Gutter sluice or bucket sluice???????

MrWareWolf · Dec 18, 2014

I've been having fun with my bucket sluice! I do wish I had seen a gutter-sluice configuration like shown up a few messages though, as I could have probably made two for less money. I picked up the california bucket sluice, and a cheap fish-tank pump initally. It was enough to get me started. Before too long, I picked up a really good pool-cover pump, and some classifier screens, buckets, waders and a river sluice too. Lately, I've been running on some cheap (purchased) paydirt, to be sure that I can catch gold in my equipment. It's fun, but I need to get some work lights so I can see in my garage! My river sluice is a Keane, with a nice expanded metal grate, and some moss under that. Usually I run my bucket inside a rubbermaid container, with couple upside-down buckets stacked behind it all to hold the weight of the hose. Have been using regular garden hose, but I need to regulate the flow a bit better. Does anyone know of any good quality hose walves that won't increase the velocity of the water when ya turn them 'down'? Utah county, Utah here..

KevinInColorado · Dec 18, 2014

MrWareWolf said:
I've been having fun with my bucket sluice! I do wish I had seen a gutter-sluice configuration like shown up a few messages though, as I could have probably made two for less money. I picked up the california bucket sluice, and a cheap fish-tank pump initally. It was enough to get me started. Before too long, I picked up a really good pool-cover pump, and some classifier screens, buckets, waders and a river sluice too. Lately, I've been running on some cheap (purchased) paydirt, to be sure that I can catch gold in my equipment. It's fun, but I need to get some work lights so I can see in my garage! My river sluice is a Keane, with a nice expanded metal grate, and some moss under that. Usually I run my bucket inside a rubbermaid container, with couple upside-down buckets stacked behind it all to hold the weight of the hose. Have been using regular garden hose, but I need to regulate the flow a bit better. Does anyone know of any good quality hose walves that won't increase the velocity of the water when ya turn them 'down'? Utah county, Utah here..

Hey, have you been up American Fork Canyon? Gold up there in public areas, very very fine but it's there where it should be

MrWareWolf · Dec 19, 2014

KevinInColorado said:
Hey, have you been up American Fork Canyon? Gold up there in public areas, very very fine but it's there where it should be

Yes, it is a beautiful canyon. The weather here has been mild, but it is always calm before the storm. I'm close to A.F. canyon, so that is my stomping grounds.

UTAvalanche · Dec 20, 2014

MrWareWolf said:
I've been having fun with my bucket sluice! I do wish I had seen a gutter-sluice configuration like shown up a few messages though, as I could have probably made two for less money. I picked up the california bucket sluice, and a cheap fish-tank pump initally. It was enough to get me started. Before too long, I picked up a really good pool-cover pump, and some classifier screens, buckets, waders and a river sluice too. Lately, I've been running on some cheap (purchased) paydirt, to be sure that I can catch gold in my equipment. It's fun, but I need to get some work lights so I can see in my garage! My river sluice is a Keane, with a nice expanded metal grate, and some moss under that. Usually I run my bucket inside a rubbermaid container, with couple upside-down buckets stacked behind it all to hold the weight of the hose. Have been using regular garden hose, but I need to regulate the flow a bit better. Does anyone know of any good quality hose walves that won't increase the velocity of the water when ya turn them 'down'? Utah county, Utah here..

I can show you a simple water control set up that has worked well for me for my portable set up. I have a 10 gallon Rubbermaid tote that I can run my California bucket sluice, my drop riffle sluices, miller tables and fluid bed sluices out of. I will also be running a Gold Cube with this as well shortly. This works great when working in the desert with little water.

When I get through running the material through the sluice, I can swap it out for the miller table and run the cons.

Here is a basic configuration with one of 3 pumps I use. I bought a full flow "Y" from Lowes big box store. You can get them on Amazon as well. They also have a smaller restricted version as well if you really need to reduce the flow.

Here it is connected to one of my mini fluid bed finishing sluice.

With those items that only require a single hose like my miller tables and drop riffle and California sluices, just let the hose not connected to the sluice run back into the tub.

To adjust the flow, turn both valves to full on.
The water to the sluice should barely be running if at all.
Then on the valve that is NOT hooked to the sluice slowly turn it toward the off position.
As you turn it toward the off position the flow to the sluice should increase. Keep turning it toward off until you get the flow to the sluice that you want.
This method will allow you to fine tune the water flow without having the turbulence and pressurization problems associated with the valve being on the sluice. This works especially well for miller tables that need a very fine and smooth adjustment on their water flow.
If I need more or less water than this will allow me, then I can easily swap out the pump.
This will also work with a garden hose hook up if you don't have a pump.
If working on a stream I can just set them up on a 5 gallon bucket and drop the pump into the creek.
All of these also have an elevation bolt on the back that will allow for very fine elevation angle adjustment.

Nugs Bunny · Dec 20, 2014

Two five foot gutter sluices for around $30.00

Here is my budget gutter sluice, total build time was less than four hours and very basic tools are all that was needed. Originally I used velcro on the sides to keep the mat conformed to the shape of the gutter. Eventually the velcro came off the mat so now I use small spring clamps.

This was for two sluices.

$7.00 for gutter

$7.00 for endcaps

$12.00 for 24" x 48" mat

The other parts were less than $2.00 a piece.