Trying out the Keene A52 Sluice Box

[NeoTokyo]

Heya everyone;

So today I got to play with a Keene A52 sluice box.

I only ran 1 bucket of material and some of it was overburden from sniping.

It seems like I caught all of the gold that I put through as I didnt see anything more after the half way mark on the sluice.


I wanted to ask, how is my flow and angle for this sluice? Any tips?


Thanks.

 

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[63bkpkr]

Good Morning Neo,
First it is great that you take your children along with you as that can form some wonderful memories.

The flow in your trough seems like it is a bit fast. I was noticing that as the water enters the trough it starts to form a 'V' shape. What I found to work for me was to set the sluice up so that as the water enters the sluice it forms a 'V' which then forms a reverse 'V' to form another 'V' as it exits the trough. Somewhere in my old posts on TNet is a kind response from another member in the form of a video that shows this repeating pattern on the surface of the water in the sluice, that would be in late 2010. My post was title was something like "sluicing for flat nuggets".

Have fun sluicing, your sniping results are awesome and I wish you must success with the sluicing.......63bkpkr

 

[Goodyguy]

You did great!

As far as the flow and angle is concerned ........ When the flow is that fast the angle can be reduced and vice versa. One way to slow down the flow would be to have a way to narrow down the opening of the flair. I have a couple pieces of aluminum that I fabricated to do that on my sluice. Leave the flair on though because you need the slick plate before the inspection mat.

Another point is.........

One of the main reasons for classifying your material before running it through a sluice is because when the larger rocks bounce their way down the sluice they can take gold right out with them. Also a rock laying in the sluice creates a turbulence that will dislodge fine gold causing it to wash out.

Another thing that causes gold loss is if you clear the riffles by raking the material away with your fingers. Also anything that causes a start/stop action to the water flow will cause fine gold loss.

Of course many prospectors will argue that the trade off in lost gold is made up for by being able to run more material with the time saved by not classifying.
There may be some truth to that if you are in a gold rich area where the coarse gold ratio far exceeds the fine gold.

Where I'm from we need every speck we can capture and so every effort is taken to insure that none is lost by any means in our control.


Go for the gold.
GG~

 

[Rebel73153]

Very Nice Neo. I would love to see that much in my pan from what we get around here in Western Oregon. Mostly very fine gold here. Great to get the family involved too. Always nice to have Good partners. Take care and good hunting.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Thanks guys, it was a lot of fun getting to try out the keene and I was happy with the results even though it wasnt set up quite right. :P
I lied a little bit in the video, this was my 2nd time using the keene but my first getting any gold with it.

The day before someone was already sluicing where I had setup in the video so I moved upstream about 2 miles and set it up with the perfect amount of water to make the Double reversed V's, had the perfect angle and classified everything.
I found so much black sand but no gold.
I should have known better, that area was horrible for sniping too and a major public access area but you never know unless you try.

In the video I had to rush because it was late and I wanted to run at least 1 bucket before leaving.

Goodguy, reducing the flare would help a ton! As it was if I brought it up to try to reduce the flow one side or the other would pop above the water level destroying the V shape.
It was a very fine line with this water coming through where I had setup so when I get a chance again I will see about reducing the flare.

On any normal day I would have done my best to set it up perfect and classify everything.

Having my family come along with me is great for the most part but I dont usually get more than an hour and a half to two hours before they want to go home.
Next year I am going to trail my oldest dauther how to Gold Snipe and hope that the Gold Bug takes off with her.

 

[Goodyguy]

Neo Toyko,

My children are all grown and 4 grandchildren that live in town could care less about prospecting and my 5 other grandkids that would love prospecting, live 800 miles away. You are blessed to have those children and they are blessed to have you take them with you spending time together and sharing the great outdoors.

Keep up the good work. And keep making those videos to share with us, and as always...............

Go for the gold!
GG~

 

[juneaupanner]

One thing i would suggest is setting the header of your sluice in the flat water if possible so the water gently enters the box and begins to speed up as it progresses thru the box. I hope that was understandable.

One thing i like to do with the a52 is classify material and fill up a couple Rubbermaid Tupperware and keep a few full buckets handy. That way i can use a fullsize shovel to feed the sluice while saving my back and speeding up rhe processing.

Very nice gold btw. I'd love to have some of those bigger peices in my pan

 

[TerryC]

If you are getting the fines, you are doing it right! The general theory is... if the material clears in less than 15 seconds, too fast. If it stays longer than 30 seconds, too slow. One inch fall per foot is good. Also, my suggestion..... Buy a set of legs for the sluice so you can taylor the sluice to far more conditions. Quite a crew you got there! Nice video. TTC

 

[NeoTokyo]

Thanks guys, Legs are on my winter wish list for this and the Bazooka.

The classifier that I use is a round mesh fryer net thing that fits in a 5gal bucket perfectly.
The spaces are about 1/8" to a little bigger, it works great for getting larger stones out when I want to classify.

I was very happy with the sluice.

I should also mention that I went out with the Bazooka and found some really swift water for it, cleanup wasnt much more than the Keene this time, about a pans full but not heaping like last time.

 

[blynch35]

hay neo

nicw work and crew lol i really like my A-52 i havent had time to use my bazzoka yet i been working too much. that area your in is a great spot i wish mine had gold that size. your set up looks pretty good i try and keep mine about a inch inch and a half deep and run the first v down to the middle bottom bolt for the flare you will be amazed at what that v-mat will pick up nice job again and good luck. another thing that helps is to have it setup were the end of the box is out of the water like on legs or a pile of rock's.

 

[Oakview2]

Do you prospect the Kern

Very tough stretch of water. Met a guy from Visalia had some nice chunky gold from a place up your way called Harts Park? Every heard of it? Good health and good hunting

 

[NeoTokyo]

blynch, Legs would be a big help for sure.
This spot is my pick of the creek so far, best by far.

Oak, I have not heard of Harts Park, what hiway and town is it close to?

 

[blynch35]

hay oakview2

yes i have heard of it,it's hart park. thats were i go to the most l get gold in every shovel there, but ive only found one tiny picker really fine gold but with enough work you can put together a nice showing.