What sluice mat to use.

You can run the same mat all the way. However, some mats work better on certain sizes and shapes than others, so running a few types of mats can give you a better chance at catching everything. It's why Gold Hog runs 3-4 different mats in their sluices.

And if anyone hasn't said it yet, WELCOME ABOARD!
 

First from your user name I gather you are from the UK (?)..............Goldhog mats (Gold Prospecting Equipment - Sluice Mat) are my first choice here in the U.S. but you would probably pay a steep fee for shipping to the UK. Indoor/outdoor carpet or ribbed rubber matting with expanded metal on top is often used for sluice mats and the raw material to fashion them should be readily available where or near where you live. Goldhog mats require little to no pre-classification but the other mentioned options would probably benefit from feeding nothing larger that about 1/2". Another option for under the exp. metal would be what is called "miners moss" and again that would probably be a shipped import for you. Goldhog sells their own brand and the price seems to be competitive (Miners Moss). Also see this (https://www.google.com/webhp?source...76US576&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=miners+moss&*).

Good luck and welcome to the forum
 

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Why not look at the caledonian sluice?

Any way, just about any mat will work; some better, some worse. I've used doormats with good results.

There are square-pattern rubbermatting which work well, works like a drop riffle. Made for cars, I think.
Go to a car-related shop, visit any shop with doormats, have a look around!

I've found miners moss-like mat sold as doormats to, for a fraction of the price of real miners moss. And they do work just as well.

The idea to use different riffles/matting is to provide alternate conditions as to increase chances for the gold to be caught.
 

ChrisUK said:
Hi, I'm making a sluice at home to find very fine gold.
I don't know much about it though.
I will be using it in a mountain stream, so water flow will be provided by the steam.
Do I just use one mat all the way down the sluice?

Thanks!
Click to expand...


Welcome to Treasure net Chris!

If it were me I would make the sluice at least 40" long 8-10" wide with at least 30" of mat.

For fine gold I would recommend a ribbed mat with at least 1/8"deep ribs if possible. As has been stated above lots of different mats will catch fine gold. Leave the first 10" of the sluice as a slick plate for stratification purposes and classify everything down to 1/4".

Now this is a fairly small sluice so feed it accordingly. Not meant for shoveling as fast as you can with a large shovel.
Recovering fine gold requires diligence such as classifying and not over feeding, let each shovel full clear the sluice before slowly dumping the next shovelful.

Some folks do what is called "gorilla mining" that's where you shovel as much paydirt as possible as fast as you can into a large sluice and take whatever sticks.
You may end up with more gold at the end of the day that way if you are on a decent pay streak but it's not for everyone, especially those my age. :tongue3:


Go for the Gold
GG~
 

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Going 40" long may help with fine gold recovery but in some of those small Scottish burns it'll be difficult to set up a sluice that long. As always, let your situation guide you on which gear to use.
 

Goodyguy said:
Welcome to Treasure net Chris!

If it were me I would make the sluice at least 40" long 8-10" wide with at least 30" of mat.

For fine gold I would recommend a ribbed mat with at least 1/8"deep ribs if possible. As has been stated above lots of different mats will catch fine gold. Leave the first 10" of the sluice as a slick plate for stratification purposes and classify everything down to 1/4".

Now this is a fairly small sluice so feed it accordingly. Not meant for shoveling as fast as you can with a large shovel.
Recovering fine gold requires diligence such as classifying and not over feeding, let each shovel full clear the sluice before slowly dumping the next shovelful.

Some folks do what is called "gorilla mining" that's where you shovel as much paydirt as possible as fast as you can into a large sluice and take whatever sticks.
You may end up with more gold at the end of the day that way if you are on a decent pay streak but it's not for everyone, especially those my age. :tongue3:


Go for the Gold
GG~
Click to expand...

Gorilla mining was a term thrown my way.

don't disregard the fact that the material is prepped for the run. and the recovery is great. There is nothing wrong with moving as much paydirt as possible and it is a poor assumption that it's just about what will stick.

