How am I Sluicing Wrong? - Vid Inside!

Hi all,

Using my boss's sluice as he keeps it at my place. Don't seem to be having much luck though, she seems to keep clogging up!

I've watched a few videos on setting up a sluice but obviously doing something wrong, do I really need so much water for the sluice to work effectively?

Is it the angle? Or do I just need more water?

[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/-LivtK44bqw[/video]

Where the water is deep at the discharge end there is insufficient flow to cause material exchange. More slope and keep the end out of the water.

The sluice isn't meant to be underwater!

It definitely needs more angle, but you've also got to raise it higher, so the water around the sluice doesn't partially cover it, which saps the energy of the water rushing through it and allows it to clog.

You need to build a dam at a suitable spot in the creek where there is a drop already, prob should take 10 min.
you want a nice amount going into the sluice to create a V pattern.

This guy clowns around but he knows his stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo27s0pQ6bc&t=688s

the gold rat sluices are great. they take a decent amount of flow though. you may have to classify the material finer if you can't get the flow better.

First time I went out....

[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/gaTS4oqVJis[/video]

Ok thanks so much guys.

So main things learned so far are that the discharge end needs to be out of the water and I need more of an angle.

I think I need a physics lesson as to why keeping the sluice out the water more helps the flow but happy to take your word on it!

Maybe Anderson's Creek is too small to get the 12 inch gold rat going!

Thanks guys, if you have any more suggestions would love to hear them!

The problem with the end of the sluice in the water in your situation is that the water through the sluice is faster than the water out of it so the sluice end fills with slow water and in turn slows the flow and the sluice stops working efficiently. If the stream is running as fast outside the sluice then you probably won't have as much of a problem if any as the water through the sluice can exit without slowing down. In your situation with the exit in slow water lifting the end out of the water allows for the water to drain at nearly the same velocity as it entered the sluice.
Jon

mate I just came across this now, most of what im going to say has been said already above.

Your sluice needs water flowing through it, think about tossing a rock onto a sheet of tin sitting in the water... its not going to flow off the end.

Drop is also critical to maintain momentum, you want the lighter material to be carried away while holding onto the heavies that requires some decent drop, 9.5 degrees is good fall and you can go steeper if your water is a bit scarce but try to stay around 9-10 degrees.

When looking at the water when setting up a sluice think is there enough flow to move a rock because you plan on dumping rocks into the slcuie all day, if there isn't don't bother or if you have limited fall try to classify a bit and remove the larger rocks.

the end of the sluice need to be out of the water of at least allowing water to fall freely, by submersing it you are essentially putting the handbrake on any forward momentum by meeting it with equal backward force so it will just load up no matter how thick and fast the water is.

you may have seen my videos in Eldorado or Creswick where i set my sluice up buried in the water that is absolutely fine....."If your water has good forward force, unlike the soft curve in the outside bend of a massive river where water slowly falls through your sluice if you want it deep in the water it has to be fast water to clean effectively.

looking at your video i would say that level of flow would be better suited to a 8 inch sluice or one of our new minicell backpacker profiles whihc work well i low flow for classified material https://highbanker.com.au/collections/sluices/products/6-inch-mini-cells-dream-mat-sluice


if you find a nice rock and level the base of your slcuie up and try to wing dam a bit to get more flow you may be get away with it. if you get stuck or need a hand your always welcome to give me a call my numbers on my website

Mate, this thing looks AWESOME. I was talking to my mate last night saying I wish you would make a backpacking sluice, and here it is! I reckon I will be picking one of these up. More affordable for somebody like me too.

Also really appreciate the tips and the offer of support for the 12 incher, that's really useful. Will have another go and get back to you all with another video.

happy to help mate its supposed to be fun after all

grubstake said:

The sluice isn't meant to be underwater!

It definitely needs more angle, but you've also got to raise it higher, so the water around the sluice doesn't partially cover it, which saps the energy of the water rushing through it and allows it to clog.

Click to expand...

re the bold underlined above ...... sorry but can't agree! a sluice will work submerged provided there is sufficient velocity of water moving through the sluice. Occasional Panner and Gold Rats advice re building rock wing dams to capture more water and direct it through the sluice is spot on :Y: and that is how i always set up.

casper

In the case above Casper mate theres not enough velocity in the water to self clear thats for sure

G0lddigg@ said:

In the case above Casper mate theres not enough velocity in the water to self clear thats for sure

Click to expand...

Absolutely!

...and Econwatson actually alluded to that in his post... he's on the money but wasn't quite sure