homemade sluice box **COMPLETE** Lots of Pics

[prospectordamon]

i have all the material to do a sluice box and i have tried bending the aluminum sheeting for the side walls with a hammer and a straight-concrete edge, it worked but looks HIDEOUS! does anyone know anybody that sells sluice box housing without the guts? basically just the sheet aluminum pre-bent? thanks in advance!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[jog]

Re: homemade sluice box

I had mine bent at a local heating and sheatmetal shop, 5'x16" for right around $60.00.

 

[russau]

Re: homemade sluice box

most any sheetmetal shop will do it for you! 8 years ago i had one bent for $10.i now have my own brake.

 

[garyww]

Re: homemade sluice box

Look up Heckler Fabrication. He has all types of pre-bent boxes that are top quality.

 

[Doug Watson]

Re: homemade sluice box

Local sheet metal shop. Probably cost less than the shipping of one pre bent. Doug.

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

Thanks for all the tips!!!

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

totally forgot my uncle does heating and air, he has a 10ft brake bender!!! so i bought a sheet today and got him to bend it for me, its going to be a 48" X 10" sluice, building it now, pics soon to come!

need some tips for riffles as I will be adding them to the expanded metal in the future. any ideas?? thanks in advance

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

Status so far, just got everything fabbed up, nothing is secured just gonna look at it over the coming days on how to improve. A handle will be added to the side for ease of carrying.
Any advice would be nice.

Materials

Rubber mat cut (10" X 36")

Nomad cut (10" X 24")

Expanded Metal Cut ( 10" X 24" covering nomad)

Ribbed Carpet Mat cut ( 10" X 12")

I'm most likely going to glue the rubber matting to the sluice. It runs from beginning of sluice all the way to end of nomad/expanded metal. I am going to build a riffle/ramp from the rubber to the top of the expanded metal so I don't get any blockage there. I may come back and weld riffles to the expanded metal. Still got a ways to go as far as bracing, riffles, flare, and finish up. I'll update with pics as progress continues. Any ideas or changes u fellas would make? Thanks!

 

[jog]

Re: homemade sluice box

I wouldn't weld the riffles to the expanded due to air gaps between the riffles and the carpet. Have your uncle bend your riffle's on his break. I would build all pieces separately so you can disassemble for cleanup. Good luck....

 

[russau]

Re: homemade sluice box

i welded my "raised" expanded to the bottom of my riffels so that it all is bottomed out when clamped down. i wouldnt glue the carpet down.youll never get it cleaned out if you do! otherwise your doing good!

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

i welded my "raised" expanded to the bottom of my riffels so that it all is bottomed out when clamped down. i wouldnt glue the carpet down.youll never get it cleaned out if you do! otherwise your doing good!

i planned on glueing the carpet down because it is so dern thin! lol! my EZ Sluice by JOBE is the same way except the tiny rippled carpet is actually plastic, it does not come out and isnt hard to get clean, but i like your idea and would MUCH rather do it that way, BUT any ideas on how to secure the rubber matting down other than glueing?

need some ideas on clamp setups, ex: clamping my expanded metal down, etc, i had planned on using a wing-nut and drill a hole through the sluice but dont really want to damage it

 

[russau]

Re: homemade sluice box

need some ideas on clamp setups, ex: clamping my expanded metal down, etc, i had planned on using a wing-nut and drill a hole through the sluice but dont really want to damage it
[/quote] this is the way the DFS sluice holds down their screen moss, but make sure if you do it this way to keep the wing nut parrallel with the water flow to prevent additional rippels in the water that "can" disturb your concentrating efforts.

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

russau, thanks for the comments/tips! I am currently studying the Clarkson study and will be building my sluice to those specs, on a smaller scale though! My project is on hold until I can find time to finish reading!!! I plan on this sluice having 95-99% recovery rate! wish me luck

 

[Goodyguy]

Re: homemade sluice box

russau, thanks for the comments/tips! I am currently studying the Clarkson study and will be building my sluice to those specs, on a smaller scale though! My project is on hold until I can find time to finish reading!!! I plan on this sluice having 95-99% recovery rate! wish me luck

Good to see you studying riffle design, Damon

I've found that the design of the Clarkson riffle system is a little too aggressive for use in a hand sluice, unless you can get enough water speed and the recommended 3" per foot of drop, due to the 1" height and recommended angle of the riffles themselves.

They are terrific however when used in a high banker or wash plant sluice where the recommended GPM and drop ratio can be maintained.
To be used in a hand sluice. I recommend Clarkson's "NO" riffles design using 4lb raised expanded metal only over your mat. (perfect for use with a slower water speed)

Be sure to use the 4lb expanded as Clarkson suggests. Paying close attention to the orientation of the expanded metal. (be sure the angle is leaning forward toward the water exit) *Do not use flat expanded or double expanded.

*The riffle assembly is bolted to the trough down from the water entry end, (to make a pivot point) When lowered over the raised expanded metal and mat it is then clamped at the water exit end by a pivoted handle. *see attached photo.

Hope this helps,
GG~

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

Ight guys, I'm stuck. I need your help designing a riffle tray. I just realized the expanded metal I got is not 4# it's just flat so I want to do a riffle tray for now then come back and add 4# expanded. What should I use for the ruffles and how do I build the tray? I would like to duplicate the Keene a52 riffle tray setup. What parts are required for this?

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

since my width is the exact same as the keene a52 and my length is only 3" shorter I think I'm going to buy the keene a52 riffle tray. I found them from a dealer for 39.99, not a bad price. that way I wont have to hunt down the parts, figure out how to pivot the riffle tray, hunt down a welder and hope they are welded on perfectly straight. seems like a no-brainer to me!

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Re: homemade sluice box

Pay attention to which riffles you purchase. You can buy fast water riffles used in their dredges that will fit your box. Taller riffles work better if you are working an area with fast water flow. I will post a pic of my homemade sluice later, off to run it. Just waiting on sleepy head to get here. Said his alarm didn't go off

 

[prospectordamon]

Re: homemade sluice box

Pay attention to which riffles you purchase. You can buy fast water riffles used in their dredges that will fit your box. Taller riffles work better if you are working an area with fast water flow. I will post a pic of my homemade sluice later, off to run it. Just waiting on sleepy head to get here. Said his alarm didn't go off

sweet, thanks for the advice, the riffle system I am ordering is made for a dredge, or in other words fast moving current, eventually this sluice box will find its way onto my homemade dredge. I can put it in a fast moving part of the creek until then and it will essentially work the same

 

[Jack Hamilton]

Re: homemade sluice box

We took a short video of me stuffing my sluice....force feeding it. Was an experiment to see if running a second sluice for 4 ft of slick plate with everything stripped would help seperate the gold from the lighter material. Honestly it worked. Thats all I can say. Need to play with it some more to see how I like it. So far, panned out 1/4 of my cons and seeing good color.....Here is the video we made today:

 

[russau]

Re: homemade sluice box

by feeding to much for the sluice, youve kept the first sluice from doing its job.