun to use.

I found the supplier for abs sheet (and all other types too) in Tucson is a plastics fabrication facility. A couple of years ago I had them cut and bend my abs sluice (I used Goldhog mats) but now I am thinking of building another one myself. Here comes the question.....I would rather cut and glue/cement rather than bend so what do you use to cut the abs and if it is a table or skilsaw then what type of blade do you use? I assume a router will work too.

Thanks

 

[kcm]

Gotta be careful with both routers and power saws (ANY kind) when cutting plastic; ABS especially. A jigsaw or slow-cutting bandsaw would be best using a medium blade. Coarse blade is ok, but rougher cut. EDIT: Routers are notorious for melting plastic at even low speeds, especially ABS! If possible, avoid putting plastic to ANY router bit.

There are special blades you can get for handheld circular and table saws that are just for cutting plastic, but you need to run a couple of practice cuts to get used to the proper feed rate. Too slow and the plastic will melt - too fast and the plastic may chip/bind and really wreck things!

Probably the best approach when using plastic (ABS, acrylic, etc) is to use the plywood clamp setup (without the gripper matting) and heat the plastic with a torch or heat gun. Even lowering the plastic over and into the flames of an open fire will heat the plastic enough to make it easy to bend.

Would be best to keep a sluice in one piece. Not only is it stronger as one piece, but much less likely to lose any fine gold or have water leaks.

 

[Goldwasher]

Lightly oil the brake prior to heating plastic sheet. That way you avoid any possibility of the plastic getting too hot and sticking to the metal.

If the abs melts to the point it will stick. it is too hot. Do not put oil on prospecting gear.

 

[kcm]

If the abs melts to the point it will stick. it is too hot. Do not put oil on prospecting gear.

Correct and correct. However, you can clean the oil off once the part is heated and molded into shape. But you can't clean the melted plastic off of a brake very easily. Besides, there are manufacturing oils on sheet plastic anyway, not to mention many other things we buy. Some plastics are made from byproducts of the oil refining process, and some even have oil as an ingredient of the plastic.

 

[Duckwalk]

Here is one I made using some galvanized industrial duct that was cut up. It just holds wiring to the roof or wall to keep it from being seen. Works like a charm, threw some deep v matting on it and used silicone.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

I found the supplier for abs sheet (and all other types too) in Tucson is a plastics fabrication facility. A couple of years ago I had them cut and bend my abs sluice (I used Goldhog mats) but now I am thinking of building another one myself. Here comes the question.....I would rather cut and glue/cement rather than bend so what do you use to cut the abs and if it is a table or skilsaw then what type of blade do you use? I assume a router will work too.

Thanks

You can get by with a plywood blade, but they also make blades for plastic. You're looking for shallow hook (tooth angle) and many teeth to prevent taking too much with a single tooth.






In a pinch, simply turn the blade around, it will shave right through it.

 

[kcm]

"In a pinch, simply turn the blade around, it will shave right through it."

This works for thin plastics; less than 1/8" thick. Too risky to try on anything thicker.

 

[mike(swWash)]

Hmmmmm, I've been using a regular crosscut blade in a skillsaw set to 1/4" depth with no problem. Same as on my chop saw. Just don't push real fast starting the cut.

 

[kcm]

I'm not saying it can't be done. I once cut over an inch into a steel trailer while cutting a piece of plywood and never realized it. But mistakes can happen, and a spinning blade that generates heat can melt plastic. I'm not trying to suggest what is and isn't possible, but rather to guide someone through the process who I presume to be inexperienced with cutting plastic. You can cut it with multiple passes using a utility knife with a new blade - doesn't mean that's the best way to go for your first time.

Adios.

 

[johnedoe]

It is important to have the blade height properly adjusted so as not to be cutting at to steep an angle which will cause chipping.

The points of the blade should just clear the surface of the material you are cutting....

This will make a much cleaner cut and minimize the danger of taking a finger off when using a table saw...

This also reduces over cutting when using a skill saw as well.... You won't cut into the supporting surfaces...ie saw horses, mom's counter tops, or in kcm's case his steel trailer...