How long to run a sluice?

[Sluiceguy42]

First post!
I was at a GPAA gold show last year and during one of the lectures the speaker said that gold travels down a sluice box around 1 inch per minute. But on some older threads here on TreasuerNet it seems I can run my sluice all week without doing a cleanout. Not sure I should cleanout my sluice every 30 minutes or once a day . Any advice would be appreciated.

 

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[Sluiceguy42]

goldog, It is pretty small but it seems to work great for me. I actually do/did run it all day, but when misheard that guy at the gold show it kinda threw me off.

 

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[Herby D]

Sluiceguy42..I apologize for hi-jacking your first thread but it's for a good cause...cause I'm ignorant.. .. and it's pretty close to your original question.. I've spent quite a few years trying to learn how to capture fine gold and the Bazooka scares me.. collecting the big stuff doesn't seem to be a problem.. just give it something to hide behind .. however,, containing the fine gold in the trap defies my logic and experience... which I admit, both is limited..Ever since I worked with a friend on his Bazooka Prospector I was concerned that the fine gold would excape because of all the turbulence in the trap.. I can accept that the turbulence isn't enough to wash out the heavier stuff but I guess I will have to test it myself to prove that the fine gold won't float out..unless I have missed or misunderstood something... this old dog is trying to learn a new trick I can understand why it's called a trap instead of a sluice box... I might have to convince my son to buy one... not that I don't trust Kevin.. he sure seems to know what he's doing with it... Thanks Sluiceguy 42.. and good luck in Colorado..

Most important two letter word sentence.. "If it is to be, it is up to me"

 

[Jakel]

I was wondering this very same question. The regional gold I am after here in Alberta is fine gold. I am running 1/2 inch raised expanded metal over miners moss over V-mat. My setup is 1 inch per foot in length. I have been doing a clean out every hour of my high banker but if I can run it all day that would be great. Plus reduce the amount of cons I bring him too. Great discussion.

 

[goldenmojo]

When I am on mostly flour gold I run my BGT flat and higher up in the water to reduce flow. It means more clearing of the grizzlies but my thought is the BGT is a classifier first and a gold capture device second. The cool thing is it does it all at the same time. I use the plate to wash large rocks and cobble and then just toss them aside. Plus I can do it sitting on a bucket or rock thus saving whats left of my back.

 

[rodoconnor]

One benefit to not classifying [ and using a fluid bed] is finding crystals,gemstones and arrowheads. You can see them better when they are wet. Come to think of it that is the only benefit!

 

[goldenIrishman]

My feelings on the "rules" about when to clean out your sluice are simple. There is only one rule! Cleanouts are going to be determined by what ever type of matting you're using! No matter what type it is, if allowed to get overly full you're going to start "Flat Boarding" your materials and loosing gold! Carpets are going to need to be cleaned out more often than something like Gold Hog mats that do a great job of clearing out the trash.

It all comes down to your setup, flow and feed rates and the angle you have your box set at while running. You have to know your setup so that means observing it in action and experimenting with different setups to find what works best in different conditions.

 

[Goldwasher]

The Bazooka is SUPERIOR to any normal riffle sluice in catching and holding fine gold. Once the gold is in the trap it stays. The only gold that is gonna "float" out of any sluice box is gold that started its trip floating. Once gold of any size hits the bottom deck of a sluice, or drops behind or into a riffle..it stays put. Look at how hard it is to wash it out sometimes even with the sluice at an extreme angle in a bucket during a clean out. In a traditional sluice gold can be "scoured" what happens is a larger rock comes by and gold will actually get caught in the low pressure vortex that is following said rock and actually follow it out. Also clay balls can catch gold that sticks to it. That is one of the reasons for raised expanded over carpet or moss its a mini trap.And sort of a shark cage if you will protecting the gold that's sitting there. the loss rate of any of the commercially produced sluice is so small compared to the recovery rate that if you focus on running more gold bearing material vs. slowing down because your worried about loss your take at the end of the day will increase markedly. Sluice boxes are great CLASSIFIERS and recovery tools dig more and get more.............