If were gonna talk about production sluicing I will talk about production sluicing.

It's not like a lot of thought, testing and comparison haven't gone into the banana pile.

If your in my area and you screen to 1/4 inch you could toss quite a bit of gold off to the side.

If I was in the midwest, I wouldn't feed my gear until I had a yard of -1/4 in pile.
 

Good points GW no disrespect intended, as I did not know you owned the "Gorilla Mining" trademark. lol
My post was only meant to point out differences in technique when it comes to mining for fine gold.

The taking what sticks remark was most certainly a poor choice of wording.

Go fo the Gold
GG~
 

Goodyguy said:
Good points GW no disrespect intended, as I did not know you owned the "Gorilla Mining" trademark. lol
My post was only meant to point out differences in technique when it comes to mining for fine gold.

The taking what sticks remark was most certainly a poor choice of wording.

Go fo the Gold
GG~
Click to expand...


no disrespect felt or defended. Just passing the talking stick around.

I have no shame owning the Gorilla miner label.

I do encourage sluicers to get a little braver in their working. in most cases more is more.

When your by yourself doing one thing means your not doing something else.

when your classifying your not digging or sluicing. So, I try to to that part as quickly as possible and only to the minimum size necessary.

My experience is that in California when you have good water and a good sluice 2-3 inches is about as far down as you need to go. If im on the river sluicing I rake scratch and pluck bigger stuff off of the shovel as I feed.

If I have to switch to a 1/2 classifier it is because of low flow not because I'm all that worried about the sluices recovery it's more about throughput.at that point I'm classifying into a tub or right into the low spot of the hole I'm in.

If I lived somewhere that was all fine gold I would fab up a screen with a lot of surface area for faster production of material to run.

I am in a different situation than most. If you only have a day or two or weekends a month it is a different sort of dance.

Though I do believe paying attention to the banana peels I leave laying around could be helpful to other members of the TROOP!

Even if your enclosure is different than my foggy foothill habitat.
 

You really should stop over to the Gold Hog website and go to the learning link. Read everything and watch all of Doc's videos. Especially incremental processing. The big gold is easy to catch. Gold Hog is all about the fine gold and Doc has spent years studying and testing and developing the information he has put out for free. You won't ever find as much info as what he has given.

I don't know what would work best for your situation. But after reading and watching all of Docs material, if you have questions contact Gold Hog and they will be glad to help.
 

gorilla miner.jpg
 

Goldfleks said:
View attachment 1426934
Click to expand...


Sick, my senior picture..it's been a while.

To answer the op question. Low profile like goldhog, or a drop riffle. Even v mat and classification.

Expanded metal over moss and or carpet works very well for fine gold recovery. All you need is a few riffles if any as a coarse gold trap.
 

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Yes, should be very good for fines. Looks similar to Angus Mackirk sluices available in the US. I have one, works well.
 

That goldhog matting really is good stuff. My dredge came with it already installed and it really does work well.
 

Ragnor I gotta agree with you on Doc's Gold Hog mats !! In the April issue of ICMJ Doc has a add showing his NEWEST mat for fine gold. I like all his mats in the configuration he shows for certain conditions. This new mat is for commercial apps and comes in a different size than the regular G.H. mats and I'm sure the price is comparative to it's size.
 

ChrisUK said:
Thanks for the replies.
Your right the biggest expense is the cost of postage for a sluice or parts from the USA.
I've decided now to just buy a sluice rather than try to make one, get it wrong and waste time and money!

Would this be ok for very fine gold do you think?
Gold Mining Equipment, Gold Panning and Gold Prospecting Equipment and Courses - Caledonian Classic Sluice (Powered by CubeCart)
Click to expand...

Do you have any sheet metal shops around you ? Get a quote. If so it wont hurt to ask them to shear and bend some 5052 H32 they should also be able to make the "Flair" opening, You can do the match drilling to attach the flair to the sluice body. Also if your able to draw a easy blue print /sketch, just for the basic size. Good luck.
 

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