Royal Compact Sluice giving me a HUGE headache! 2+ hours to setup!

[Maitland]

Sluice giving me a HUGE headache! 2+ hours to setup!

First and foremost, I have been prospecting for five and a half years now, and a majority of that time I have used a larger sized sluice box of some sort. Sluices are nothing new to me, and that is why I am absolutely baffled as to why I had nothing but problems today trying to get my newest and only "compact" sluice set up correctly in the creek. I always try to aim to get a 'V' in the water at the beginning if it's possible, and I try to drop my sluice about an inch for every linear foot. Unfortunately, today was completely wasted, I spent an unheard of over two hours trying to get this stupid thing set up right and I had absolutely no luck! Unbelievable! In a two hour timespan, even someone who's never set up a sluice before should be able to get one set up correctly with basic instructions in that amount of time!

A few months ago I bought a Royal 30" Compact Sluice, thinking that it would be something "ideal" for the creeks and tributaries around here. Today was the first time (and probably last, too) that I've tried using it. I should note that I also have a stand that goes with it. I'd like to know if these "compact sluices" are usually pieces of junk in comparison to the larger ones (like the Keene A52's) or if I'm just having terrible luck for some reason? Perhaps it is too small for the stream that I am working in? I really don't know what's going on, setting up a sluice shouldn't be this difficult, it never has been for me before! Anyway, here are some pictures showing my constant problems I had today:

So to begin, with this is how it started off:
The creek I went to is one of the larger ones around here and has a good, fast moving current. I was near some little rapids, so I set the sluice up off to the left of the rapids so I didn't have too much water going through it (initially). There was a lot of material that wasn't moving out of the sluice box, I tried adjusting the height in front and in back several, countless times with no luck. I also played around with the rocks, trying to divert more water into the sluice, less water, and kept going back and forth. I still could not get it set up the way I know a sluice ought to be set up!

I tried relocating the rocks to create various levels of hydraulic pressure going through the sluice, and once again I tried adjusting the front and back several times to no avail:
It almost looks like in this picture that there isn't enough downslope, but I can assure you that I played around with various height levels several times.

Once again, relocating the rocks and trying to get different hydraulic pressure through there. Also toyed with the height of the front and back several more times, there was all sorts of material still staying in it:

Once again! Putting the rocks in different spots, and adjusting the height countless times, looks like a s**t-show!

By this point in time (past an hour of messing around with this thing) I'm getting a little ticked off and impatient, so I use the stand that came with it:
Once again (and I know I sound like an old record machine at this point) I adjusted each one the legs several times over and over and no matter what I did, this was about the best I could get!

I moved the sluice to a deeper part of the stream with MORE current:
I figured I'd move to a deeper spot with more current in case that was my issue. I adjusted each one of the legs several times, even standing over the sluice and holding it in the water without the support of the stands - just trying to see if I could find SOME KIND OF ANGLE that would work properly for the waterflow through the sluice, but no luck. Look at all of the material that isn't moving out of there!

This is after dumping a little trowel full of dirt into the sluice at the "most optimum" angle I was able to get out of the friggin' thing:
As always, I tried adjusting each and every leg several times and no matter what I did, there seemed to be no angle that this thing would take to for a proper flow!

I got tired of screwing around with the legs, so I moved back out of the deep area with the fast current and used the sluice without the stands:
Sadly, this was about as good as I was able to get it. It probably doesn't look quite as bad in this photo, but it's probably because I had "assisted" all of the lighter stuff with getting out of the sluice by running my fingers through there, otherwise it just sat in there and stayed there.

I continued to keep playing around with the height of the sluice both in front and in back, and every time I put a shovel full in, this is what it looked like:

Finally, I got so fed-up with all of this nonsense that in order to process the one bucket of dirt I managed to have time to dig all day long (since I was too busy messing around with this stupid sluice), I just ran my dirt through the sluice like this:
I'm sure I had to have lost some gold, but I didn't know what else to do! It didn't matter if I dropped a tablespoon for a full trowel of material in there, NOTHING wanted to move!

As I stated throughout the pictures, I tried angling this thing over and over and over and over... with the legs, without the legs, with the legs again, more rocks, less rocks, more water, less water, deep, shallow, fast current, slow current... NOTHING would work! I stood over the sluice a number of times and carefully picked the whole thing up while it was in the water and tried to free-handedly find some kind of angle that the sluice would work at (without any part of it touching anything to support it - other than my hands) and I had absolutely no luck! Is it me, or are these little compact sluices utter garbage? I can't believe how much time I wasted that I could have spent digging dirt today, but instead was too busy trying to get the right friggin' angle on this thing - which from my experience - there is none. I've used other sluices before many times and I've never encountered anything like this. I just want to rule out any and all possibilities that I'm not crazy or that this isn't some kind of horrendous bad luck. The way things stand now, this thing is either going on Craigslist or to the scrapyard sometime soon, because I haven't got the patience or time of day to waste even more hours trying to do the impossible of getting this idiotic thing set up correctly because I can't see any way that it would ever possibly work.

