Have you ever tried gold panning?... If you have then great!!!
But have you ever wondered what gold sluicing and a sluice box is? and, how this simple and easy tool can help make your gold panning experience better?
In this jam-packed article I will answer this question, and hopefully, I will answer some more questions that you may not have thought about yet. I have written this article with the express purpose of helping any beginner gold prospector, or any of those of you who want to know about the gold sluice.
What Does Sluice Mean?
The term 'sluice' means to regulate water or to create an artificial watercourse. It can also be described as the act of rinsing in a place. Put Simply, the use of a sluice is a way of interrupting the water flow through the act of rinsing material (dirt) that go's through the sluice's course.
The sluice therefore, is designed to rinse dirt to extract gold from your chosen prospecting place.
What is a Sluice Box?
A sluice box is a general term that is used for a device that can either go in or out of a river to help the gold prospector process gold from the dirt that he/she puts through the sluice.
Through the act of placing dirt from your diggings into the sluice, the gold prospector can rinse the dirt through the sluice allowing gold to be captured if it is there.
Some other names for a sluice box are gold sluice, sluice, and gold sluice box.
The sluice box is an open-ended long metal ¾ box shape (usually made out of aluminum) or hard plastic box that is placed in a river. The sluice box is 'U'-shaped much like a large piece of gutter pipe with a wider opening at one end much like a flat funnel shape (where the dirt goes in) and then it ends with a straight 'U' gutter or 'tray end'.
For a sluice to work it needs three (3) more ingredients. Firstly, there are small ridges inside the straight tray end of the sluice box called riffles.
Secondly, the next component is the matting material underneath the riffles that captures the gold for later processing, and, the third part is a metal mesh that sits between the riffles and the matting.
1. The riffles - Are designed to create an interruption in the water flow allowing the gold to settle down behind the riffles. (I will be discussing the riffles in another article at a later date). However, for ease of this introduction to the sluice, all you need to know at present is that a sluice needs the riffles to make the sluice box work.
2. The matting - The matting under the riffles is designed to help capture the gold once it has fallen down after going over the riffles. This can be made from a number of different products either plastic, rubber, or carpet type matting.
3. The metal mesh - Is much like screen door aluminum mesh that keeps the matting material under the riffles, but, also allows for further water disruption allowing the gold to be captured.
Size and Dimensions of the Sluice
The following figures are general approximations that relate only to a manual OR 'in-river' sluices that you would carry and place into river course.
LENGTH - 1000mm (40 inches)
WIDTH - 250mm wide (10 inches)
HEIGHT - Tray height 100mm (4 inches) high
Types of Sluice
There are also different categories of the Gold Sluice as well, and, each of these describe their different function and action, such as:
- Manual or (river) sluice
- High Banker or a 'Power sluice'
So Which Gold Sluice Is for Me?
So, which one do you choose? Well, this answer has many parts.
For beginner gold prospectors, I would suggest using a manual or in river sluice box to get accustomed with the workings of the gold sluice. They are really not that hard of a contraption, but getting it set up to the way you like it and for good gold recovery are all part of the gold prospecting learning experience.
For gold prospectors considering the later type of the power or 'high-banker' gold sluice, I would suggest you either speak to a number of specialist prospecting clubs and gold prospecting supply stores before making this step as it involves more technical knowledge relating to set-up, pumps, and the different systems used for these beasts. Also the cost of the 'high-banker' is quite high compared to the manual gold sluice.
Now as just mentioned, the second part to choosing a sluice box is cost. Cost of a manual sluice can range from $60 and then up to $500 for a two-tiered system depending on its brand and set-up. With 'high-banker' or power sluice boxes, the cost can range from about $800 up to $3000.00 depending on the size of the system.
What Are the Benefits of Each Sluice Type?
Manual Sluice - Light, usually easy to carry and put in river, takes up less room usually than the power sluice box.
Power sluice - Ability to set-up away from the river, can set-up closer to a dry river bed source and process dirt without having to carry to the river sluice.
What Are Negatives of Type of Sluice Box?
Manual Sluice - Making sure you adjust the gradient to get the right flow velocity to capture the gold, having to carry dirt to the stream where the sluice is to process it, and having to move the sluice if too much if the dirt material banks up, and the height of the sluice will be at river as opposed to loading into a two tiered system.
Power Sluice - Cost, Storage, space it takes up, and technical skill.
What's the Lesson With Sluice Boxes?
All of the negatives with both of these systems can be overcome quite easily, and it is up to your individual skill, ability, and gold prospector determination that will help overcome these that will give you a greater boost in your take-home gold.
That's Great! But Where's The Gold?
With any good system there is always and end to the process, and this is no different with using a Sluice. It is the cleaning up process at the end of your sluicing work that the gold is recovered from the sluice box. The end product is then panned off into your gold pans and hopefully the spoils of your work will be revealed.
I will expand further on this sluice article in another couple of posts in the coming future. I hope that you have enjoyed this article and I look forward to helping you on your way to a fantastic gold prospecting future.
I've written this article with the information you should need to help you understand some of the basics of gold sluice boxes. If you're ready to gain some more great gold prospecting information, then what you need is a resource that doesn't just give you copies of the same old internet tips that everyone else has.
What is the point in going over the same free information that everyone (including some experts) are using? What you need is the benefit of some sound gold prospecting knowledge that will help you improve gold prospecting returns.You literally have NOTHING to lose by visiting my Gold prospecting website.
