My brother wants to start Gold prospecting with a sleuce, would like advice please

EmptyPockets

EmptyPockets

Jr. Member
Mar 16, 2013
80
61
Near Stockton California
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Garrett AT Gold & Pro Pointer & Whites Prism II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My brother is interested in prospecting for gold. He has no experience.

Anyway, he has identified a sleuce box he wants to try and plans on going to the South Fork of the American River or Merced River, here in California.

Before he starts spending money on equipment, I was wondering if anyone has advice for him? i.e. brand and type of sleuce box, minimal equipment, avoiding claim sites and etc...
I know he will need at least a sleuce box, shovel and a bucket...not to mention his brain and some knowledge on where to find gold.

Thanks for your input, it's greatly appreciated.

-Joanne
 

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EmptyPockets said:
My brother is interested in prospecting for gold. He has no experience.

Anyway, he has identified a sleuce box he wants to try and plans on going to the South Fork of the American River or Merced River, here in California.

Before he starts spending money on equipment, I was wondering if anyone has advice for him? i.e. brand and type of sleuce box, minimal equipment, avoiding claim sites and etc...
I know he will need at least a sleuce box, shovel and a bucket...not to mention his brain and some knowledge on where to find gold.

Thanks for your input, it's greatly appreciated.

-Joanne
Click to expand...

Since he's a green rookie,

Pick a sluice that has a frame that holds it firmly in place or one that is able to be weighted in such a way so that it won't go rocketing down the stream on him.

I'd suggest you watch some youtube videos on stream or river sluices to get an idea of what I'm talking about, and have him watch some videos as well.

I started a thread on here somewhere about gold panning that has some great links as well--I'll see if I can find it later today and I'll post the link on here for you.

All the best,

Lanny
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html
 

Sluices are tricky and darn hard to set up proper. Every situation is different. Videos on the internet won't help much in the field. Best bet is to partner up with an Ole' Timer and learn from him. If he does go to the Expo, try to convince him to leave his money in his pocket, and concentrate on making contacts instead. That would be a good start.
 

Think about it. How do you learn to play golf ? Do you start out buying a thousand dollars worth of titanium clubs ? Will watchin videos make you a great golfer ? Not likely. Stick with the house clubs first and find an expert who's willing to play a few rounds of golf with you and teach you something. How do you become good ? By playing against the BEST. That's how.
 

Good analogy Cat - I learned to play golf by caddying, watching golfers of all skill levels up close, and getting paid! Then I got hand-me-down/throwaway
clubs and started playing for free on "caddies day" - found golf balls for free - got swing tips from the club pro for free. Life got in the way for many years, and when
I picked up the game again, almost had to mortgage the house as I suddenly was paying "retail" for EVERYTHING!!:icon_scratch:
 

Last edited:
Thank you everyone for your excellent advice.
I will encourage him to hook up with someone that has experience from one of the local clubs and such.
The Treasure and Gold Expo sounds like a great idea. We'll try to go and see what that's all about.
I really, really don't want him to spend allot of money on something that may not pan out. (Pun intended). :laughing7:

-Joanne
 

Sluicing is great, but make sure he understands everything starts with panning! No use setting up that sluice untill you sample an area with the pan & see if it's worth the time. Pan multiple areas & then set up the sluice in the best area.
Let me put it this way. Primarily, the pan is a prospecting device. The sluice is a mining device. We prospect for a good spot to mine. We pan to find a place to sluice.
I personaly like the Angus Mckirk sluices & have had good luck with the Keenes.
 

Last edited:
TheNewCatfish said:
Sluices are tricky and darn hard to set up proper. Every situation is different. Videos on the internet won't help much in the field. Best bet is to partner up with an Ole' Timer and learn from him. If he does go to the Expo, try to convince him to leave his money in his pocket, and concentrate on making contacts instead. That would be a good start.
Click to expand...

Nothin' beats a Sourdough (Oldtimer) if you can find one, that's for sure, but if you can't, you can learn all kinds of things from watching the videos on panning and sluicing.

I'm going to find that link for you: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/327445-gold-panning-video.html

All the best,

Lanny

P.S. I'll bump the thread for you too.
 

