Buildng an old-style "long tom" sluice box

[Maitland]

Some of you will probably think that this is probably a pretty strange post, but I'm planning on building an old-style "long tom" sluice box for display purposes (it will not be used for running any type of material). I haven't had a whole lot of luck finding up-close or detailed pictures of old long tom sluice boxes, so I'm not 100% sure how to build one to look somewhat authentic. Obviously, the miners of long ago would have cobbled anything together that they could get their hands on in order to make an effective sluice box, and there is no "official" way to build one, this I understand. I just want to build something that looks somewhat period-correct for the 19th century and something that will make people say "hey, that's a sluice box" and not "what on earth is that wood thing for?"

Does anyone happen to have an old long tom laying around that they could take pictures of for me? Or any kind of recommendations to make it look somewhat original, as if it were from the gold rush era? I know it's an odd thing to ask, but as I stated earlier I'd like to build one for display purposes, not for real use.

Thanks!

 

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[arizau]

Check out page 7 here for plans and a photo. http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_resources/gold/documents/sp87.pdf
Written description and dimensions here. Small Mining - Long tom
Maybe lumber from an old shed, etc. Old rusty sheet metal.

 

[QNCrazy]

Our Club had one at our gold show last August. I'll see if I can get some pictures. I know a guy in our club helps teach kids how to pan in Columbia. I'll also check with him. Did you Google it?

 

[QNCrazy]

check out page 7 here for plans and a photo. http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_resources/gold/documents/sp87.pdf

That's just like the one our club used.

 

[UTAvalanche]

Here is one that was used on Grasshopper Creek at the Ghost town of Bannack, Montana during the gold rush days if that helps.

 

[Goldwasher]

Here is one that was used on Grasshopper Creek at the Ghost town of Bannack, Montana during the gold rush days if that helps.

View attachment 1137243

That's just a sluice

 

[Goldwasher]

If you google "long tom for gold mining" in images a bunch of really good pictures come up. The two and three piece toms were the main ones used that are technically long toms. Undercurrents are different. Keep in mind it would have looked bright and new for a while yet muddy. Made mostly from pine boards because they were easy to work with.

 

[russau]

That's just a sluice

that's what a long tom is!

 

[johnedoe]

Try this..... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=long+tom+sluice&iax=1&ia=images
Technically a long tom is a sluice at the end of a long flume.
The flume which normally did not contain riffles ran along a pay-streak or section that many men could shovel into and the material would then be carried down the flume and dropped into the sluice at the end of it.
The flume section could also be added to as need and not have to move the sluice box.

 

[Goldwasher]

that's what a long tom is!

Sorry Russau. But, That is just a long sluice run. A long tom technically is not just a long sluice run. They had a rough box a bunch plate and secondary recovery. not trying to be a know it all just when you consider the evolution of production placer equipment there is a difference. And considering the o.p.s project the technical difference is relevant.

 

[Goldwasher]

we have remnants of one on our claim. Its on the edge of a bench that was worked during the rush. It must have been hit by a flood I found it at about 18 inches. I'll excavate all of it at a later time.

 

[Maitland]

Thank you all for the input, it gave me some stuff to think about. I appreciate the links and the pictures.