Sluice Box Ripples.

Sluice Box Ripples.

To the Editor.

Sir,-I enclose you a drawing of ripples, which I planned some four or five years ago, and have been using them ever since, off and on. I can recommend them for the following advantages over any other ripple or plan of saving gold that I know of: 1st The iron being on its edge will wear any length of time (I have my first experimental ones yet in use). 2nd . They can be made to fit any width of a sluice, by making bolts the width required, and putting on sets sufficient to just fill them. 3rd . They will keep clear at less pitch than any other ripple I know of, and will save coarse gold as well as fine ; they hold very little dirt ; always keep soft, and sink the gold well on the bottom. I got my idea for these ripples from a long residence on this creek (a tributary of the Shotover, having been here ever since it was opened), and having noticed that wherever the river took a sharp bend or formed a gorge that the claims in front of it were always good, and sometimes very rich. I followed this idea out by forming gorges and bends on a small scale, and it exceeded my most sanguine expectations. The Government of New Zealand offered a bonus of £l00 for the best ripples or plan of saving gold. Plans to be sent in up to 31st August last. The competition has since come off, but none of the plans were considered good enough. . I was waiting for this, thinking I would have something worth while to put in your paper. I was also intending to compete myself, and wrote to the advertised party for information, enclosing a stamped envelope, but they never answered my letter. I may say in conclusion, about these ripples, that I have tried all the ripples and plans I could hear of, spending a good deal of money and time over it. I now enclose you a sketch of, for simplicity, strength, adaptability, and saving of gold, I am ground sluicing at present, but if I was working quartz I should try these ripples made of copper and silvered, or fill the holes half full of silver, as they have a sucking action and draw the gold down into them. I always use cocoa-matting under them, it saves the fine gold, and makes it easier to clean up, keeping a galvanised tub purposely to wash the mats in. All the plans of saving gold I have heard of yet have too much machinery about then. I do not say these ripples are perfect, but what they lose a Chinaman would turn up his nose at. I have been recommended to have them cast at the foundry, but they would snap with frost and the jolting of stones over them.

Yours, truly,
JOHN ASPINALL.



A.- Bolts of the width of sluice for holding tho ripples together. The hoop-iron is 1 ½ in by ½ in , riveted 3 ½ in or 4 in apart with copper rivets, ½ in, in shank with flat heads. These are opened in holes of the shape in drawing by heating the rivets and then placing the head of the second rivet in a vice, when they are easily opened by a chisel or sharp pointed pick and beat in the shape, which should be broad up stream and narrow down stream.

Skipper's Point, Otago, New Zealand,
December, 1.

Australian Town and Country Journal
January 1876
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/

very interesting James !! maybe thats why the door mats in diamond or better still round punched rubber work so well?

Murachu wrote:very interesting James !! maybe thats why the door mats in diamond or better still round punched rubber work so well?

Yes indeed when i saw the drawing the image was very similar to what we are using. Interesting indeed. cheers mate

Is the center ripple at 90 degrees to the base? Im on a phone so its a little hard to tell. Im building a highbanker for my father. He is very into prospecting at the moment and me being the fantastic boilermaker son I am I wanted to use my manland to help in his new found hobby.... I am actually starting to get interested purely from alll the research I have been doing.
Great looking work too! I am building this highbanker on a very strict budget. The top hopper and bottom part are being made from what looks to be the same material and around 230mm wide and the bottom sluice part is 1200mm long. The top hopper is about 500mm long and 150mm deep. Using punched plate for the bottom of the hopper. The holes are 10mm. Using 20mm pipe for the washers and i think the pump does about 2000lph.
Im pretty lost with how exact everything has to be considering i have never seen one in action apart from on youtube. Hopefully my first attempt works alright. If it doesnt I will blame it on the fact that i never work with metal under 12mm thick usually....

looks like 90 degrees.

this idea with the rubber matting works well and retains most of the gold , no real need for carpet or miners moss etc.
tried and proven