 

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[Maitland]

I forgot to add, so far this has been the only good part of my day! lol

 

[arizau]

Flat water? Looks like you needed more drop of the creek itself. Even though you had enough current the exit and actually the whole sluice seems to be buried and just became part of the creek as it was before you put your sluice in and the slack water at the exit just equalized the sluice. Current is fastest at the surface and slows down at the bottom of a stream and that looks like what was occurring in your sluice. Just some random thoughts.

Good luck.

 

[WesternMassGold]

That sluice you have is no different than any other 30 inch sluice. I have a Royal too , but i threw out the riffles and carpet and metal and replaced it with goldhog mats.
if it takes 2 hrs to set up a sluice than you either dont have enuff water speed or not a good enuff drop. your first picture looks like a good set up.
Actually i took the bottom section of my 50 inch Royal off to turn it into a 30 inch. shorter sluices are easier to set up. Try drinking that 6 pack "after" you set up the sluice not before .

 

[Maitland]

I'm not sure about the flat water, arizau, I definitely appreciate your input, but I've used my other sluice many times in this same creek flawlessly without any issues. Obviously the terrain of the creek is going to change here and there, but for the most part it seems to keep a relatively consistent grade overall (minus rapids, pools, etc.). I was in a new spot today, but it was only about 1000' downstream from where I normally go and have used my other sluice. The problem with the other spot is that it's deeper and if I use my other sluice (which I don't have stands for), I have to do a bunch of rock-collecting and fiddle-farting around in the creek before I can even set it in there and it's very time-consuming (although ultimately it works excellent). That's why I was majorly disappointed today when I went to use this one with legs for the first time, I was expecting it to be the fastest sluice set up I'd ever done in my life, and instead it was the more time-consuming and frustrating. Actually, I never really did get it "set up", I just got to my "screw it, I guess this is it" point and just ran the dirt through it.


WesternMassGold, are you using the exact same sluice then? The water was running pretty fast, and it appeared to be no different than the last time I sluiced down there (with my other/larger sluice - which I had no issue setting up). The first picture looks good, but is somewhat deceiving because there was a lot of lighter stuff that "needed humanly assistance" getting itself out of there. I know I've seen sluices that are waaay shorter than 30" - and like you said - a smaller one should be easier to setup. But this is by far the most frustrating attempt at sluicing I've ever had. I just can't believe I wasted that much time trying to get the angle right (which I never did) when normally it's not that big of an issue. Haha, I'm actually drinking the beer at home after the fact; believe me, I needed it! I don't drink when I prospect (can't risk a DUI, and with all the shoveling I'd probably get hungover quick-like) but good call though! Maybe next time I go out sluicing I should bring a 750ml of whiskey with, maybe the sluice will magically set itself up after half the bottle is finished, haha... I could only hope after today's madness!


I don't know if it's me... or a design flaw... or what... but I am one confused guy tonight! This whole thing makes no sense, I just don't understand why it wouldn't run properly.

 

[russau]

well if you've tried all the different angles then its possibly either NOT enough water flow/pressure or you need to not feed it so much at one time. would it ever clear out?? possible screen the material first??

 

[Goldwasher]

in a ew of your pics the water looks too deep through the sluice...in one the water looks deeper in the flare than it does at the output....the pic betwwen rocks looks good with the v and the long rock holding it down....more rocks next to it should help...the one pic with the stand has bumps in the water formed by the riffles that looks good...in the other with the stand by the rocks the water looks slow and deep.

the name on the side of the sluice box has zero affect on its set up

 

[Maitland]

Thanks for the additional input, guys.

Yeah, russau, I was using material classified with an 1/8" screen. There was different areas of pressure in the creek and quite a few areas of high turbulence with eddies, I tried just about every spot in the creek with varying rates of water pressure and never could get anything to work. I was never able to get it to clear out by itself completely at any of the angles I tried throughout the entire day I was down there. There were times when I could get it so it wasn't "quite as bad" but I still had to aid it quite a bit with my hand or with a stick to keep stuff cleared out of it.

I tried just about everything, Goldwasher, sometimes with the sluice just barely skimming under the water, and a time or two I just about had it submerged (which is obviously not correct, but I was trying to try every possible angle I could). Some of the pictures don't look bad, but I never could get it setup to the point where it would move material out on its own and without my assistance (at least for the most part). There was a lot of lighter stuff staying in there pretty much the whole time that should have moved itself out of there in a hurry.

