1ft sluice

[battleox]

For those who havent heard or are on the fence about my title, I think the photos say it all. This was built by me, when I didnt have a sluice box and gold fever got the best of me. It 1ft long 6inches wide with a single riffle, inspection mat and 1/8 inch grated metal, ive tested this out and its the perfect thing for fine and flour gold, panned the run off and yep no gold lost, im working on putting in a triangle shoot on the front to help flow and making an extra grate for larger gold, the creeks near me have mostly fine-flour gold. I would love some input or suggestions on improvements as im always trying to make new or cheap things to help those near me who want to get started, ive infected a dozen people in my area with gold fever, I love to see peoples eyes light up when they get that first bit of color.

Hope u see color in ur pans and sluices.

 

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[placertogo]

Nice job. And keep in mind that a 2 foot sluice is NOT twice as effective as a 1 foot sluice and a 3 foot sluice not 3 times as effective as a 1 foot sluice. With a good design, better than 90% of the gold will be trapped in the first 10% run of the sluice.

 

[Joel1316]

I love the simplicity! What are you using as the frame/body of the sluice?
I wonder if adding one more riffle would help?

 

[placertogo]

Unless you are seriously expecting good sized nuggets, I would forget the riffle entirely and run punch plate or expanded all the way down the length of the sluice.

 

[battleox]

The body is two pieces of angle iron that I welded together, this is for fine to flour gold, read again. This is a really simple sluice when I didnt have one and couldnt make a big one, my area has flour gold not much in the way of large or decent sized flakes I have a 3ft sluice I bought from prospectors plus in gold bar washington for larger stuff. Im still working on the triangle shoot for the top and an expanded metal piece as to be able to switch from my punch hole grate and back again.

 

[Joel1316]

I wonder if that C-channel could be made of formed sheet metal to be lighter?

 

[battleox]

That was my first choice but didnt have sheet metal, the sheet metal I had to work with I would have needed a break press to bend it.

 

[placertogo]

For a small sluice like that, iron angle is great so it will have enough weight not to be moved by the flow of the stream. Keep feeding it all day, a spoonful at a time. You might have a nice cleanup at the end of the day!

 

[Joel1316]

Iron angle is great for weight and rigidity, but I can't weld, LOL.
battleox - thanks for the idea to build a short sluice box : )

 

[battleox]

Anytime, ive got a really strange peoject now, sluice box made of recycled materials, I cant wait to get a proto-type uploaded

 

[Joel1316]

Its fun building all these things....
I'm building a concentrator using a cheap raingutter, drop riffle sluice using plastic and now your idea for a short sluice, haha.
Something to do to pass the time until its time to hit the river.

 

[battleox]

Its always time to hit the river and when u cant due to high water, time to grab some good boots go up and bring dirt to the river from the high banks

 

[placertogo]

I always wanted to build a sluice based on a piece of pre-formed steel or aluminum channel to avoid having to bend up sheet stock with a forming brake. Occasionally, eBay has some steel or aluminum renmants for a decent price. Also, check the scrap stock at your local steel and aluminum supplier. You might find something useful at scrap prices without paying a cutting charge. This is how I buy most of my expanded metal.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

I always wanted to build a sluice based on a piece of pre-formed steel or aluminum channel to avoid having to bend up sheet stock with a forming brake. Occasionally, eBay has some steel or aluminum renmants for a decent price. Also, check the scrap stock at your local steel and aluminum supplier. You might find something useful at scrap prices without paying a cutting charge. This is how I buy most of my expanded metal.

I was thinking the same thing. Only I was thinking lighter,..



$7 at the thriftstore.

 

[battleox]

Make sure to post pics when u complete the ladder sluice very curious to see it

 

[battleox]

New attachment takes some work out of the picture, I grabbed a screen from a broken shop floor lamp and bent it to fit the 1ft sluice as a classifier, since this is project/hobby it doesnt have to be perfect I love to build things and so far this model I made out performs the $60 3ft sluice I purchased.

 

[Joel1316]

Got an estimate from a local sheet metal shop (for the heck of it).
10" wide
4" high walls
16" long
Aluminum , about the thickness of a quarter..... $50.00 each if I bought 3! Ouch! Dumpster diving here I come!
I have sheet metal, wish I had a brake.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

Got an estimate from a local sheet metal shop (for the heck of it).
10" wide
4" high walls
16" long
Aluminum , about the thickness of a quarter..... $50.00 each if I bought 3! Ouch! Dumpster diving here I come!
I have sheet metal, wish I had a brake.

Quarter sounds pretty thick.

Got a scrap yard?



http://www.ch601.org/tools/bendbrake/brakeplans.pdf

Amazon.com: Designing and Building the Sheet Metal Brake (9781878087065): David J. Gingery: Books


Course, if you could get 3 or 4 of these at a thrift store for $2 each...



Cut off some ends, add some rivets,.. folding sluice.

 

[NeoTokyo]

That is a very nifty little sluice, nice work.

 

[battleox]

Took it out again today, found flour gold not much, just had enough time to test another area, water level was low so I didnt spend too long just about an hour enough time to fill this lil sluice, great results, even better when I get the triangle feeder built for it