Small Sluice for Sampling

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

Hello TN! I'll be making a custom sluice for sampling purposes only. Small enough to fit on a back pack. 24"x6" would be the measurements. Has someone tried this matting? Please let me know.

 

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[arizau]

It looks like the matting shown is what is sometimes known as "vortex mat" and that is what is used in the gold cube and some homemade sluices. It is pretty well known that it works best with smaller classified material (gold cube specifies minus 1/8") or pure sand feed. Here is a link for a source if you do not have one locally. Vortex Mat

Good luck.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

What about sampling? For example: can I just take a shovel and pour it on the sliuce box and let the water clean it out? So then it has to be pre-classified? I'm looking more into a mat that I can just pour it on the sluice and let the flow do it's job. I'm looking to better and sample faster on the river.

 

[Goldwasher]

I would go 8" wide if you could

 

[Goldwasher]

What about sampling? For example: can I just take a shovel and pour it on the sliuce box and let the water clean it out? So then it has to be pre-classified? I'm looking more into a mat that I can just pour it on the sluice and let the flow do it's job. I'm looking to better and sample faster on the river.

just put a few riffles at the end, and I would also recommend longer than 24" if you plan on minimal classification. Its easy to get fast water in a narrower sluice.Fast and flat strips lights and even 2' gravel well. the gold drops out almost right away in all sluices. Its where it gets hung up that matters and how to keep those areas open and the feed moving.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

I'll probably stick with the standard ribbed matting for this. I was thinking 24" the sluice itself. Overall with the flare I could think of 30".

 

[mike(swWash)]

If your building it from scratch then 8"or 9" wide is good, and I'd build it with 2 18" or 24" sluices that nest when not in use but easily and quickly assembled to full length (36" to 48" plus flair) with a couple screws and wingnuts. I'd also look into lining it with Gold Hog mats. No classifying necessary.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

This is my new custom built sluice. 34" overall x 6" wide. I wanted to keep it small for portability. Everyone thanks for your great ideas! I purchased online the deep V matting. I'll post pics when it's done. Happy hunting folks!

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

As a recirculating cleanup sluice with deep "V" matting, how much gph should it need? 600, 800, 1000gph with a bilge pump?

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

Sorry to mention its 24" x 6" wide with deep V matting

 

[Goodyguy]

What about sampling? For example: can I just take a shovel and pour it on the sliuce box and let the water clean it out? So then it has to be pre-classified? I'm looking more into a mat that I can just pour it on the sluice and let the flow do it's job. I'm looking to better and sample faster on the river.

Hello TN! I'll be making a custom sluice for sampling purposes only. Small enough to fit on a back pack. 24"x6" would be the measurements. Has someone tried this matting? Please let me know.
View attachment 1423247

I use that mat all the time, with some modification.

With the stock deep V or vortex mat you will lose gold over 1/8" But you can take that vortex mat and easily cut out every forth or fifth row or so across creating a drop riffle nugget trap and be able to recover nuggets up to 3/8". It makes the vortex mat into a combination pocket/drop riffle mat when you do that. I would choose the vortex mat over the deep V or ribbed for sampling every time because you can run the vortex mat at a steeper angle and faster flow than you can the deep V or ribbed. The mod turns the vortex mat into a great gold recovery tool for gold from micro up to 3/8".

GG~

* see where your blade is resting between rows ... cut off every fourth or fifth row all the way across making a nugget/large flake trap. Easy to do if you bend the mat backwards exposing the row. (don't cut through the backing)
You can get creative modifying the vortex mat and even create a poor boys pseudo version of Gold Hog style matting.