Modified Homemade Sluice

[NCGrampa]

Well, I spent today (Saturday 05-31-08) working on Honey Dos and my homrmade sluice.

I removed the the plywood bottom and replaced it with galvanized sheet metal.

That's Skeeter Underfoot, my assistant.

I changed and extended the rubbermat and added better carpet. I also added a PVC bar on the end to stablize it and to use as a handle.
.

And lastly, I made a "Nugget Basket".  This is a actually a ½ inch classifier. It is open on both ends and sits flush on the sluice.  Hopefully it will save time eliminating pre-screening the dirt.


Also note that I use 1 inch hardware cloth under the riffles to hold the mat and carpet down.

I'll bring it down to the patch next weekend.

[MHP]

Man that's looking good. Great inovations. Bet it will work too. And that is really what it is all about.

[NCGrampa]

Gee, Thanks! 

[NCGrampa]

I am still working on a better method to hold the riffle bar down.  I got a couple of ideas but I don't want to spend the money.

[ricwmashall]

I am still working on a better method to hold the riffle bar down.  I got a couple of ideas but I don't want to spend the money.

I'm making a similar rig. I found that the Squeeze Clamps (like giant clothes pins) seem to work by just clamping  on each side.

Cheap (at Harbor Freight) and versatile.

My problem is finding aluminum angle iron that is 45 degree (for riffles). All I've found is 90 and bending doesn't seem feasible.

My riffles are in very experimental mode at present.

[NCGrampa]

The 90° riffles work fine.  I'm finding as much gold as my son. He is using a store-bought sluice with the Hungarian type riffles (low angle)

If you use the 90° riffles make sure the angle is aiming in the direction of the flow.
               -┐«------- Flow

The concentrates build up under the horizonal piece.

[MHP CPHRMA]

Great picture Grandpa, you pay for art class with the gold you found?

[NCGrampa]

Would you believe that that I never had a lesson?

[ricwmashall]

The 90° riffles work fine.  I'm finding as much gold as my son. He is using a store-bought sluice with the Hungarian type riffles (low angle)

If you use the 90° riffles make sure the angle is aiming in the direction of the flow.
               -┐«------- Flow

The concentrates build up under the horizonal piece.

Thanks. I have plenty of the 90° pieces left over. I'm not welding; just using nuts & bolts, but think I can make it work using multiple nuts on a 1 1/4 inch bolt. (angle metal is 3/4" each side).

In fact, I probably can adjust the nuts and "tune" the oncoming angle a tiny bit; maybe down to  80° or so(?).

Bench grinder will notch lower ends of riffles to bring lower edge flush with bottom of side rails / top of carpet.

All my fasteners are #8 metric. I can carry my nut driver & wrench for in-the-field adjustments. (Not that I know what I'm doing, but if I ever figure out what works, I can shoot for it.)

Nice thing with wooden sides & threaded fasteners is mods are easy.

Thanks again for riffle tip. Should work better than the plastic quarter round for trapping.

BTW... The peel & stick foam insulation is an easy / inexpensive way to prevent fines from slipping between carpet and bottom edge of some riffles. Comes in rolls - less than $2 for a roll.  Very easy to install.

[Pappy]

Posted by: NCGrampa  Posted on: Today at 01:23:22 PM 
Insert Quote 
Would you believe that that I never had a lesson?


NOPE!!

[MHP CPHRMA]

RIC,
If you're working with thin aluminum there is a welding rod sold at Harbor Freight and Northern Tools that works with a small Nap gas tourch to weld the pieces. My first unit I build that way. Takes a little trial and error to get the weld right, it's like brazing more or less. I used flat 1" aluminum and placed it between two pieces of angle iron I got from an old bed frame put that three piece rig togather with clamps to keep them alaigned then placed that rig in a good vice and squezzed till I got the angle I wanted to try. I do go overboard a bit but it was interesting and fun and worked fairly well. Another thing I did that enhanced recovery was to place 1/4 " hardware cloth on top of the carpet and under the riffles for additional trapping for the fine gold. Did a half dozen different things like that till I bought a 'Better Unit'. Think I found just as much gold with the home made rig.

