sluice is it the way to go

Hi Guys
as you would know i am new to gold panning/finding
I just wanted to know
sluiceing is it the way to go?
and what type is the best?
James

hey mate try this forum, some good info there


alluvial gold prospectors forum

good luck.

G'day James,
I just bought a sluice to try out on my land down on the Abercrombie River at Easter. It works just with the river flow - no pump. I have seen sluices in action and they certainly beat panning.
Jigalong

didnt get a big dig as the rain came down in buckets!!!!

this is what was paned



for the dirt shifted it wasent bad and it shows what the old timers were loosing as it was tailings i was washing

Hi Marachu,
that looks like the sluice is spraying very good amounts of water onto the dirt, what type of sluice arwe you using there?
Can you get very fine gold with it as well?
Thanks,
uncle bob.

yes bob that area has a puggy red clay that you need to get broken down really well -- the unit is called a Banjo (a form of Highbanker) and yes it does catch very fine gold (pic coming)

fine gold

That looks really good there Marachu, what type of generator do you use and what's the cost of the whole setup?

no generator just a chonda pump 11/2 '' heres a look at how to make one --any questions just ask
http://www.gold-net.com.au/archivemagazines/may02/59329034.html#3

just to wet your appetite more BOB

Hey Marachu, how long did that take you to get that on your dish?

Hey Marachu,
Did you make that sluice youself?

yes bob there not hard to make !! and the gold took about 2weeks of digging!! nearly 2oz from memory

Murachu wrote: and the gold took about 2weeks of digging!! nearly 2oz from memory

Murachu,

Bloody great result - I enjoyed looking at your dish with lotsa Gold

Cheers
A

thanks ARARAT heres another one for ya!!

Yes, it's reallt good gold there Marachu. It's great to see that home made stuff can do the job really well like your shows.
Thanks,
uncle bob.

your all very welcome!! any questions just ask away ! only to glad to help!

Murachu wrote:thanks ARARAT heres another one for ya!!

Ahhh bliss >>> noice very very noice - very sweet looking chunks of AU

A

gee and i was happy with the tiny specs i was getting, lol. Now im sooooooo wanting to go back and dig more. Trouble is there isnt running water in my creek and i cant use a powered sluice... hmmmm.... more shovelling i guess

Why cant you use a powered pump?

too many expenses already, lol.

Hey marachu
Nice pics mate I've been sluicing for about a year now and although I've found some it's nowhere near that amount I haven't tried the old tailings though next trip to hill end I might do so...
If there's any other advice on sluicing let me in on it pleeeeaaase mate
Cheers
Dave

Dave the best advise that i can give is to Test! test! and yep you guessed it test !! tailings can be good if water was a problem when the old timers were washing but a word of warning never take a sample off the top of a pile and assume the gold will be that good all the way trough the pile because as you can imagine over the past 150 years or so the enrichment process has taken over and as the dirt has been washed away the gold gets concentrated on top!

i did notice on the last trip to hill end we found a good patch only small on the side of the river bank the deeper we dug the less gold and smaller....i do know a spot we checked out a couple of years ago before the misses and i started but its a good hours walk but has lots of old diggings might do some test pans there next week...its just the walk back that hurts even more so if theres not much there.....good to see that much gold come out in a sluice i was thinking that the guys with the detectors only got the ounces.....well done mate..
ive got that excited feeling back after seeing your pics.
Is that a home made sluice your running there? im running the M&D marks super sluice with pretty good results easy to clean and picks up very fine gold along with a few bigger ones...it has the same set up as you have with the jets at the top....im also panning with the M&D marks speed pan this im very impressed with ive had guys put there left overs in from panning after the sluice and there amazed at how much they have missed...
Thanks again for the great photos
Dave

Hi Skysite,
I am interested in the M&D Sluice set-up, I have been asking Mark to give me a test run out on the field lately but just can't get to meet at the right time because he is old now and has been having eye troubles lately.I have his speed pan but have only used it once. Does your M&D Sluice have the 4 stroke pump or the old one? I think now he sells the kit with the 4 stroke pump.
Thanks,
uncle bob.

Guys save yourselves a lot of money and make your own and they will be lighter to carry - all the gold ive shown you in this post was caught with a Banjo sluice --not hard to make -- and you have the satisfaction of doing it all your self
I have only used a M&D once and that was enough !! claims of special gold attracting paint in the gel!! wtf! and they chip way to easily!! that's just my opinion as i must say ive met people who swear by them ,as well as at them LOL!, but perhaps if i had paid $1500 plus for one i would want to believe in it too!

i do agree murachu looking back i had no idea how to make a sluice that did work....i did buy it but i have to say i am happy with it and his pans its a very easy set up and not that heavy....if i had the choice again with what i know now i would make one...but as i said im very happy with the results...
Dave

skysite wrote:i do agree murachu looking back i had no idea how to make a sluice that did work....i did buy it but i have to say i am happy with it and his pans its a very easy set up and not that heavy....if i had the choice again with what i know now i would make one...but as i said im very happy with the results...
Dave

i havent got a problem with that !! different folks /different strokes!!

TheH0ward wrote:gee and i was happy with the tiny specs i was getting, lol. Now im sooooooo wanting to go back and dig more. Trouble is there isnt running water in my creek and i cant use a powered sluice... hmmmm.... more shovelling i guess

Nothing wrong with shoveling!! just make sure its a good shovel -- a good shovel is like a best mate // always willing to dig // never breaks your back // and great to lean on at the end of a hard day/ also a good pan --i use Garrett's and my shovel is an Aussie Cyclone Plumbers shovel /10 yr guarantee// 2mm tempered steel and is well worth the money.

Here is a pic of gold paned (private property) These pieces were just inches under the soil -- must get back there when it drys out!! whenever that may be