Total Sluicing Capacities

[Ph4s3sh1ft]

Hola amigos!

I had a question about sluicing for all the internet experts out there. So I have most of the Keene sluice boxes, the mini A51A, the standard A51, and the high capacity A52. My question is, how much material would you suggest running before a cleanup??

The mini and standard are no brainers I think, one possibly two buckets of material tops, but I live in gold rich Colorado and plan to run many, many buckets of pay dirt with the big boy, A52 sluice this summer and was wondering how much I could run before a cleanup?

Any of you guys run lots of material through this monster?

What would you suggest?

I was thinking I could get away with four, but figured I should consult the experts. THANKS!!!

 

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[Goldwasher]

hardly a monster.. I say run until your done even the mid sized sluice. Due to the average size of gold in Colorado your gonna be classifying. That big keene is going to take all the material you feed it. Clean out if you move holes or are done for the day. If you have extreme black sand and its packing your riffles maybe. Start shoing more than a pennyeight a day of minus 50 and then you can decide if you need to clean up more often... Being concerned that you may lose gold because of overfeeding a stream sluice is going to hold you back.

 

[Ph4s3sh1ft]

Haha. Okay dude, thanks for the advice.

 

[goldog]

I second that. I used to run my A51 all day with very heavy soil. Most of the gold stopped in the black mat. No need for clean outs. A sluice shouldn't fill up if it's running right.

 

[nh.nugget]

I have an A52 Keene I run it all day with no clean outs. As long as the water coming in has that V in it coming down to the center screw in the flair your good. sometimes I don't even classify just pic out the taters. It catches the fly poop most all of the gold like Goldog says in in the rubber mat. Here's a pic of mine after 15-5 gal buckets.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

I second that. I used to run my A51 all day with very heavy soil. Most of the gold stopped in the black mat. No need for clean outs. A sluice shouldn't fill up if it's running right.

Well said. I have a small sluice 33" x 8" and I have runed 3-4 hours straight. Of course you see black sand acumulating but if you have your sluice set right then you dont need to clean up often nor lose any gold. I have processed 4 buckets and then do my cleanups. Have found chunkers, pickers, powdered gold and even a juicy nugget. Just make shure to set up right, classify your material and your good to go!

 

[spillercanyon]

Being concerned that you may lose gold because of overfeeding a stream sluice is going to hold you back.

I totally agree, unless you're short of material to move, it's better to move a lot of gold and get most of the gold than to move a little dirt and get all the gold. ie. if I can get 95% of the gold out of 20 buckets or 100% of the gold out of 5 buckets, I'll take the 95% out of 20 buckets any day.

 

[Hoser John]

Preclassified materials rule it all as to how much, how long and recovery rates. Just dip a pan into the tailings pile top every hour or so and PROVE it to yourself as a quick minute pan is proof your rockn' the gold world-kudos as a 20 bucket day would about kill this ol'mans' back. MUCH prefer to suck'm up all day long but......John

 

[Capt Nemo]

I run my recirc fluid beds till the water gets murky and I can't see the action of the bed. ~ 5-8 buckets before cleanout. If I could run the water open circuit, then I could run all day.

I could run 20 buckets in an 8 hour day with my model 4 bed. But most of the time is spent classifying the buckets.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I once dug and ran 12 buckets in 30 minutes with my Bazooka Prospector. That's what a self clearing grizzly can do for you

Then I went back to shoveling directly into it...that's a lot less work vs carrying buckets!

 

[QNCrazy]

I'm with Kevin on shoveling vs. bucket brigade, me being the brigade. I was at my claim recently running my A52 with a home made classifier (1/2" expanded) in the flare. two shovels and a couple of quick shakes, then do it again. If you have your flow and angle correct, you can run all day unless you have heavy black sands. Everyone has given great advice. follow it and you shall prosper.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Having a header box to do the classifying is a definite plus! It's why I built my model 5 bed. Now if I didn't have to run recirc.

Well, recirc does help to fill in the hole when I'm done, instead of washing the sand out into the lake.