Keep in mind, this is the first time I've ever used a "compact" sluice. It's only 30" long, 7" wide, and 2.5" tall. It is definitely smaller than any other sluice I've used before. I don't know if all "compact" sluices are this difficult to set up or not. I've never had an issue setting up a larger sluice. My thoughts by the end of the day were that perhaps it was too small of a sluice for the creek for some reason? I was under the impression that in areas where the water is deeper and possibly faster, I could just use the legs that the sluice came, but that obviously didn't help either.

I really wish I could have taken a video of my escapade yesterday to show you guys, I think a video would have helped out a lot more (but I didn't want to risk dropping my phone in the water). But like I said, I tried every possible angle and scenario for setting the thing up that I could see fit, and I never could get it anything like how I wanted it to be.

 

[Skunked68w]

This sluice is complete garbage. I got one for Christmas and my wife didn't keep the receipt. You need lots of flow to get any exchange at the riffles. Then you have to feed it super slow. It's faster to pan than use this sluice. You should sell it and move on. I don't even bring it out with me anymore.

 

[Skunked68w]

I think the problem with the design is that that the riffles are too high and they get clogged up too fast. Try running it with just the mesh and carpet. Basically just turn it into a popandson sluice and it should work better

 

[Maitland]

I'm glad to know I'm not going crazy, Skunked68w! What kind of sluice are you using now, or are you still using the same one but without the riffles?

 

[Skunked68w]

I've been saving up for a bazooka. When I go out I usually just guick pan down to about half heavies and blondes then dump the pan into a bucket. After I have about two buckets of semi-concentrates I sit down and finish panning. My garret super sluice pan is much faster than that sluice

 

[johnedoe]

Why don't you strip the mat and riffles out of it and put in hog mats?

 

[mytimetoshine]

Good Gawd my friend. Think about the gold u could have got while trying to get it perfect. I know the feeling and frustration but you got to call it good after 30 min right?

 

[socalal99]

I have a folding Royal and have used it for years. It is like any other sluice with one exception, it will flex in the middle if not setup properly. I learned to support the sluice at the front and rear, not in the middle. Doing this keeps the sluice straight and running well. The difference between what I do and your pictures is that I put my sluice in the stream, not on a stand. Understand, we don't have rivers here, only streams. My suggestion is find a way to either increase your angle or increase the water flow. If you still hate your sluice, ship it to me so my son can have his own and stop borrowing mine.

 

[Timberdoodle]

I have found through a lot of trial and error that choosing an initial sluice location is probably one of the most important aspects to get it working right and having both flow and drop at the location must be found or created by dams or you never have enough of one or the other. Clearing material to provide direct stream flow into the sluice can also be important and saves a lot of time in the end. In the first pic I see basically a dead flow zone off to the side of the main stream flow and material directly in front of the sluice blocking flow into this area. I get the impression from the pics that the dead zone simply cannot provide the flow necessary to achieve the total flow speed needed for the sluice. This is one of the situations where I would clear material in front of the sluice and move it to the right and channel some of the main stream flow into the dead zone. I wouldn't give up on the sluice yet, you just need to figure out the right conditions needed for this sluice. I know how frustrating it can be learning a new sluice.

 

[PurpleGold]

I had the Jobe folding stream sluice and only tried using it twice. Setting up a folding sluice in a stream is a nightmare. You need to make sure the foundation of rocks under each section is the same angle as your drop. Never again will I even think about a folding sluice.

 

[WesternMassGold]

I had the Jobe folding stream sluice and only tried using it twice. Setting up a folding sluice in a stream is a nightmare. You need to make sure the foundation of rocks under each section is the same angle as your drop. Never again will I even think about a folding sluice.

Or you could just use a flat piece of stiff metal bar drill 2 holes in it and connect it to the screws that hold the riffles in place. do it underneath and you dont even have to drill any new holes into the sluice.simple but effective .
All you have to do is knock out the old screws and replace it with slightly longer ones

 

[G-bone]

I too have a Royal Folder and running Gold Hog mats.
Each time required some damming and redirection of water into the Sluice.
And with the damming I was able to get it high enough so after proper drop, the tail is out of the water or darn close to out.
I think that might be your biggest issue you're fighting there.
Time damming and redirecting is your best bet.

Now I have a Bazooka Sniper for out doors.
The Royal is used at home as a recirculating system and she works well.
The Gold Hog mats do make a difference too.

Good luck.

G

 

[jsurddy]

Hungarian style riffles tend to work a little better than the style this thing uses.


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