Yup, I don't want to pan everything anymore. So it's time to Build a sluice , and I'm Broke so it's going to be out of whatever Scrap I can Find.

Turns out my Ex wife has an old microwave out in the shed, the display doesn't work , and i guess it's been there since she moved in 6 years ago.

I've taken the sheet metal cover off of it and it so happens that i'll be able to get a 48" long x 8" wide x 3.5" deep shell out of it. I start cutting tomorrow. :D

Will take pics as soon as I find some batteries for the camera.

Good project.
The old timers made due and got plenty of Gold.
Smart prospectors are always improvising in the field.... repairs, wing-dams, sluice props, gravity dredge, etc
You can come up with something effective without spending money, and it will make you money!
I'll donate some expanded metal to your cause if you'd like, I have some killer stuff salvaged from a pet barricade.
It's aluminum... great if you're running a magnet occasionally. Gaps are about 1/2" and it has built in mini-vortex chambers.
Would work well for a "pop and son" or DFS type sluice.
If you want some let me know what size and I'll cut it for ya and send it US Mail.
Send me a PM with a shipping address and I'll hook ya up. Would like to see you come up with a good sluice.

Thanx Swizz!!! PM Sent.

Well I got outside today, took the cover off the microwave.
Got it all Straight and flat. cut it down to 36" and got the main body bent.

Sonow i have a 8"w x 36"L x 4"d sluice.

The left over 12x17" i'm going to use to make the "Flare", probably work on that some tonight.

Next is figuring out the riffles.

This is a fun lil project if i must say.

HAPPY HUNTING!

PS still no good batteries found yet , but as soon as i locate them , pics will be coming!

You shouldn't need too much in the way of riffles if you're going after typical Colorado gold (small). Look up "pop and son sluice". One of the highest recovery of fine Gold sluices ever designed and it doesn't have riffle bars. I think it was the best rated sluice device (highest percent of recovery) according to the Clarkson Study way back.
Here's what a "pop and son sluice" looks like: Pop and Son Example
I might throw in a short section of Gold Hog Scrubber Mat. You can rig that just above the expanded metal section. It has a large riffle and a bunch of mini riffles. Not much ever makes it through the Gold Hog stuff but if it does... it'll have to then run the gauntlet of that expanded aluminum and whatever you decide to put under it... either V-mat, carpet, both, other? Food for thought.
Whatever you do... try to make it uncomplicated. Make sure it's easy to do clean-ups throughout the day without using tools (use wingnuts, clamps, etc). Tear-down and setup doesn't sound like a big deal, but it really is.
Keeping it simple will make your life a lot easier. Also consider weight and ability to carry.

Here is that study I mentioned: Pop and Son had incredible recovery!

I've been reading that. very good info.

True that stuff i find in clear creek is very fine , i've still got a lot of learnin' to do .

yep,Swizz gave some good advice!

well today after reading "how to build and operate sluice boxes" by Gary Weishaupt for the (random number here) time. I got the flare (inlet) measured cut and bent .

Now I just need to decide how to fasten it.

I think this thing is going to work awesome in Clear Creek when I get done with it.
Can't wait to get out and Test it. Hopefully before things start icing over.

Happy Hunting!

I built a homemade sluice just like you are about to have (a couple years ago) to try out different mats without riffles...I think you will be really happy with it.

Hints:
1. Attach a couple cross bars across the top so you can easily put a couple rocks on top of the sluice
2. Wing dams work better than flares in most cases like this and skipping the flare makes your sluice easier to transport, etc. So try it without the flare first and add it later if you really want it.
3. Run the water level at about 1/2-1 inch deep (not more) for better fine gold recovery
4. Classify everything this is going in your sluice to 1/4 or even better 1/8 inch

Good luck and see you on the river!

Ok I have a question?? as usual i'm probably over analysing but after lookin at a pic where they had added 2x4's to create a "High Pressure" area.

wouldn't it make sense to stop the 2x4's at the end of the slick area just before the matting, to crate a "low Pressure" and drop the gold?

Just like in a river, I tend to check areas where the river widens and slows down .
Does this make sense or am I way off?

Welp I managed to get a Webcam to work just good enough to snap a couple of pics as promised.

Here's what I have so far.



I backed up the sheet metal with some aluminium strip (the white bit) so the screws had a little something to bite into.

I don't think it's turning out too bad so far.

Hard to believe it used to be the outer shell of a microwave.

i did the samething with my DFS sluice because my 12 vdc bilge pump didnt have enough energy to pump enough water. and yes i do beleive he would be better off stopping the 2x4 at the expanded.your sluice is off to a great start! free and done except for what ever you want to put in the sluice!

AuRush69, looks like a great job so far , I have some old/good shape carpet from my keene 52 if you want it, also have some scrap v-matt if you could use it as well, just pm me your ph#. best, Dennis

Thanx a Bunch traddoer!

