Sluicing, how do you feed your sluice?

[deserdog]

How do you feed your sluice? Do you classify? Or feed straight material?

I am sort of inbetween. I set the bottom of a metal shopping cart at the head of the sluice, and set a 1/2" classifier on top. Then feed the raw material onto the classifier. I hate, repeat, hate having to handle the material twice. In the picture, I am just using the bottom of the shopping cart to screen out the big rocks.

 

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[Goldfleks]

I dump buckets. I don't classify.

 

[Hunt4gold]

To classify or not to classify, that is the question... (could not pass up Shakespeare simile).
Assuming your sluice design is set up to accept non-classified material, it then depends on your sluice model, water flow (velocity), and pitch of sluice. Goldfleks photo above shows her Bazooka sluice set up with water ripping across the top plate. I'm sure that any roundish rocks smaller than 3-4 inches in size are clearing her sluice easily.
In the photo below (36" Bazooka Sniper), I had OK flow, but any rocks over 2.5" or so were hanging up on the grizzlies, so I was hand-classifying out the larger rock.


In the image below, the flow on this little creek was so slow that even with my makeshift tarp dam across the entire width, I was barely about to get enough flow to run the Gold Hog stream sluice - classified down to 1/4" classifier. This is the other end of the spectrum from the flow shown in Goldfleks and my Bazooka photos.


If you have reasonable water velocity, and your sluice model does not require classifying, then feed it whatever it will take. With moderate to low flow conditions, set up and tune the sluice as best as you can (may require wing dams to divert flow), and then test the feed with unclassified material. If your not getting the exchanged needed to capture gold, try classifying to 1/2" and test again. If needed, go to 1/4" classifier. I have not gone below 1/4" classifier, but some folks have needed to go down to 1/8". Good luck and heavy pans!

 

[nh.nugget]

Depends on the water flow smallest I go is 1/2'' I have a Keene A52.

 

[QNCrazy]

With the sluice pictured, I would classify to 1/2 or 1/4. In that situation, I would set a tub (27 gal) next to my sluice and hopefully near where I was digging, and classify into that. It's easier to classify into a tub than a bucket. When the tub gets 3/4 full, start sluicing. Costco has the tubs on sale this month for $5.99.

 

[fmrUSMC_0844]

I just shovel it right onto the calsluice.

 

[Aufisher]

Like a mad man!

 

[Goldfleks]

Like a mad man!

You mean like a gorilla miner!

 

[Hamfist]

It depends where I am, what the water is like, where I'm digging, what equipment I'm using, etc.
BGT's - I generally don't classify unless I'm carrying a bucket of dirt any real distance and, if that's the case, I'll classify to 1/2". Sniper gets shovel or scoop fed and Prospector gets shovel or bucket fed, depending on flow. If I'm stream sluicing with my GH Mini's extension, feeding depends on how much flow there is and on which mat I'm using.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I started out not classifying with the bazooka but soon I realized alot of my bucket full was just waste and big rocks. If I do a quick classify I end up with a true bucket of prime material and it weighs the same , except there won't be big rocks taking up room. Doesnt really take much longer. It's a trade off either way but I almost prefer to classify now just because it seems smarter if I'm carrying buckets anyway.

I have to classify to 1/2 for my Angus.

 

[agolddigger]

---

 

[Goldwasher]

With a shovel...

 

[Goldwasher]

And an umbrella lately

 

[KevinInColorado]

With a shovel or bucket. I don't even carry a scoop.

 

[Oregon Viking]

And an umbrella lately

Goldwasher....... clear some PM room dude!!!!

 

[Goldwasher]

Goldwasher....... clear some PM room dude!!!!

dang I do often...will do again

 

[Goodyguy]

dang I do often...will do again

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[Goldwasher]

meh... i can get 800 pm's now. I just have to save a bunch before I empty them.

When tnet gets better troll blocking and confrontation tactics I might consider being a sponsoring vendor even.

 

[Laz7777]

when I'm digging, I'll toss anything roughly 3" in diameter after I've tapped it on the sides of the bucket.
the rest (half to three-quarter full of a 5 gal.) gets dumped into my A52.
running fast and flat most of the time, I'll pick out the few rock that can't get pushed, the rest will go bouncing on out of the box.
I've gotten used to seeing just how fast they should move, anything too fast and I'll put a big rock in front to slow it down.

 

[gldguy1]

I used to classify into bucket but my new set up will be straight into box