 

[Oregon Viking]

The Bazooka is SUPERIOR to any normal riffle sluice in catching and holding fine gold. Once the gold is in the trap it stays. The only gold that is gonna "float" out of any sluice box is gold that started its trip floating. Once gold of any size hits the bottom deck of a sluice, or drops behind or into a riffle..it stays put. Look at how hard it is to wash it out sometimes even with the sluice at an extreme angle in a bucket during a clean out. In a traditional sluice gold can be "scoured" what happens is a larger rock comes by and gold will actually get caught in the low pressure vortex that is following said rock and actually follow it out. Also clay balls can catch gold that sticks to it. That is one of the reasons for raised expanded over carpet or moss its a mini trap.And sort of a shark cage if you will protecting the gold that's sitting there. the loss rate of any of the commercially produced sluice is so small compared to the recovery rate that if you focus on running more gold bearing material vs. slowing down because your worried about loss your take at the end of the day will increase markedly. Sluice boxes are great CLASSIFIERS and recovery tools dig more and get more.............

Yes! this^
I have tried every brand of sluice.
The Bazooka whoops them all!
No need to classify. Set up the angle a bit off?
Bazooka don't care.
Water flow not quite right?
Bazooka don't care.
The only exception is beach sluicing.

 

[Jakel]

This is the home made sluice I'm using. I have a bucket hopper/spray bar concept with an 1100gph water pump to wash the river rock. I ran the highbanker for 5 straight hrs today without any clean out. I was speed panning the tailings to see if the fine gold was washing out but couldn't find any. But when I would pan the rock occasionally befor running it through the highbanker I was finding lots of color. I might just stop test panning and keep shoveling lol. I wonder if somehow I can turn this into a bazooka highbanker?

Once again, great discussion

 

[arizau]

Yes! this^
I have tried every brand of sluice.
The Bazooka whoops them all!
No need to classify. Set up the angle a bit off?
Bazooka don't care.
Water flow not quite right?
Bazooka don't care.
The only exception is beach sluicing.

Oregon Viking,
Have you or someone you know at least tried a Bazooka for those Oregon beach sands or is this an untested opinion? For your future reference, there are at least a couple of forum members that suggest preloading the box with small gravel before feeding with the fine beach sands for better recovery.
What is your preferred setup for beach sluicing?
I will be staying with a friend in Bandon later this summer and am bringing an 8"X 5' sluice with goldhog downdraft and razorback mats (a configuration suggested by Doc for the fine beach sands) and also a DIY bazooka type using a little different concept for the outlet tubes with hopes it will improve recovery. I have tried beach creeks north of Bandon and at Whales Head in the past and it would be helpful if you could name or describe access for some in between.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Oregon Viking,
Have you or someone you know at least tried a Bazooka for those Oregon beach sands or is this an untested opinion? For your future reference, there are at least a couple of forum members that suggest preloading the box with small gravel before feeding with the fine beach sands for better recovery.
What is your preferred setup for beach sluicing?
I will be staying with a friend in Bandon later this summer and am bringing an 8"X 5' sluice with goldhog downdraft and razorback mats (a configuration suggested by Doc for the fine beach sands) and also a DIY bazooka type using a little different concept for the outlet tubes with hopes it will improve recovery. I have tried beach creeks north of Bandon and at Whales Head in the past and it would be helpful if you could name or describe access for some in between.

Here you go. Around Lincoln city these are used. FOSSICKERS.COM - Cleangold Sluices - Micro Gold, Mercury Free
Beach sluice. Nesika beach has a lot of black sand. Lack of water flow is the main problem.

 

[arizau]

Here you go. Around Lincoln city these are used. FOSSICKERS.COM - Cleangold Sluices - Micro Gold, Mercury Free
Beach sluice. Nesika beach has a lot of black sand. Lack of water flow is the main problem.

