sluice box in the works

[Hank McMauser]

O.K. I've been doing some research(wife calls it spending all evening on the computer)and I'm really itching to go get some gold this summer.So I'm planning on building a creek sluice.
At lunch I went to the local hardware store and found some rubber ribbed mat,and rubber backed carpet for a few $/LF each.
Later in the afternoon,I found a 16"chunk of redwood 2x material about to go into the dumpster at work and rescued it. After work I took it out to the shop and ran it through the table saw,making about 5/8"x3/8" pieces at about a 18 degree slant(parrallelogram? in cross section)I'm on the lookout for a piece of 1/4-3/8" plywood finished size will be about 12" wide and 48"-60" in length,for the bottom, the sides will be 1x4
I'm going to take my time and scrounge for as much of the materials as possible.What can I say,I'm cheap!!
If anyone has any suggestions,I'm all ears,And I can adapt the plans as I go.
My Dad is planning on coming out in July,From Alabama,and we'd both like to find some gold. When he came out two yrs ago we went to sumpter oregon and panned in the creek there,all day and found 1 flake,that I dropped back into the creek while transferring it into the vial!!
I also spoke with Noel Mckean earlier in the week He's our local Whites dealer,(and contact for local gold clubs)And checked out the new detectors and other mining stuff He has in his shop. After talking with him I got a real bad case of gold feverI really want to find some this summer.

[jimmyjiver]

Hi, Hey I Built Alot Of Different Ones Over The Years. One Of Them I Used A Snowmobile Bottom Made Out Of Aluminum And Cut It To The Shape And Size I Needed. My High Banker I Made Out Of Wood I Coated The Wood With Many Coats Of Varnish. For The Riffles I Used Some Light Angle Iron And Welded It. Some Tool Boxes Have A Good Rippley Kinda Rubber Mat Too. I Built A Complete Dredge Also I Used That For Coins Mainly Though. Heavy Furnace Duct Metal Bent Works Real Good Too. The List Goes On And On..Thanks JJ

[schoser]

i want to build one in a big way, but i want to do it right... can anyone give me some tips on materials to use?

[schoser]

i want to build one, but am not sure how exactly to do it? can anyone help me out ? thanks a mill...cory

[Hank McMauser]

I would suggest if you're not familiar with then find a shop that caters to the prospectors in your area,check them out,that's what I did then came home and started brainstorming,and I googled everything I could relating to :wooden sluices,hungarian riffles,homemade sluice box, after a few good sights,you'll get a good idea of how you want to do it I'm making mine out of wood,well,Iwork in a lumberyard,and small scraps come free if you know where to look.your local hardware will stock aluminum angle 1/16"thick 3/4"x3/4which can be riveted together for the riffles.
I used redwood cut into slanted parallelograms 18 degrees slanted 5/8" wide and 3/4" thick These are called hungarian riffles.
I mounted them into a 3/4"x1" piece on either side,it looks very much like a wooden ladder.I'm going to mount this inside the box hinged by a bolt at one end so a piece of indoor/outdoorcarpet will fit snuggly.I may fashon a funnel for it with sheet metal to be attached with small screws.
My box is going to be made from a 12" wide piece of 1/4"or 3/8" plywood 4ft-5 ft long with 1x4(3/4"x3-1/2") sides
__
/__/ like this in cross section,the gold will wash into the area down by the "L" in the word like. sort of the same reason things get trapped at the bottom of low head dams. the turbulance will slow after it goes over the riffle allowing the heavier gold to settle into there.
try these sites:
Plan, Design and Build a Homemade Gold Sluice Box
The New 49'ers Prospecting Club - Sluicing & Surface Mining
these links explain it way better than me,lotsa good info here. As of this point I'm only an armchair expert,butI've read as much info I could find on the net in the past week.

I'll get the camera out later tonight,but as of now I only have the riffle"ladder" built,but you'll be able to see it.

Hank

[schoser]

thanks for helpin me out with this...i like your box plan and will be doing what you did...research. why didn't i think of that?? lol,duh ! . one material i can get is sheet metal and i think i can make something pretty decent now...thanks bud...c

[Hank McMauser]

Thats what I call it ,the wife calls it spending all d#$% night on the computer!

[jimmyjiver]

Hi Hank, I Take It You Are Making This Just To Sit In A Fast Moving Stream And You Will Dump Buckets Of Dirt In It?.....Thanks JJ

[Hank McMauser]

these are called creek sluices,the aluminum ones are fairly light and portable,allows you to work a lot more gravel than panning alone
although you have to add the material slowly you can't just dump it in.
It's best done as a team with two people,one filling the buckets, and carrying them to the sluice,the other feeding the buckets into the sluice.
Hank

[jimmyjiver]

Hi, I Built A Couple Of These But I Made Mine Out Of Aluminum. But Wood Will Work Fine. I Also Made A High Banker And Put A Couple Of Classifier Screens In It Then I Built A Suction Nozzle An Added A Small Gas Engine To The System. It Works Real Good I Catch Alot Of Fine Gold And Process Alot Of Material In No Time,,,,Thanks JJ