ncclaymaker
Sr. Member
- Aug 26, 2011
- 370
- 316
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab 1000, A Motorized Power Glider Trike, 17 foot travel trailer behind my Jeep. 4" suction dredge/high banker.
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
After having read all of the hype, specs, and whatnot on the web... I've come to the conclusion that we're being sold the same old, same old, but with a new color of lipstick. Lots of lipstick. As a former software engineer, one deals with devices and data in a very simple manner. Either it works or it doesn't. That's the binary way of life (zero's and one's). The mechanics of almost every sluice on the market are almost exactly the same. Fluid dynamics and specific gravity. All claim to recover more than their competitors (of course), but when we take a closer look at the designs, they are almost identical in function and design. Too bad one size doesn't fit all needs. To aid them in overcoming these inherently poor designs that have been around for two hundred or so years, they make us believe that they hold the magic wand to fine gold recovery.
Think on this... if their designs were so fantastic, why would they try to sell us "Miners Moss", special matting materials, carpets with special weaves, matts that "capture" the fines, etc.? Trust me this is nothing other than MARKETING. So, unless the prospect that you're working has coarse gold and nuggets, almost any design will do. Most of the designs have a ton of lipstick, except a curious design that has no need for "add-ons", carpet, moss, grooved rubber mats, etc. to mask the same old design flaws that produce marginal fine gold recovery results. Let's face it, the high-graders have left us the fines.
Since nothing is perfect or exceeds the 95th percentile of repeatability, I suggest that you review sluices made by Angus MacKirk. The design is creative, well thought out, and not one of the "color within the lines" that builds brand recognition and market segment analysis. Even if the vortex behind the riffle is significantly more than he proposes, the vast majority of fines will probably not escape the riffles. I'll be using a 9 foot sluice with a very high volume of water and gravel. If I used a one size fits all sluice, I'd probably be sending most of the fines right back from where they came from.
May the yellow stuff blind your sluice, not your judgement. I have no connection whatsoever with www.angusmackirk.com
Think on this... if their designs were so fantastic, why would they try to sell us "Miners Moss", special matting materials, carpets with special weaves, matts that "capture" the fines, etc.? Trust me this is nothing other than MARKETING. So, unless the prospect that you're working has coarse gold and nuggets, almost any design will do. Most of the designs have a ton of lipstick, except a curious design that has no need for "add-ons", carpet, moss, grooved rubber mats, etc. to mask the same old design flaws that produce marginal fine gold recovery results. Let's face it, the high-graders have left us the fines.
Since nothing is perfect or exceeds the 95th percentile of repeatability, I suggest that you review sluices made by Angus MacKirk. The design is creative, well thought out, and not one of the "color within the lines" that builds brand recognition and market segment analysis. Even if the vortex behind the riffle is significantly more than he proposes, the vast majority of fines will probably not escape the riffles. I'll be using a 9 foot sluice with a very high volume of water and gravel. If I used a one size fits all sluice, I'd probably be sending most of the fines right back from where they came from.
May the yellow stuff blind your sluice, not your judgement. I have no connection whatsoever with www.angusmackirk.com
