Sluice box size ????s

[grumpy]

Morning Friends

Im new an this is a 101 type question but i still need to ask; In the rockies of colorado on a small creek, stream, like max of 10 or 12 ft wide and walk across anywhere without getting it much over your boot tops;
You know the type real pretty and small creek
Im debating the size of sluice box to buy to use in such locations; I see 10 and 12 inch wide; Make any dif??? I see from 36 to 51 inch long?? What would work good there and maybe still work in larger places ??
Any advice appreciated
Thanks
Grumpy

 

[landman]

n/t

 

[ColoradoGoldMan]

Hi Grump
I have a Keene 151 and have used it for many years. It works good and is built like a tank. Keene makes a smaller one that can be back packed that is also a fair unit. The Keene sluices have been around for a long time with little change which tells you that they work. The width is not as important as the velocity of the water which has the most effect on recovery and amount of material you can run and not over load the riffles. There are a lot of trick of the week sluices out there claiming fantastic recovery numbers, fact you never get it all and a claim is just that a claim and not real world. The La Trapp sluice is a good dredge clean up unit but you are at the mercy of the volume and velocity of the water you have. I feel a sluice must have a flair on it to provide better control of the water. In low and slow flow rate creeks it is needed to get the right velocity so the riffles will not pack-up and you loss your gold out the end.
May the bottom of pan always be golden.
CH

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

I've got a Keene A-52 10 inch wide w/flare that I have enjoyed very much for a number of years now but this winter, I found along the highway in the weeds, a good length of about 4" I.D. black plastic ribbed drainage pipe that is kind of flexible.

For a long time, I had given thought to getting some of this pipe to cut in half down it's length to make a simple and much smaller sluice. The ribs though rounded, I think are deep enough for adequate Gold traps. I happen to know of a lifelong Miner who uses this same size Black plastic ribbed drainage pipe on the output end of his spiral trommel to trap gold. I personally have not tinkered with this pipe yet but plan to. I'm thinking in the hardware stores, I've seen some heating duct flares that would fit this pipe. Just an idea if you want to do a Do It Yourself sluice first.