Thanks for the info. You seem to recommend against bazookas for beach sluicing.
"I have tried every brand of sluice.
The Bazooka whoops them all!
No need to classify. Set up the angle a bit off?
Bazooka don't care.
Water flow not quite right?
Bazooka don't care.
The only exception is beach sluicing."

Is that from experience or mostly from lack of creeks with sufficient water flow?

 

[Oregon Viking]

Thanks for the info. You seem to recommend against bazookas for beach sluicing.
"I have tried every brand of sluice.
The Bazooka whoops them all!
No need to classify. Set up the angle a bit off?
Bazooka don't care.
Water flow not quite right?
Bazooka don't care.
The only exception is beach sluicing."

Is that from experience or mostly from lack of creeks with sufficient water flow?

Can not get enough water flow.
Whaleshead we have had luck with an Keene A52 with v matting only

 

[arizau]

Can not get enough water flow.
Whaleshead we have had luck with an Keene A52 with v matting only

That is what I suspected. Thanks again.

 

[boardbiker_18]

Depends on the sluice box and the amount of black sand in the area. keep in mind the size of the black sand as well. I go to 2 different rivers, one can clog my sluice box in 1 bucket if i run it like most people do. But i rush the water through and keep the box pretty level to avoid too many cleanups. the other river takes about 4 buckets to clog it. I personally will never go above 6 buckets at a time where i go. Plus there is only fine gold where i go. So if the gold is coarse run for a while. If it fine gold, i wouldn't push it.

 

[Prospector70]

Don't ever be afraid of the bazooka, run it as hard as it will take, it will still catch gold smaller than you can see.
For me it's all about not classifying, and not hand classifying the grizzly. I want to shovel, the more I do that the more gold I get at the end of the day.

On Topic:
I too have a keene, I really suggest cleaning it out after 4 classified buckets until you are a pro at setting it up.
Benefits:
you will have to set the sluice up a few times during your outing (great practice right?)
you will have more cons to take home to pan out (practice panning at home in your garage where the beer is cold)
Cons: Classifying, long clean outs, tricky setup

Get a BGT when you are sick of classifying (but don't sell your keene, it's still a great sluice. and you never know).
Benifits: Easier Setup / Cleanout, more gold.
Cons: you will be wore the f out at the end of the day lol

Best of luck, and for pete's sake post pics!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Don't ever be afraid of the bazooka, run it as hard as it will take, it will still catch gold smaller than you can see. For me it's all about not classifying, and not hand classifying the grizzly. I want to shovel, the more I do that the more gold I get at the end of the day. On Topic: I too have a keene, I really suggest cleaning it out after 4 classified buckets until you are a pro at setting it up. Benefits: you will have to set the sluice up a few times during your outing (great practice right?) you will have more cons to take home to pan out (practice panning at home in your garage where the beer is cold) Cons: Classifying, long clean outs, tricky setup Get a BGT when you are sick of classifying (but don't sell your keene, it's still a great sluice. and you never know). Benifits: Easier Setup / Cleanout, more gold. Cons: you will be wore the f out at the end of the day lol Best of luck, and for pete's sake post pics!

Very, very well said P70... Although I'm starting to wonder why the heck I still own my traditional sluices!

 

[Sluiceguy42]

How much water, angle, and flow does the bgt require?

 

[Prospector70]

All of it! LoL
Same as a regular sluice really Sluiceguy, just has to be tall enough to get up and over the slick plate. (Bigger wing dam, etc.).
The beauty of it is, that it can take too much (seemingly) water (at least more than a standard sluice can run). In fact it runs like a champ in fast water, I believe that people think it takes a lot of water to run, but that's not the case. It can just "take it".

standard 5 degree angle on the drop. and enough water to clear the grizzlies when the shovel full falls.

Give this a look:
http://www.bazookagoldtrap.com/content/BazookaInstructions.pdf
Best,

 

[Prospector70]

Very, very well said P70... Although I'm starting to wonder why the heck I still own my traditional sluices!

I let my friends run my keene. After the first cleanout they see the logic and wonder of the BGT. Going to have a couple new customers soon.
I hear ya though, looks great on the garage wall otherwise