You will find more great information to help you improve your chances of finding gold there, and, more articles and resources on gold
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8658920
But have you ever wondered what gold sluicing and a sluice box is? and, how this simple and easy tool can help make your gold panning experience better?
In this jam-packed article I will answer this question, and hopefully, I will answer some more questions that you may not have thought about yet. I have written this article with the express purpose of helping any beginner gold prospector, or any of those of you who want to know about the gold sluice.
What Does Sluice Mean?
The term 'sluice' means to regulate water or to create an artificial watercourse. It can also be described as the act of rinsing in a place. Put Simply, the use of a sluice is a way of interrupting the water flow through the act of rinsing material (dirt) that go's through the sluice's course.
The sluice therefore, is designed to rinse dirt to extract gold from your chosen prospecting place.
What is a Sluice Box?
A sluice box is a general term that is used for a device that can either go in or out of a river to help the gold prospector process gold from the dirt that he/she puts through the sluice.
Through the act of placing dirt from your diggings into the sluice, the gold prospector can rinse the dirt through the sluice allowing gold to be captured if it is there.
Some other names for a sluice box are gold sluice, sluice, and gold sluice box.
The sluice box is an open-ended long metal ¾ box shape (usually made out of aluminum) or hard plastic box that is placed in a river. The sluice box is 'U'-shaped much like a large piece of gutter pipe with a wider opening at one end much like a flat funnel shape (where the dirt goes in) and then it ends with a straight 'U' gutter or 'tray end'.
For a sluice to work it needs three (3) more ingredients. Firstly, there are small ridges inside the straight tray end of the sluice box called riffles.
Secondly, the next component is the matting material underneath the riffles that captures the gold for later processing, and, the third part is a metal mesh that sits between the riffles and the matting.
1. The riffles - Are designed to create an interruption in the water flow allowing the gold to settle down behind the riffles. (I will be discussing the riffles in another article at a later date). However, for ease of this introduction to the sluice, all you need to know at present is that a sluice needs the riffles to make the sluice box work.
2. The matting - The matting under the riffles is designed to help capture the gold once it has fallen down after going over the riffles. This can be made from a number of different products either plastic, rubber, or carpet type matting.
3. The metal mesh - Is much like screen door aluminum mesh that keeps the matting material under the riffles, but, also allows for further water disruption allowing the gold to be captured.
Size and Dimensions of the Sluice
The following figures are general approximations that relate only to a manual OR 'in-river' sluices that you would carry and place into river course.
LENGTH - 1000mm (40 inches)
WIDTH - 250mm wide (10 inches)
HEIGHT - Tray height 100mm (4 inches) high
Types of Sluice
There are also different categories of the Gold Sluice as well, and, each of these describe their different function and action, such as:
- Manual or (river) sluice
- High Banker or a 'Power sluice'
So Which Gold Sluice Is for Me?
So, which one do you choose? Well, this answer has many parts.
For beginner gold prospectors, I would suggest using a manual or in river sluice box to get accustomed with the workings of the gold sluice. They are really not that hard of a contraption, but getting it set up to the way you like it and for good gold recovery are all part of the gold prospecting learning experience.
For gold prospectors considering the later type of the power or 'high-banker' gold sluice, I would suggest you either speak to a number of specialist prospecting clubs and gold prospecting supply stores before making this step as it involves more technical knowledge relating to set-up, pumps, and the different systems used for these beasts. Also the cost of the 'high-banker' is quite high compared to the manual gold sluice.
Now as just mentioned, the second part to choosing a sluice box is cost. Cost of a manual sluice can range from $60 and then up to $500 for a two-tiered system depending on its brand and set-up. With 'high-banker' or power sluice boxes, the cost can range from about $800 up to $3000.00 depending on the size of the system.
What Are the Benefits of Each Sluice Type?
Manual Sluice - Light, usually easy to carry and put in river, takes up less room usually than the power sluice box.
Power sluice - Ability to set-up away from the river, can set-up closer to a dry river bed source and process dirt without having to carry to the river sluice.
What Are Negatives of Type of Sluice Box?
Manual Sluice - Making sure you adjust the gradient to get the right flow velocity to capture the gold, having to carry dirt to the stream where the sluice is to process it, and having to move the sluice if too much if the dirt material banks up, and the height of the sluice will be at river as opposed to loading into a two tiered system.
Power Sluice - Cost, Storage, space it takes up, and technical skill.
What's the Lesson With Sluice Boxes?
All of the negatives with both of these systems can be overcome quite easily, and it is up to your individual skill, ability, and gold prospector determination that will help overcome these that will give you a greater boost in your take-home gold.
That's Great! But Where's The Gold?
With any good system there is always and end to the process, and this is no different with using a Sluice. It is the cleaning up process at the end of your sluicing work that the gold is recovered from the sluice box. The end product is then panned off into your gold pans and hopefully the spoils of your work will be revealed.
I will expand further on this sluice article in another couple of posts in the coming future. I hope that you have enjoyed this article and I look forward to helping you on your way to a fantastic gold prospecting future.
I've written this article with the information you should need to help you understand some of the basics of gold sluice boxes. If you're ready to gain some more great gold prospecting information, then what you need is a resource that doesn't just give you copies of the same old internet tips that everyone else has.
What is the point in going over the same free information that everyone (including some experts) are using? What you need is the benefit of some sound gold prospecting knowledge that will help you improve gold prospecting returns.You literally have NOTHING to lose by visiting my Gold prospecting website.
You will find more great information to help you improve your chances of finding gold there, and, more articles and resources on gold
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8658920