Last edited:
Vance in AK said:
Sluicing is great, but make sure he understands everything starts with panning! No use setting up that sluice untill you sample an area with the pan & see if it's worth the time. Pan multiple areas & then set up the sluice in the best area.
Let me put it this way. Primarily, the pan is a prospecting device. The sluice is a mining device. We prospect for a good spot to mine. We pan to find a place to sluice.
I personaly like the Angus Mckirk sluices & have had good luck with the Keenes.
Click to expand...
Good work, Vance. Prospecting and mining are often used interchangeably but you nailed it! I remember a "pro" was going to his "play"-cer mine. Ok, buddy. Tnx for the words, Vance. TTC
 

I think if you look in Craigslist Sacramento or contact the gold mining shop in Auburn there is a guy who will take you mining ie panning sluicing on the American RIver near Salmon Falls Bridge or by Auburn for like $60 for the day. He will show you how to use equipment and you get to keep the gold. Might be cheaper to see if he likes it first than to spend money for lots of equipment.
 

I'm prejudiced I suppose so I would say my sluice is easy to use for a beginner. But really if he just picks something in a size and price range that is going to be right for him to learn with, that's a good start.

Like it was stated in an earlier post, he really does need to know how to pan, and to pan quickly. It's all about testing an area and seeing where to use your sluice. If he can't pan out a pan quickly, in a minute or so, then he isn't going to be able to sample much in a day. When sampling you are not trying to get every last little speck of gold, but just determine if the area has enough gold or not to bother with. I quickly shake down the sample dirt in the pan in a period of 30 seconds, then just knock off the top 1/2 of it to reduce the quantity, then pan down from there, to see what's in a test area. Takes me a minute or so to do.

The other thing I suggest is that he be careful that he is not trespassing on some other person's claim. Have him walk the area at least a 1/4 mile in all directions around where he plans to work and look for white claim stakes, and if he finds them, look for the master stake with the claim information on it to determine just where the claim is located.
 

EmptyPockets said:
Thank you everyone for your excellent advice.
I will encourage him to hook up with someone that has experience from one of the local clubs and such.
The Treasure and Gold Expo sounds like a great idea. We'll try to go and see what that's all about.
I really, really don't want him to spend allot of money on something that may not pan out. (Pun intended). :laughing7:

-Joanne
Click to expand...

That pun and many like it started during the 1849 gold rush. Just a flash in the pan is another one. I started just panning. I bought my first sluice when I found a place worth doing a lot of digging. I even build my own. This one is made out of clear Lexan. Very tough plastic. :goldpan:
photo (6).JPGphoto.JPG
 

Aurabbit79er said:
That pun and many like it started during the 1849 gold rush. Just a flash in the pan is another one. I started just panning. I bought my first sluice when I found a place worth doing a lot of digging. I even build my own. This one is made out of clear Lexan. Very tough plastic. :goldpan:
View attachment 764010View attachment 764011
Click to expand...

I heard old Tom Massie explain the "flash in the pan" as the glimmer of gold in your gold pan, but that's not how I have always heard it.
It refers to a big build up to something that doesn't happen. I believe it comes from the flintlock rifles, their ignition system involves a frizzen and a pan. The pan is full of fine black powder and when it ignites, but fails to set off the main charge in the barrel, it is a "Flash in the pan". That's what I have always heard.
 

Better yet. Go down to Home Depot and buy 3 foot of flexible ribbed plastic sewer pipe. Costs about $5 dollars. Wrap it up nice and give it to him as a present. He'll want onein his inventory anyway for remote prospecting, (before he hauls in something heavier). Does he even know how to find gold yet ? God. I feel like i'm pushin this guy out the door of an airplane without showin him where the rip cord is located on a parachute. GERONIMOOOO !
 

As has been said, go small. Some people are recommending sluices when you said he's a newbie. Why buy a sluice he may never use again? All he needs is a pan and a #2 shovel.
 

We are going to the Treasure and Gold Expo today. I'm sure we will get allot of great advice.

In the mean time, I have gotten permission to prospect on a claim located in northern Kali. :sunny:
The owner of the claim is sending me all the information and we have established an agreement.
He is going to put all the information together and send it out.
How did I get this done so fast? I was going to do this with my brother last year, but my brother moved out of state.

I will be up there for 2-weeks in June.


I'm going to buy my brother a birthday gift today at the expo; a gold pan, sniffer thingy and a bag of dirt.
The reason for his birthday gift is based on the advice you guys are giving...learn how to pan first.

-Joanne
 

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