Rookie sluicing question.

Fullpan · Jul 21, 2013

If you got good dirt, say from ten sluice cleanouts, the buckets weigh about "400" lbs! and will rip those standard handles to shreds, along with your shoulder, lol

I remember starting to hike up to vehicle (1,000ft climb) with a bucket filled 2/3 of black sand cons. Made it to the top with
1/8th bucket.

KevinInColorado · Jul 21, 2013

mytimetoshine said:
Well, i got my angus mackirk and im gonna take it out on monday! I was looking at the riffles and they dont look like the pictures/diagrams on the web site...... The tops of the riffles are just rounded off looking. In the diagram there is supposed to be a little step at the peak....anybody ever seen this?

Sounds just like mine and sure works great as you'll soon see

mytimetoshine · Jul 21, 2013

KevinInColorado said:
Sounds just like mine and sure works great as you'll soon see

Ok, well that makes me feel better. I wonder why they show those pictures?

KevinInColorado · Jul 21, 2013

mytimetoshine said:
Ok, well that makes me feel better. I wonder why they show those pictures?

They are not as smart as you. Get used to it. ;-)

mytimetoshine · Jul 22, 2013

Took my Am explorer out for the first time. Same spot(bear river). Got a late start. Due to staying up late drinking beers..LOL. Then i had to make a trip to the store to get some water shoes which worked like a charm! Got there at about 1pm and stayed till 6. The water flow is strong in the spot i was working. Took 3 rocks to keep the sluice down. Man, i think i blew out some gold when taking it out of the water

...... I know your supposed to lift the rear first but both times i cleaned it out didnt go well. Trying to lift the last rock off and pick it up at the same time was harder then i thought.

Well i got a little gold anyways....along with a Sunburn, huge blister on one hand, busted up knuckle on the other. And a sore back. But it was fun! Next time i need some gloves! Can somebody recommend some? Ill try to post a pic of what i got tomorrow.

Fullpan · Jul 23, 2013

Gloves? - "real prospectors don't need no stinkin' gloves, ese" lol.

KevinInColorado · Jul 23, 2013

I feel your pain man! I get the really cheap nylon mesh gloves at Home Depot with the plastic coated palms. They protect your hands and can go right in the water without soaking up a lot of water themselves. I got several pair for less than $2 each although you don't often see them THAT cheap.

Oh, and try sliding a bucket onto the downstream end of your sluice before you move the sluice out of the river, then just stand it up into the bucket!

mytimetoshine · Jul 24, 2013

KevinInColorado said:
I feel your pain man! I get the really cheap nylon mesh gloves at Home Depot with the plastic coated palms. They protect your hands and can go right in the water without soaking up a lot of water themselves. I got several pair for less than $2 each although you don't often see them THAT cheap.

Oh, and try sliding a bucket onto the downstream end of your sluice before you move the sluice out of the river, then just stand it up into the bucket!

NOW THATS GOOD ADVICE! Why didnt i think of that? Thanks Kevinincolorado! Kind of a drag when you spend 2 hours filling your sluice and then you dump half of it out. Lol

KevinInColorado · Jul 25, 2013

mytimetoshine said:
NOW THATS GOOD ADVICE! Why didnt i think of that? Thanks Kevinincolorado! Kind of a drag when you spend 2 hours filling your sluice and then you dump half of it out. Lol

My pleasure. Now tell me where were you sluicing? I think I'll go dig there! JK

Rebel73153 · Jul 25, 2013

I like the Drop riffle ABS sluices. Light weight, and they work fine. No matting at all and easy to clean. Check out the California Sluice box Company sluices. They have a 7" wide by about 2' long model that is great for back packing. Angus McKirk also sells good ones.

WestCoastLarry · Aug 2, 2013

Consider a medium crowbar or digging bar.... Yes, they are heavy and limit your mobility but, being able to pry rocks apart from one-another will release the surrounding dirt as well as start to move said rocks out of your hole. This can also save you from replacing shovels that would otherwise be used for prying which most are not made for... Move that dirt !

Fullpan · Aug 2, 2013

A 30 lb concrete breaking bar and a six ft piece of heavy mine rail track got me a bunch of gold.

Welcome to the forum, WCL!

kevin1 · Sep 1, 2013

mytimetoshine said:
Well, i got my angus mackirk and im gonna take it out on monday! I was looking at the riffles and they dont look like the pictures/diagrams on the web site...... The tops of the riffles are just rounded off looking. In the diagram there is supposed to be a little step at the peak....anybody ever seen this?

Which model did you buy? I have the Scout, which is what you seem to have described.

mytimetoshine · Sep 1, 2013

kevin1 said:
Which model did you buy? I have the Scout, which is what you seem to have described.

Explorer

TheNewCatfish · Sep 10, 2013

My steel sluice box and rubber matting cost me about $80 dollars. Any steel fabricator will sell you a three foot piece of 1/8th inch thick box shaped metal one foot wide for about $15 bucks. The advantage of a steel sluice box is weight. Unless you're really careless about placement, there's little chance of seeing your sluice box float past you down the creek. All it takes is for somebody to undam a creek upstream and your aluminum sluice is gone. Also forget about Hungarian Riffles and Miner's Moss. Adding these to a sluice box will invariably increase clean-out times and disrupt clean water flow over your rubber mat. Spend another $60 dollars for the Razorhog Mat. It's worth every penny and it will turn your sluice into a real gold grabber. The guy who developed these mats is a genius. All you need now is a knife and some waterproof "Shoe Goo" glue and you're in business. P.S. If you're concerned about lugging around a steel sluice box, you should be prospecting with a lightweight plastic sewer pipe (Poop Tube) sluice until you actually locate a good spot. Once you get serious, you're gonna be lugging in lots of equipement anyway.. so you'll need a way to transport tools (like using a backpack). Instead of a pick, buy an iron breaker bar (about $30 bucks). That will get you down to bedrock faster than a shovel or pick. Good Luck.

kevin1 · Sep 15, 2013

mytimetoshine said:
What does a 5 gallon bucket full of rocks and dirt weight? 40 pounds? That little wire handle will get old REAL quick. Hurts my fingers just thinking about it!

A bucket full of dirt and rocks can easily top sixty lbs, take a look at a sixty lb bag of cement sometime, it almost fills a bucket.