[ricwmashall]

RIC,
If you're working with thin aluminum there is a welding rod sold at Harbor Freight and Northern Tools that works with a small Nap gas tourch to weld the pieces. My first unit I build that way. Takes a little trial and error to get the weld right, it's like brazing more or less. I used flat 1" aluminum and placed it between two pieces of angle iron I got from an old bed frame put that three piece rig togather with clamps to keep them alaigned then placed that rig in a good vice and squezzed till I got the angle I wanted to try. I do go overboard a bit but it was interesting and fun and worked fairly well. Another thing I did that enhanced recovery was to place 1/4 " hardware cloth on top of the carpet and under the riffles for additional trapping for the fine gold. Did a half dozen different things like that till I bought a 'Better Unit'. Think I found just as much gold with the home made rig.

Thanks.
I'm a very green beginner. Only experience is from running a wheel at C.P. a few weeks ago. (Possibly contracted fever on 1st visit...)
I've never even worked a sluice, but met a nice guy at Patch who showed me how his worked in the creek Tuesday. That was a very interesting hour for me! (I hope I didn't drive him nuts with stupid questions.)

I'm using aluminum angles as side rails (Home Depot). They measure 3/4" both ways and are pretty stout. I have 1" flat on each end.

This is all a fun project for me (I'm retired). I'm learning as I go along.... Trial and error all the way.

The H.F. rods sound like even more fun to try out!

Looking at boxes on web and in C.P. shop got me thinking.
Looking at junk in my garage got me started.
Looking at actual box in action Tuesday got me back to the drawing board.
(NCGrampa's little illustration made a light come on!)

I did run a patio test with #9 shot & yard soil/gravel into my wheelbarrow. Carpet got all the shot.

All my riffles are coming out and new/improved ones are going in. My concept of how they function is gradually coming into focus.

Monday I go to NC mountains (Ashe County) with good creeks to play in. This will give me a chance to see how box performs in real creek. Hopes of gold  in that area are minimal (maybe gemstones?). I'll carry some #9 for testing.

I'm dying to set up at C.P. soon, but probably will rent a box. Mine is only 6" wide, is mostly from scraps and subject to a very early retirement! I consider it more of an academic exercise than anything else.

My next trip to C.P. will be for sluicing and after that I'll know more on whether I want to buy a factory made box or try to fabricate one on a functional scale.

I hope to make the Festival on the 11th and maybe find a used something at the swap fest.
 

[NCGrampa]

Ric,

Yep, you got the fever.  You sound like the rest of us.  There's alway someone at the CP building a homemade (fill in the blank) to recover/catch/process gold.  MPH (George) has a whole building of toys built and purchased to recover/catch/process the yaller stuff.  Sam is much the same. He has a video of his fine recovery sluice on the forum somewhere.  Pappy, likes to find gold and is trying to find a way to blow something up to get more gold. Steven (SLynch) is still polishing his shovels. (Sorry Steven.  I couldn't resist one more shinny shovel jab.)

You should consider some of the classes put on by the Professor (AKA FL_Boss).

[ricwmashall]

Ric,

Yep, you got the fever.  You sound like the rest of us.  There's alway someone at the CP building a homemade (fill in the blank) to recover/catch/process gold.  MPH (George) has a whole building of toys built and purchased to recover/catch/process the yaller stuff.  Sam is much the same. He has a video of his fine recovery sluice on the forum somewhere.  Pappy, likes to find gold and is trying to find a way to blow something up to get more gold. Steven (SLynch) is still polishing his shovels. (Sorry Steven.  I couldn't resist one more shinny shovel jab.)

You should consider some of the classes put on by the Professor (AKA FL_Boss).

I'd probably enjoy some classroom. Is there information available?

I re-did my riffles today and added a shoulder strap for a 100 yard hike to a Reidsville creek Sunday for a wet run.

I'd like to add a picture, but don't know how. (I have .jpg on PC, can't figure out the image insertion steps..)

[MHP CPHRMA]

MEDIC!

ricwmashall has the fever!

Another one bites the dust.

You'll get more ideas than you have time to try them, or at least it struck a few of that way. The learning curve has started and will never end. There is a a browse button under 'Additional Options' below the 'Message' box on the post reply screen to find and upload your picture ric. 'Watch the size' there is a limit of the size and quantity. 2048 KB if I'm not mistaken. The hardware I have made can be seen in Mint Hill if you ever visit that area. Most of us love to show and tell.