self classify sluice template. what gauge would use of aluminum

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

Every time I read that report I find more things that just don't play out in the field. Basically by the end your classifying to 8 mesh and using a trowel in the hopes of perfect recovery.

You can for sure feed unclassified with a shovel into a standard box with decent flow and not 'LOSE' the amount of gold inferred.

All the horror stories....stopping and restarting, losing as the h20 stops, clay robbing, scouring. In a regular in stream operation they are so minimal there is no reason to be concerned. Test your tailings....test them as you run ith a tub at the end ...feed a bucket let the water run clear for thirty seconds test your collection material. If there is any gold it is about negative three cents in value.

I get the reason that guys that dig only fine gold desire to catch more of it. A self classifying sluice is a good Idea. If I lived in an area like that I would make a hydrauilic concentrator that had a large screen for throughput 1/4 inch clasifacation and a long narrow sluice that had shallow recovery and a slick plate.

Power sluices are very tuneable. The report above makes it sound like your silly for using one. Again back to the tiny hand scoop!!!! Turbulance and fast h20 speed can increase the chance of loss...but if you can get your feed to stratify moderately and give some length to settle out you are going to have very resonable recovery rates.

There are adjustments to make based on material and h20 availability. Moving volume is still the most important aspect of production.As you read about undercurrents on large operations you discover that most operations abandoned them as they barely added up to 5% additional recovery on large operations. In situations that had runs of hundreds of tons ran and clean ups done maybe monthly. Sometimes bi- monthly.

To me classifacation is important if you have less than ample h20 and if you must clean cobbles. The reason sluices came into use is the fact that they cleaned material as it ran through the troughs and man hours that had been used for screening and moving tailings out of the dig/feed area could be put into digging more material. Only couple sluice tenders are needed to rake and clear cobble.

If it hadn't had such an impact on production it would not have taken over the way placering was done.

If more people watched Doc's video's less people would share this study!!!

sorry Goodyguy

Agreed. Too many prospectors spend too much time & money trying to save every last speck. My thought process is: I don't mind losing a speck or 5 because I will be gaining 10-20 specks during the same time I would have lost. Like you said, if one is in an area full of fines...things might be different. But generally speaking, my theory has worked well for me. You should see the faces of buddies who have gone out with me when I shovel directly into a stream sluice, quick pan material, or squirt excess water out of my snuffer lol. People have even panned my tailings! I'm OK with losing a little to gain more

 

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[Goldwasher]

More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Goldwasher]

If we had more minus 50 to catch we would....but when it's there we do

 

[Goodyguy]

Must be nice.


Sure wish we had gold like that in my part of the country.
This is the typical glacial gold found in my neck of the woods.


We have to work very hard to get every speck and need every advantage available.
That's why I love Bazookas and Gold Cubes




GG~

 

[Goldwasher]

Yep. In that situation I would have the biggest classifier I could make....and 20 ft of sluice

 

[restless spirit]

hey guys this was what I was shooting for my sluice build., it seems its pretty much a straight forward sluice that the drop in it would classify pretty good

 

[Goodyguy]

View attachment 1307942 hey guys this was what I was shooting for my sluice build., it seems its pretty much a straight forward sluice that the drop in it would classify pretty good

One way to find out is build it and see.
Building your own provides great satisfaction.

As Goldwasher noted above there is more than one way to skin a cat................

GG~

 

[restless spirit]

I'm hway through!

 

[vaquero44]

you get the right flow and they work awesome also take a look at the cal sluice 2b almost the same concept!

 

[restless spirit]

you get the right flow and they work awesome also take a look at the cal sluice 2b almost the same concept!

I cant find it ! hahahah is it a websight?

 

[vaquero44]

yes the calsluice 2b just type I in it should bring it up

 

[arizau]

I cant find it ! hahahah is it a websight?

Probably this video.

 

[Goodyguy]

Built an underflow handsluice once several years ago and ended up re-purposing the aluminum for another project after falling in love with fluidbeds.

Nothing wrong with the underflow, I just got the urge to go another route and after using fluidbeds just never had the desire for another underflow except for use on my dredges........

Even so, I still can't resist adding a fluidbed trap to the end of my underflow dredge sluices in order to catch any gold that may try to get away.


Go for the Gold
GG~


*did it.... This made my five thousandth post to earn Gold member status and a Gold bar!
Just cant help going for the gold any way I can even though it took me nine years
Gonna celebrate by running the cons from my last outing.

 

[restless spirit]

well I got the flare end started real quick tonight.

 

[restless spirit]

well the long slickplate is 14 guage aluminum and the dropzone box is cheap home depot steel I just used to bend and see if my math is good now ill do the dropzone in 14 guage and start the punchplate classifier,, this is a smaller version than the original Thomas creek . we shall see how it gos. but its fun making it

 

[restless spirit]

the aluminum drop zone box is off to the side but I'm sizing up this punchplate to mount on the mini brackets that will hold the classifer plate in place .but so far so so fun making a mini version of a Thomas creek sluice.

 

[Goodyguy]

View attachment 1309727
The aluminum drop zone box is off to the side but I'm sizing up this punchplate to mount on the mini brackets that will hold the classifer plate in place .but so far so so fun making a mini version of a Thomas creek sluice.

Looking good!

I see you use the same 30" sheet metal brake from Harbor Freight that I use. Did you go with the 3003-H14? aluminum?
And yes it is fun, and the more projects you complete the more addicted you become. Plus aluminum is so easy to work with.

I have had to back off lately not because of lack of desire but lack of space. In fact I'm in the process of selling off my larger projects.
Looking forward to seeing your sluice in action as well as your next build.

Keep up the good work
GG~

 

[restless spirit]

haha yea I did go with that same aluminum , I livw with 2 miles of three sheet metal shops. haha. I really like this little break its good for all I'm gonna build.i wish I had some cutters that will cut like a hot knofe through butter though

 

[vaquero44]

that is coming along great ........is that 1/4" punch plate?

 

[restless spirit]

you bet it is.. its 4 inches wide just a babv! and 16 long..