New Mini Sluice

[nuggy]

Hi All, just finished my new mini sluice. Requirements were; small enough to fit in my backpack - sturdy enough to take a few years of wear and tear - light to carry - double as streaming down box for dredge and other concentrates.
It is just over 3 feet long assembled - the box is 8" wide, the hopper chute is 12" wide at the top.
I have a wider - longer sluice box, but it's a pain in the butt to carry if I want to take my detector and a bit of other gear as well.

I ended up using 3mm or 1/8" hard alloy instead of 2mm as I got offered a part sheet for scrap price, and Nuggy loves a bargain . Anyway this makes it stronger and no need to fold strenth sections along the top.
I know a guy who runs a sheet metal shop who lets me use his folder and shear. I had to buy the expanded metal, but already had the nomad matting.

A bit of fabrication and some stainless welding for the handle - all done.

It's a bit rough cosmetically but with a couple of trips up the creek it will get scratched up and dented anyway.

Thanks for looking. Nuggy

 

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[davin]

looks real nice and hopeing that you get a chance to use it real soon, also don't forget the pictures.
take care. ron

 

[SushiDog]

Wow Nuggy.....she's a beauty! I just love working with my hands too, and to let my imagination run wild.....Hefty constructed a homemade sluice box as well for the trip he took to his claim this weekend.....I told him to send me a pic when it was finished, but he didn't have a chance to do so....he said he will try and take a pic of it at the claim....SushiDog

 

[nuggy]

Thanks Sushi, glad you like it. Glad you found it too! It is a huge site T-Net. Hope you and Hefty get some good gold over the next few months.

Thanks too Davin, yes I will be taking it out as soon as I get a good day, and will take camera along as well. Nuggy

 

[kiwi jw]

Nice one Nuggy. Now show us the GOLD. LOL Have you got your share over our summer??

Happy hunting

JW

 

[Hefty1]

Hey Nuggy
You think yours is a little ruff? Take a look at this one i through together in a couple of days.
It works, but not for buckets full a time. Drop riffles are not deep enough.

Hefty

 

[nuggy]

Hi Hefty and JW, nope - didn't get out hardly at all over this summer, a half day dredging and a half day detecting were all I managed, just didn't get the time when the weather was good enough.

That box you made looks like it will work ok Hefty, never seen one with a plastic container on the top for a hopper before, but why not. The mini sluice isn't ever going to get perfect recovery but most of the gold, except the real fine stuff will be caught, and it's much quicker than panning and easier to carry than a longer -wider sluice for fine gold catching. JW gets good results with his one. Nuggy

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hi see kiwi's posts on how to catch many more fines .

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[nuggy]

Hi Hefty, if you see this take a look at Kiwi JW 's post his mini sluice has riffles wide apart - this I'm thinking could be the problem with your one - riffles too close together - not reducing the volume as water action unable to lift the gravel between them? Maybe you could remove half or more of your riffles and try it again?

Hi Real De Tayopa, yep it probably would make a small difference using a surface tension reducer - but when using the mini sluice I'm not really worried about the ultra fine gold. I'm only putting through a small volume and it's just about getting a few pickers and specks really. I dump a shovel of gluey stuff in the hopper then hand wash the rocks, let the rest wash through as far as it can - I pick a lot of stones out by hand.

Good weather forecast here for early in the week - which lines up with some spare time so just maybe - I'll get out. Nuggy

 

[Hefty1]

Thanks Nuggy for the info
The only problem is the entire length of that black riffles is that it is molded plastic
Can not remove any.

Hefty

 

[63bkpkr]

What Hefty did not mention was that his sluice cost very little for the experience of being at his claim and finding some float color. I'm computer limited at the moment otherwise I would post a couple of the pictures I took while I was with Hefty and his brother. My Batpan seemed to work quite well at sorting his concentrates "over a safety pan".

Water was super high and super cold, both Hefty and his brother were much braver than I as they got into the water knee high!! Nippy Cold!! We all enjoyed the camfire talk along with a few teases and they steaks they cooked and shared with me were great. Just a good time being out of town!

I suspect that if he keeps sluicing he might just end up with a McKirk. What's other folks opinions on the McKirk and which model are you using??

63bkpkr

 

[Astrobouncer]

Nuggy: Nice sluice, I really like the expanded metal setups nowadays as well.

Hefty: From the pictures I think the riffles not clearing is more a problem of angle. What I do to setup a drop riffle is test feed some 4 mesh through my drop riffle adjusting the angle until the blonds slide off and its left with only the black stuff. I dont have a problem with retaining pebbles here because 4 mesh is about as big as I go (since mostly fine gold) and the black sands will soon displace any pebbles. Steeper angle works to clear even the saw groove 1/8th inch cuts I use as an inspection mat on my newer hybrid drop riffle (drop riffles + vortex matting).

 

[Hefty1]

Thanks for info Astro.
Will give it more angle next time.

Hefty