ideas on making a sluice kit

Hi all, I'm trying to make a sluice machine. I've never sluiced before, but thanks to forum member rustydog I think I have a rough idea.
I was thinking of putting a aluminium sieve into a bucket with the bottom cut out. I already have a generator i take camping so i'm thinking of getting an electric water pump and jig that up to some pvc for the spray bar. And finally a aluminium or plastic sluice for the bottom. So will this work? I already have most of the stuff apart from pump and sluice any recommendations on pump and sluice to purchase would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

This was built with a 20 buck budget. the timber is from an old bed. the wire is from the side of an old window mounted air con unit ( ally mesh)
The ribbed matting was the 20 bucks i spent.
The tube / pvc is the water inlet, the corrugated pipe was from an old building site, dont use agg pipe as it has drainage slots in it.
I have tested this with very fine/ sand size flecks to 2 gram nugs, and it catches everything, the only downside is that is 5 foot long, but works well for catching flecks, and still gets the black sand out slowly.
I can shovel into this , about a full shovel every 30 seconds and it keeps up well.
So if your on a budget, anything will catch gold if you design and test well .
Yeah yeah i know its not pretty to look at, but it serves its job well..
P>S Space invaders machine is not for sale...lol

maka that is thinking out side the box , does not look like a conventional sluice and you have a 10/10 from me for that beast of a sluice.

toshtony wrote:Hi all, I'm trying to make a sluice machine. I've never sluiced before, but thanks to forum member rustydog I think I have a rough idea.
I was thinking of putting a aluminium sieve into a bucket with the bottom cut out. I already have a generator i take camping so i'm thinking of getting an electric water pump and jig that up to some pvc for the spray bar. And finally a aluminium or plastic sluice for the bottom. So will this work? I already have most of the stuff apart from pump and sluice any recommendations on pump and sluice to purchase would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

as maka has posted as long as you stick to the basics of specific gravity any thing works!! but I would recomend that you save your money and build a banjo and purchace a small 4 stroke pump -- if you go to the sluicing page you will find all you need to read to get yourself up and running

Maka that thing looks like it came out of darkest parts of Africa but if it contains the gold go for it mate

Wombat

Thanks maka thats exactly what i'm talking about. Something like that would cost hundreds in the shops might not look as good but performs just as good if not better. I feel that the most important bit is the bit that catches the gold and that I don't mind spending on. What's the best material to use for catching gold, I was thinking in purchasing one of those aluminium trays, but is that the best, should I go with plastic or rubber mats, which one catches gold best. I have a 4 stroke generator why must I get a 4 stroke pump as well, it has 3x 1200 power points, 1x 3 phase and a 12v socket aswell. Can't I just hook up long extension lead and long hose to a electric pump.
Thanks

Stay away from the genny and 240 volt and water, I use a small car battery with a 2000gph bilge pump. I have a tap to slow the speed. At 2000 gph it blows the fines out the other end.
I do have a genny to run a battery charger off to recharge the battery though. That can be used away from the water
A deep cycle battery is better but i have run this for over 4 hours on a very small car battery and it didnt go flat.
Mine also can run on a recirlulating system, and 60 litres will run it for hours on end.
I sit the top of the sluice on a tall bucket, and the lower end onto a large container ( 60 litres) Inside the 60 litre bucket is my pump. the dirt falls from the sluice into a 10 litre bucket, and overflows into the 60 litre one. All the rubbish falls into the 10 litre bucket, and you just empty it as it fills. this also stops the pump sucking up slurry...
All fines get caught in the ribbed matting ( buy it from clark rubber)
the heavy nugs roll on the matting and 100percent of the time they get stuck on the first riffle.
If i up the speed to blow out heaps of black sand the nug rolls over the first riffle and sits in the low pressure behind it.
If i really up the speed ( flat out) small nugs under a gram if washed out seem to always get caught in the corrugated pipe.
make whatever suits your budget and style. I have made this for several reasons.
I can take out the riffles and run very fine concentrate at slow speed to get flecks.I take dirt home often to play with during the week
Also as a cheap highbanker, to put loads of material thru fast.
I hate panning as squatting hurts my back after only a few pans.
The corrugated tube also comes out easily, and i have ribbed marine carpet that goes in.
the plastic bucket slots in snug under the water outlet, no clips, springs or screws to worry about , eveything just pulls out.
No nozels to block either its 1 inch pvc.
In the bottom of the bucket it does have about 8 holes drilled in it, all about half an inch diameter. Smaller fines should fall thru that , and not even get into the main sluice area.Only water dribbles down these holes, just enough to remove the black sand.
Half the fun is playing in the garage at night, testing etc.
I do have a sluice about 600mm long and 30 cm wide, made from sheet steel, but i like this one as it suits my needs better..
My riffles are aluminium angle 20mm cut to length, and squashed down with a hammer to flatten them out a bit.
Dont ask the angle, just squash them until you get a nice waterfall over them, test your sluice with lead sinkers cut up and squashed and any heavy bits of metal.
After welding i sweep the floor, and collect the little bits of slag, they are round and should roll out of the sluice but they dont, and they are about pinhead size.
Local garage should have a supply of steel shavings from a brake lathe, These are cost free and work well for testing...

Thanks maka you've been really helpful the battery set up is perfect for me. Is this the pump your using http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bilge-12V-Submersible-Fishing-Boat-Water-Pump-2000-GPH-/270799925012?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f0ceeef14 if so should I go with the same one or should I get one with less pressure like the 1100 gph http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-Submersible-Fishing-Boat-Bilge-Water-Pump-1100-GPH-/270800003939?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f0cf02363
Thanks again mate

Grab the 2000gph as it will lift higher if needed and if you design a bigger sluice( wider) it will still work.
And yeah thats the one i got, but it was blue when it turned up...