New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Hi everyone, this my sluice box I built in my spare time at work I decided to share this with you all because I found it challenging myself researching about building a sluice box. My biggest unknown was setting up the riffles after viewing many pictures and downloading a experiment of different configurations I settled with two 45 degree riffles followed by three z riffles roughly 1inch in height. Spacing them 6-7 inchs apart. Made from weldable alluminium. Next I folded up some 7075 T6 alluminium 12inchs wide and four inchs tall. Next I folded up the funnel being limited with material I wasnt able to make it as wide as I would have liked. Next I had to locate some ribbed rubber matt which I was able to do using this forum and glued it dowb to the channel using waterproof sealant, locating the miners moss was a little tricky but once I located a 3M products manual I found the Nomax 6000 series product. Being very expensive to buy outright I went into trade me and located a roll for a reasonable price I wanted the sluice to be quick to set up so I used anchornuts with countersunk rivets to hold the screws which go through the funnel to the channel. Tracking down expanded mesh was fine as Locker Group stock all types and sizes. Although not wanting to spend $100 on a sheet I managed to find some while not as large as I wanted will do the job for now. To hold the mesh and matting down the riffle tray bolts sit in slots which allows the tray to be pressed down and then the bolts tightened. I will post the sluice riffle experiment and the lockergroup product and pictures and anyother info I found usefull soon.

Expanded Mesh available in Auckland: http://www.locker.com.au...industrial/expanded.html
Riffle Type Tests: http://www.hecklerfabric...Clarkson_Riffle_Test.pdf

Edited by user Monday, 21 October 2013 11:17:42 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi logic, thanks!
Well wanted to test it so went to thames coromandle and up tararu stream after running four buckets of gravel through found three specs of gold after panning out the concentrates, being the first time myself and friend Dan have ever been prospecting and panning we were pleased to see colour. There was also alot of pyrite which means the sluice was catching the heavys. If I could change it I would reduce the height of the riffles and change the spacing to 4-5 inchs as alot of gravel was building up behind the riffles, we did not classify before running through the sluice though so we manually had to remove large rocks, we also noted when cleaning out the miners moss there was a couple dozen if small stones wedged in the fibres, as well that the sluice box at around 1.7m long, when up the smaller streams it was difficult to set up near by to where we were collecting our gravel

-Paul

Edited by user Monday, 21 October 2013 10:10:01 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks Gjj109, it's fair to say I now have the gold bug! It's been on my mind for sometime now, it's amazing how many people think there is no gold to be had in coro anymore, I really wanna little picker to show them, the dust I have at the moment won't do the debate justice.

I agree with your two piece idea as being in one long channel ment with it strapped to my back the bottom would hit my calves and the top would collect branches which made the walk up narrow paths dangerous Yes! It was a good experience going up the tararu you learn what you need, I am currently bidding on a crevice sucker on ebay, it isnt easy to find affordable ones big enough to move amount of gravel I liked the look of the ones with adjustable nozzles, I was thinking of making my own looked into kayak pumps or hand bilges but I didn't want to risk my money on something that might not work. The Americans make some nice pvc looking suckers.

The crevice scraper I will have to get onto, basically just a steel rod with a right angle?

I noticed a few cascades do you think it's worth getting he snorkel on and sucking our the gravel from the bottom?
Also do you know of any maps which show the gold bearing quartz veins in the coromandel?

Thanks for your advice!
-Paul

Edited by user Tuesday, 22 October 2013 8:17:51 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Jimmy yes I really liked the look.of the a51 hence my riffle construction mimicked the two styles used by keene, I'll weigh my box tonight and see how it stacks against the keene.

Has anyone got a copy of these plans? I've tried to find it in the forum search and on the net but with no luck.

Cheers heaps gjj109. :) Mite try to make this one.

Might I suggest you keep in mind the possibility of making one in two pieces that you can bolt together on the stream bank. If each piece is about 750mm in length, and about 230mm wide, ( one slightly narrower so it sits inside the wider one) ,you will be able to fit them in a 10 litre bucket which you can fit in a backpack. That will allow you to wander a bit further from the car.

Made some additions to my Equipment, by far my fav is the
* $8 Crow bar, invaluable for moving large rocks / compacted stones.
* Viewing pipe
* Crevice Sucker with collection Cap
* Made two stainless steel Hand shovels, soo handy...

Hahaha Yeah you're right seems i was Driving thought id take it easy keep my beer goggles from coming on and getting me excited with pyrite... haha