DIY Mini River Sluice

[InteroBusteerio]

Hello.

Im looking at making a portable mini sluice for creeks with low water flow. It's not necessarily for increasing production so much as making life a little easier. I like to just plonk myself down and feed a sluice for an hour rather than pan for the same amount of time.

My idea is to get a length of PVC downpipe from Bunnings which measures 100mm wide by 50mm high, and some ribbed matting from Clark Rubber. $20 total. I'll take the downpipe, cut it to length and then cut one of the large faces off. Next insert the ribbed rubber mat and it'll be good to go. Though I'll probably make a flare for it also. Thinking about 50cm length in total, 40cm ribbed mat and 10cm flare.

Not sure if the ribbed mat alone will be enough to catch all the gold. I'm not exactly experienced but I've only ever seen sluices with only ribbed matting used or advertised as clean up sluices. But I don't see why it wouldn't work if the material being fed in has been classified accordingly. I was going to try classifying down to 1/4 inch but maybe smaller would be required?

Would it be better to go something like 15cm ribbed mat at the top end and 25cm miners moss (bayliss mat from Bunnings) on the bottom end or miners moss all the way or some other combination? Or would the ribbed matting alone work fine? I like the idea of the ribbed mat alone because it would make cleanups quick and easy...not that it would be that hard to clean up even the most complicated sluice of that size, probably.

Maybe I am totally off the mark here. But that why I'm asking here first...so I don't waste my time.

Thanks

 

[yobskin]

That will work fine mate trust the ribbed matting it catches.
Put in a rifle to catch nuggets and the flakey stuff, it will get pushed out other wise. Good idea though.

 

[InteroBusteerio]

Thanks. But what kind of riffle? A drop riffle? Should I put it at the start of the ribbed mat or at the end?

 

[Twapster]

As long as you classify down enough, it will catch gold sensationally without issue.

 

[InteroBusteerio]

So this is what I've come up with in the end:

 

[yobskin]

Any type of rifle just to stop nuggys fly,n down.
I would put one at the start...
Looks nice n lite mate happy dayz.

 

[Chickennugget]

I like that looks really good.

 

[InteroBusteerio]

Not bad for $10 worth of materials and an hour of my time.

I could cut the mat shorter, maybe 2cm. This could act as a little trap maybe? Would result in a 3mm drop from flare and a 4mm rise at the front of the mat. Would that be adequate to trap a small nugget? If not, what would you suggest?

Also, going to give it a run tomorrow so will report back then with how it goes.

 

[casper]

good luck cobber.... it'll certainly do the job

casper

 

[yobskin]

Yep do that... it will work.
Good luck testing hope ya get sore cheeks...

 

[Pawny]

I really like the look of that looks professional looks so simple to make to and portable. The problem I have is my sluice is big and takes up room plus the pump etc.

 

[InteroBusteerio]

So yeah tested it today and it ran very well. Quite happy with it. Caught some very fine stuff in there and was definately faster than panning. On to a winner I think.

 

[Pawny]

So im guessing the wider bit at the start of it is to concentrate more water into it to get better flow?

 

[Bluestreaker545]

Hi there, im definitely gunna steal this idea to try, bunnings also has rubber mats with a diamond pattern which reminds me of the expanded walkway mesh so im wondering if that would work. What did you make the flare out of ?

cheers bs545

 

[yobskin]

Go the ribbed mat it catches gold....
6 inches down put a riffle in ....most of your gold wont get past it garrantee! And if it does it will stay trapped behind it. i promise....

 

[InteroBusteerio]

So im guessing the wider bit at the start of it is to concentrate more water into it to get better flow?

That's correct. But to be fair, I probably made the fair a little too wide.

 

[InteroBusteerio]

Hi there, im definitely gunna steal this idea to try, bunnings also has rubber mats with a diamond pattern which reminds me of the expanded walkway mesh so im wondering if that would work. What did you make the flare out of ?

cheers bs545

Feel free. Glad you like it. I suppose that stuff might work. I personally wouldn't be willing to experiment but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

And I made the flare from the top section that I cut off. It was a downpipe so just cut a 40cm section off the pipe, then just cut one of the large faces of that 40cm section and cut that up to make the flare.

 

[Stuart1989]

How heavy is it? I made mine from 2mm ally... Being sheet metal worker its all I found that was chwap

 

[Dug]

Great idea intero bustero nice work.

 

[crustydog]

Nice job