This Helps a lot.

This community is the best!! hands down!

I had found a roll of rubberized Shelf liner in a cabinet I was going to use, I still may try it just to see how effective it would have been (i'm curious that way) . But it's sure hard to pass up proven methods.

Well a couple aluminium straps across the top to support a rock and stiffen it up a tad. And something to hold down the mesh from swizz and the matting and I think we'll have us one helluva DIY'ers special!

More pics of final assembly to come (well as soon as i get the final assembly done) .

Thanx everyone for making this much better than i had even hoped when i started.

Happy Hunting!

Rush,
I'm still not able to be in town during postal hours and send your stuff. I'm in a rush at the Ranch on a project from dawn til dusk every day this week. With luck I'll be done tomorrow which will give me Friday to ship.
Your sluice box looks good so far!

Thanx. I appreciate it all the same , when ever you have the time Swizz. That Creek's not going anywhere
I just kind of excited to get pics up and share the project with every one.
I'm still deciding if i want to chop up an old back pack and rig the straps to it. LOL

Hey bud,
Finished at the Ranch and I have the rest of the afternoon off!
I'm going to cut that expanded metal and get it in the mail shortly. I'm cutting an 8" wide piece for ya... maybe a little over 2ft length.

Also... regarding "flaring out" toward the tail-end of your sluice. I'm not a big fan of that. Slowing down the flow rate at the end of the sluice may have a tendency to clog or overfill the last set of riffles which can have an adverse effect on recovery. If the tail end of your sluice disperses outward and washes slower (different rate of flow).... it could potentially fill and everything will pass over.
Just a thought.

edit: shipped!

Thanx, I'll watch for it.

yeah , i have a lot to learn about setting up a sluice. My son got a bug in his pants and couldn't wait for me to finish mine so he went and bought him self an A52 today. we spent a couple hours fooling with it trying to get the flow right. we never quite got it, not sure if the flow was to slow or if we just didn't have enough angle on it.

but i'm sure we'll get it figure out eventually.

heh all the videos i see make it look so easy , but still much to learn. But will have fun in the process.

A52 is a great all-around sluice and I own one. It's factory configuration is best suited to capture larger Gold and the high riffles leave you with a lot of concentrate. It runs well and will process a lot of material as long as you have an ample water source. General rule of thumb for A52 run-angle is 1/2" - 1" of pitch for every foot length of sluice box. Depth of flow through the box should be maybe 1" or so when feeding it. Best to feed it with material that has been classified down to 1/2" or smaller.

I'm not a sluice expert but continue to learn new strategies for recovery. The following is just my opinion from experience:
I don't think that the A52 factory configuration is best suited for most Colorado Gold recovery situations. I gutted mine long ago and installed several different matting/riffle configurations to best suit my purposes (fines and occasional pickers). The only thing that is currently "factory" about my A52 is the "box" and it's short section of glued-in V mat (just below the flare). At this time I have it choked down to 6" width using clamped-in 2X4s which are cut to flare inward at the top. This increases the flow rate.... since I'm normally working in low flow situations. The capture material is Gold Hog matting in this pic. I also have other configurations for it that I've created and use with success. There are a few topics in the Equipment section here where I've illustrated some of my A52 mods.
Bottom line is.... the A52 is an excellent "box" and super easy to modify. The "box" you are building should be just as versatile and more effective than a 'factory' Keene A52 when finished.
I never liked the Keene factory configuration but have been extremely happy with it's versatility in terms of customization.
Personally, I think that you will do better at recovery with your fabricated sluice than the factory A52 if you configure it well... and I think you're on the right track by studying 'pop and son', Clarkson, and other ideas.

My current A52 GH Modification, obviously looks nothing like 'factory'. Very simple, very effective. (GH matting was expensive however )

Very inforative! thanx
Got the package yesterday, Thank you Very much Swizz!

But now i'm at a cross roads , i don't know if i Should use the green carpet or the v-groove under the expanded.
Any Advice ??

I'm not planning on buyin Vortex or miners moss anytime soon, but for just messing around in town right now. maybe if i can find myself a claim spot in the spring i'll rethink things.

On a side note after he bought the A52 and we fiddled with it for about 3 hours (got a late start, like 4:30pm late) it got dark quick.
so i cleaned out the cons at the kitchen sink, turns out we still caught about as much as we have been getting on the 2 previous trips, so i still think we're doin' pretty good.

just wish i had more time to play in the river with out the EXWife complaining about how i'm "Still not makin' any Money" ( she don't understand that i'm not doing it for the $) Meh anyway.

soon as i figure out how to hold everything in place i'll get new pics up

HAPPY Hunting!!

Maybe run a foot or so of each under the expanded. Breaking up the flow is always a good idea. V-Mat under expanded is definitely a good catcher.