what else can be used as expanded metal

[Teenagegoldminer]

im building a sluice box and the store near me did not have any expanded metal can I use chicken wire or mesh on it what will work.

 

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[mxer47]

Search raised expanded metal for sale on the Internet. Mc master Carr is a useful sight for DIY projects. Remember you want raised not flattened.

 

[Jason in Enid]

To answer your question: no, chicken-wire will not work.

 

[Goodyguy]

I've seen the sides cut off of those milk crate containers and used instead of expanded metal.

Also check out a paint roller grid.



Plenty of ways to make a sluice without using any kind of expanded.

 

[bswanney]

Check with your local welding shops. The expanded metal is always used in building stairs on projects. If the Company is of any size at all they will have some scraps laying around and would help cutting it down to size for a nominal fee. If you are really desperate the local hardware stores have what they call screen savers that screw on the screen doors. They are typically 24" wide and 20" tall or so. They are usually made of expanded aluminum so would be more expensive. But can be cut to size for your sluice. Good luck!

 

[Hoser John]

What area ya in as I have enough extra for a dozen boxes. Machine shops have plenty of extras also Home Depot/Lowes sell pieces even Farm and Tractor supply also. EXPENSIVE in stores but el cheapo in shops.John

 

[Jonsered]

I used to carry a homebuilt mini sluice for backpacking trips, and for mini hungarian riffles, I used the aluminum expanded metal sold at hardware stores for keeping debris out of the gutters on your house. Comes in a roll, super light, fairly cheap. Certainly not the ultimate answer, but if you're ever in a pinch........

 

[golden sluice]

Miners, used to line burlap under their toms in the sluice box. When they dried out the sluice and rolled up the burlap, they would burn it over the camp fire into a metal pan and then pan out the gold... it works really well.

 

[KevinInColorado]

The Snowstorm Dredge is a big commercial dredge that operated off and on until the 70s in Park county Colorado. At 44 feet tall and 60+ feet long not counting the stacker, it's a beast of a machine. The trammel running down the center has an 8 foot diameter and is about 45 feet long. The 36 sluices in it used burlap with wooden riffles on top of the burlap. The tops of the wood riffles have pieces of flat rubbery conveyor belt stapled to them, extended past the downstream side of the wood... to create a low pressure zone on the downstream side of the riffle. It is fascinating to see and oddly old school right?! Anyway it makes the point that burlap can do the job!