New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

First time sluicing

Cleggie		Posted : Monday, 9 April 2012 8:47:43 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Hi this is my first time sluicing, I traveled down to Queenstown from Christchurch and took with me a sluice box I built at work. I meet up with my brother and we tried it out in the Shotover river. I was reasonably happy with the performance of the sluice but can see room for improvements. It is constructed out of 200mm x 65mm x 5mm extruded aluminium channel 1,200mm long. Two things I want to modify, firstly make it deeper... add 40mm to the sides. That will allow a greater volume of water to flow down the sluice. And secondly shorten the sluice by about 400mm, that will allow the sluice to be set at a steeper angle and that should increase the velocity of the water flow. We found that the sluice riffles tended to get clogged up with small stones and that would mean fine gold would be washed out the tailend. So if the both the volume and velocity of the water is increased then that should clear the riffles of small stones and allow the sluice to work better . Three and a half hours for about 0.3 grammes of gold isn't a good return for the effort, but I am wrapped to have found some gold. See the links and pics below http://www.youtube.com/w...eature=player_detailpage http://www.youtube.com/w...eature=player_detailpage

simon		Posted : Monday, 9 April 2012 11:05:19 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		hi cleggie, i watched your video. i used to visit that beach a hell of a lot so know it well. i have dug up a large amount of it. i would recommend next time heading upriver a tad. where the largest boulders are is good. also way up just before the tunnel. you can usually see signs of other people diggings about also. .3 grams is probably alright for your time considering you are only putting a trowel full of gravel through at a time. i had a bet a few times with some mates doing the same and every time the most gold was won by shovelling all grades through the sluice as fast as possible. without classifying. i pull out the largest rocks of course as i shovel. i use a small shovel that is easier to get amongst the rocks. you are right in getting a shorter box to maximise what little fall is in the river there. there are a couple of places where me and some others have made some good spots to put a sluice in. sometimes these need rebuilt a bit if a flood has come through.
		WWW

chchfossiker		Posted : Tuesday, 10 April 2012 4:06:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 5/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 151 Location: christchurch Thanks: 9 times Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 12 post(s)		id be happy with .3grams for your first go at it.more than i got on my first time sluicing well done

Cleggie		Posted : Wednesday, 11 April 2012 5:57:08 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: simon hi cleggie, i watched your video. i used to visit that beach a hell of a lot so know it well. i have dug up a large amount of it. i would recommend next time heading upriver a tad. where the largest boulders are is good. also way up just before the tunnel. you can usually see signs of other people diggings about also. .3 grams is probably alright for your time considering you are only putting a trowel full of gravel through at a time. i had a bet a few times with some mates doing the same and every time the most gold was won by shovelling all grades through the sluice as fast as possible. without classifying. i pull out the largest rocks of course as i shovel. i use a small shovel that is easier to get amongst the rocks. you are right in getting a shorter box to maximise what little fall is in the river there. there are a couple of places where me and some others have made some good spots to put a sluice in. sometimes these need rebuilt a bit if a flood has come through. Thanks Simon, I have a plan in my head for a self classifying sluice that would make the time spent at the river more productive. Just sovel large amounts of gravel and sand into the sluice and let the water do all the work. Sounds like the best bet. David and I talked about venturing further up the river, so that also sounds like a good plan for next time.

Cleggie		Posted : Wednesday, 11 April 2012 6:23:10 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Just one further thing I'd like to share is my brother David's finnishing sluice and his method of removing black sand. Really simple idea, a magnet in a plastic Marmite jar. Watch the action on the link below http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D2JFzKM0xk

Cleggie		Posted : Thursday, 12 April 2012 6:19:46 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: chchfossiker id be happy with .3grams for your first go at it.more than i got on my first time sluicing well done Thanks for the kind words, and yes I am more than happy with my few wee gold flakes. Just makes me more determined than ever to do even better next time...hehehe...

Free Fossicker Forster		Posted : Friday, 13 April 2012 9:33:10 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 30/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 35 Location: Oxford, New Zealand Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 16 time(s) in 8 post(s)		Hello Cleggie from another newbie sluicer from Canterbury. I have just done my second attempt at sluicing at Slab Hut Creek with similar results to yours. I have heard it said you need a different sluice box for different circumstances. Just thinking my sluice box with smaller riffles ( a bit like ribbed rubber matting) might overcome the low angle problem in a spot like that. From my testing all that seems to get through it is a small amount of the very fine "flour" gold. All the larger flakes seem to drop almost immediately. I'm not sure how it would go with either bigger bits of gold or full steam ahead shovelling, high productivity. I'm set to work on the latter. As I said a newbie, not an expert, but thought I'd pipe in with my thoughts.

