Stream Sluice Clean-up

[hillbilly61]

How often do you clean up your stream sluice? After how many classified bucks?

 

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[Dain8404]

Depends on area, flow rate and how fast i am adding material. Generally in south Carolina last year i was avg a cleanout about every 6-8 5gallon buckets worth my guess is. I was shoveling into my BGT. So cleanouts lasted a total of 30 sec then back to shoveling. This didnt bother me so much because i looked at it as pre classified material. At the end of the day i would take my preworked material and rerun it a bit slower but not to slow again. Then i had my true co s for the day. Some may not agree with this. Some may say i am "over doing it". But in my defense, it was my first season with the BGT so i was experimenting. Still got great gold with way less effort from my a51. No classifying for bulk processing is beast. I did classify my pre worked cons to 8mesh before running again. Worked nicely.

 

[Aufisher]

I don't classify and usually shovel up to 6 hours without clean-ups. I have the 48" Bazooka Prospector

 

[KevinInColorado]

Running a bgt Prospector too. Only clean up at the end of my visit unless I'm somewhere new and want to see how the gold is...or some hiker is curious to see the gold :-)
...gotta be a good ambassador of our pastime!

 

[Dain8404]

Depends on area, flow rate and how fast i am adding material. Generally in south Carolina last year i was avg a cleanout about every 6-8 5gallon buckets worth my guess is. I was shoveling into my BGT. So cleanouts lasted a total of 30 sec then back to shoveling. This didnt bother me so much because i looked at it as pre classified material. At the end of the day i would take my preworked material and rerun it a bit slower but not to slow again. Then i had my true co s for the day. Some may not agree with this. Some may say i am "over doing it". But in my defense, it was my first season with the BGT so i was experimenting. Still got great gold with way less effort from my a51. No classifying for bulk processing is beast. I did classify my pre worked cons to 8mesh before running again. Worked nicely.

My apologies. I ment to say i got great gold with way less effort from the bgt. Not the a51.

 

[B H Prospector]

I use the Keene A52 and I run all day before clean up.

 

[Rdg Sluicer]

I don't classify and usually shovel up to 6 hours without clean-ups. I have the 48" Bazooka Prospector

I thought I read somewhere that the top layer of gravel in the trap helps hold all the gold and black sand in the bottom anyway. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[ssdevilfish]

Headed home to go thru my cons. I think I'm stupid rich now. How much can I get for half a gram of gold. Lol. But I did get a million dollars in good memories.

 

[ssdevilfish]

Friend lost phone at arapahoe gold park on clear creek. If anyone finds it the reward is some gold.

 

[Follows Camp Craig]

I use the Keene A52 and I run all day before clean up.

Oh, what seperates the big boys and those with their toys
Keep it real, Keep it Keene.

 

[Goodyguy]

I thought I read somewhere that the top layer of gravel in the trap helps hold all the gold and black sand in the bottom anyway. Has anyone else heard this?

It would be the density of the gold itself that holds it in the bottom, nothing else.

 

[mxer47]

Rgd sluicer, your question depends on the water velocity and angle of your sluice. If it is setup to handle a constant feed rate IE:wash plant or steady hand feeding the exchange rate is high and after a period of time without new pay-dirt being fed most of the material captured will exchange out. Only the larger pieces will remain. If you are setup for for slow feed rate IE: small quantities from cracking and sniping bed rock the material will exchange out much slower and most of the gold will stay. After saying all of this today's sluices are effective tools if setup for your needs and use. A good example is "big red" from gold rush. Freddy Dodge installed a bypass valve for plug ups and a short run prior to clean up to wash out lightweight material. Without the lightweight material exchanging out the heaver including some gold would. It is not so much the lighter material holding it down as it is the force of the water acting on the top layers.

PS. I can't believe I just used an example of what to do from gold rush.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Rgd sluicer, your question depends on the water velocity and angle of your sluice. If it is setup to handle a constant feed rate IE:wash plant or steady hand feeding the exchange rate is high and after a period of time without new pay-dirt being fed most of the material captured will exchange out. Only the larger pieces will remain. If you are setup for for slow feed rate IE: small quantities from cracking and sniping bed rock the material will exchange out much slower and most of the gold will stay. After saying all of this today's sluices are effective tools if setup for your needs and use. A good example is "big red" from gold rush. Freddy Dodge installed a bypass valve for plug ups and a short run prior to clean up to wash out lightweight material. Without the lightweight material exchanging out the heaver including some gold would. It is not so much the lighter material holding it down as it is the force of the water acting on the top layers. PS. I can't believe I just used an example of what to do from gold rush.

...it's ok cause you are referring to Freddy. He is the only real life professional miner associated in any way with the Hoffmans. The producer had to hire him as an expert consultant so they'd have at least some gold to show for their work! Freddy is the real deal. I've spent several days/afternoons with him in the last couple years so I can say first hand, he is a patient teacher, kind with kids and an extremely experienced professional.

 

[AlaskaGold]

Only reason not to fast forward through any filming of the Hoffmans is you might get a chance to see Freddy working in a piece of equipment. Man I'm jealous of his equipment, get to mine and build stuff for a living, that's living the dream.