What kind of sluice for slow and small creek?

Without seeing a picture of what your idea of small and small is I am + 1 with Mike for the Tee Dee Sluice

ratled
 

If your lazy water is also flat water then you will be hard pressed to get a sluice to work but.....Many sluice users experience the same conditions and, in some cases, they put together a temporary dam (usually of rocks) and form a small lake then set their sluice in the dam. The effect is increased flow speed and an elevation drop through a gap at the top of the dam. Some times that is enough to run a bazooka but if not, then another type of sluice is used.

Good luck
 

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If the creek is too slow a rocker box might be appropriate. You might need to build your own as all the comercial rockers I have seen on the internet don't have an apron and are not really a rocker box. A recirculating powered slice would be even better than a rocker, IF you are allowed to use power.

Right now, I am working up a concentrator that works like a rocker box apron but it will reciprocate instead of rocking. Have not slapped it together yet. Still just on paper plans.
 

crazykid said:
Hi,
I really want to know what is the best kind of sluice I can use for lazy water. All I have is a BGT and most spots aren't strong enough. Any help is appreciated. Thank you for your time.
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This would be the general solution. Not sure how it would work with a BGT.

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The river that I go to up here in NH is slooowww! We have to build wing dams to get enough volume and speed to make anything run. Our group has about everything. My Tee Dee ez sluice takes about the least amount of water. In the last pic you can see the remains of our old dams. I ended up building a high-banker and pumped water.DSCF0286.JPGDSCF0195.JPGDSCF0390.JPG
 

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You could also look at one of the smaller Angus Mackirk sluices. Also classify to 8 mesh or 20 mesh even as gentler flows will still work with fine material.
 

KevinInColorado said:
You could also look at one of the smaller Angus Mackirk sluices. Also classify to 8 mesh or 20 mesh even as gentler flows will still work with fine material.
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I like this tip for classifying a lot, as it hasn't been mentioned so far, and I'll give it two thumbs up! It really is a good way to take advantage of slower flow. Nicely done Kevin.

All the best,

Lanny
 

A tip concerning the building of dams, you can place a piece of tarp over the damn and into the sluice and it will really kick up the flow, you can do it on the bazooka by wrapping the tarp around the bottom and sides and hold in place with a couple of clamps. Duckshot I'd like to hear more about your idea for an oscillating rocker box.
 

N-Lionberger, I figure like one end of a sloped box with a screen and a slury droping difuser on a hopper as the mouth of the thingamagig, like a rocker box. One end on a pivot and one end reciprocating. Not occilating or rocking, reciprocating. Have not built the determined model #1 yet but I hope to be able tell you about it. I hope it works. It might not.
 

2 good low flow sluices are either the Angus McKirk of your choice or Le Trap.
If there isn't enough water power to roll a 1" rock down them in 1 second then classify to 1/4". Both catch super small gold and are light weight.

Much Luck,
Mike
 

Kevin is right on.

You can get ANY sluice to work right if you classify small enough.
i.e. Just visualize the flow of a Miller Table then visualize a 6" dredge running.
Try running the tailings from the 6" down a miller table.
Your next comment would be "are you stupid?" 6" rocks will not go down
a miller table.

Why is that? It's a good example of VERY LOW Proportional Force

That formula looks something like this.

S x SH x WD x WS x OH = PV

Size of rocks x shape of rocks x water depth x water speed x obstacle height (riffle height and drag) = PF

Not to "plug" our product... but it's why we held off for so long before coming out with a steam sluice.
We wanted to solve "problems" with ours and offer a total solution.
One of the problems people faced is exactly what you're saying.
You show up to an area and there is little to no flow.
So you remove the high flow mat... and put in the low flow mat.
Still not enough clearance and exchange?
Then add more pitch and classify down smaller.

Basically when in low flow areas use a sluice that has little resistance, drag, and obstacle height.
Then classify as needed. But your key focus should be on RETAINING THE GOLD in the sluice.
If you have to add more flow to clear the rocks and the gold starts to blow out.
Classify smaller. Don't change the tuning point of your sluice.

Doc

PS - The video below should only be watched when you're asked to the cut the grass and you need to look busy.

 

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I am a big fan of plastic drop riffle sluices. LeTrap is my first choice but it's big and needs a lot of water. I have an Angus McKirk, much smaller and it tolerates lower flow. Drop riffles work great on classified material, not so well on bank run.
Your success will rely on how well you can build wing dams. :icon_thumright:
 

I have the Angus McKirk "Grubsteak" for tiny streams and low flowing water.
 

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