Cleggie		Posted : Tuesday, 17 April 2012 6:43:17 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Free Fossicker Forster Hello Cleggie from another newbie sluicer from Canterbury. I have just done my second attempt at sluicing at Slab Hut Creek with similar results to yours. I have heard it said you need a different sluice box for different circumstances. Just thinking my sluice box with smaller riffles ( a bit like ribbed rubber matting) might overcome the low angle problem in a spot like that. From my testing all that seems to get through it is a small amount of the very fine "flour" gold. All the larger flakes seem to drop almost immediately. I'm not sure how it would go with either bigger bits of gold or full steam ahead shovelling, high productivity. I'm set to work on the latter. As I said a newbie, not an expert, but thought I'd pipe in with my thoughts. Hi FFF, Slab Hut creek? Is that on the west coast? I am looking for a good spot to running my sluice that is closer to Ch,Ch. A drive to the coast for a few hours fossicking I can do... maybe a monthly thing if the weather is favorable. I have watched some videos on Youtube that feature special rubber matting (Keene miracle matting and GoldHog matting) I like what I see but am a little put off by the high cost. So I may try some good old Kiwi DIY and adapt some standard ribbed matting by gluing some small rubber riffles on to it and see how that works... just love fiddling about with stuff, hate buying expensive gear when with a little thought and ingenuity you can come up with a nice cheep alternative.

Free Fossicker Forster		Posted : Wednesday, 18 April 2012 2:10:28 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 30/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 35 Location: Oxford, New Zealand Thanks: 17 times Was thanked: 16 time(s) in 8 post(s)		Hello again Cleggie Slab Hut Creek is a public fossicking area just south of Reefton on the way to Greymouth. I am planning heading over to Goldsborough (near Hokitika) tomorrow evening with family to try it out. Its another public fossicking area apparently of some repute and is maybe the quickest to reach from Christchurch. Both of them have camping facilities and are popular with fossickers. I am also looking to getting over the west coast maybe monthly for a weekend, and I'd be keen to coordinate efforts with others, and maybe also at some stage to get off the beaten track for some exploration (for safety reasons as well as company). Those videos of the rubber matting certainly interest me and in fact I've been trying to create slightly larger riffles using duct tape over the smaller ones. Not sure if that's wise if the gold sticks to the duct tape. Perhaps the glue idea is better. Wedging didn't work as there were gaps underneath. My sluice box is made of lightweight material same as the wheelie bins and was quite cheap (from Trademe). I cut it into two parts and cut alot of the material off to make an ultra lightweight box for a cycle touring trip. Now I can stick them back together with rubber tubing seals and bolts when I want to make a larger box (for the intense shovelling). I reckon you could use all sorts of different matting and materials. I'll be on the lookout for useful "junk" at local garage sales to keep creating.

DGR		Posted : Wednesday, 18 April 2012 3:06:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 13/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 9 Location: Christchurch Was thanked: 5 time(s) in 3 post(s)		Hey I came across an old guy feeding a sluice box on my claim once, no big deal but i was shocked at how much gold he was catching with rubber car floor mats glued to the bottom of his box. He would do 10 Shovel fulls then let the box clear and just dump the sluce box contents into a bucket and carry on shoveling. The thin flat gold almost appeared to adhere itself to the rubber mat which was interesting to watch. I subsequently went and bought a couple of mats from Repco to try in one of my dredge side boxes and i was quite impressed. Ive tried to post a photo of a similar mat but not to sure if it will work. Cheers DGR DGR attached the following image(s):

kiwikeith		Posted : Wednesday, 18 April 2012 4:48:44 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 28/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 648 Location: hector Thanks: 359 times Was thanked: 230 time(s) in 154 post(s)		you are right the old rubber car mat sure as hell works on my wash up box thats all i use

Cleggie		Posted : Wednesday, 18 April 2012 6:58:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		Hi DGR, KiwiKeith, He he he... Car mats. I did look sideways at some welcome mats I saw in in a shop once. I was surprised at how well the ribbed matting worked, the gold flakes seemed to just drop straight into the groves and stayed there no matter how fast the water was flowing. I guess the gold would drop to the bottom once I trowelled it on to the flare and it would just silde on the aluminium and be caught by the rubber mat. I brought some rubber cement and am cutting strips of ribbed mat to glue onto a mat to create some small riffles as I write this. I little bit of work with a craft knife and a steel rule, a dab or two of the glue and it is looking good already. I will post some pics when it is finished

kiwikeith		Posted : Wednesday, 18 April 2012 7:38:32 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 28/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 648 Location: hector Thanks: 359 times Was thanked: 230 time(s) in 154 post(s)		sure is interesting how rubber things with ribs work wounders even with the groves not to sure about glueing it on ha ha