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 Sluice Boxes 

Sluices are long, narrow "boxes" that water passes through when put in a creek or stream. Sluicing is a method of separating and recovering gold from the placer gravel by the use of running water. Gold is caught or trapped by riffles. Riffles are purposeful obstructions which slow the movement of gold in the sluice so it can be trapped in miner's moss, carpeting, or rubber matting in the bottom of the sluice.

Nineteenth century gold miners used wooden sluices that were at least 12 feet long, but modern gold prospectors primarily use sluice boxes made of plastic or metal which are typically 24, 36 or 48 inches long and 6 to 10 inches wide. The idea is to position a sluice box in a running stream so that the water does the work-- separating the dirt and rocks away from the gold. Since gold is heavy, it will stay in the bottom of the sluice, trapped in the miner's moss.

A good rule of thumb is to set your sluice at a grade of one inch per foot of drop. At least start here, and adjust as needed. A steeper grade may result in all but the coarsest gold being carried away by the force of the water. The non-motorized sluices below are made by Jobe, Tee-Dee, Le Trap, RDH Prospecting,  Gold Buddy and are all considered hand sluices.  Click here for Power Sluices / Highbankers.

For tips on how to properly set up and use a stream sluice, scroll to the bottom of this page.

    Price:
    $172.93
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    35" long Mini Dream Mat Sluice - 2 widths to choose from

    Price:
    $173.93
    product

    35" long Vortex Dream Mat Sluice - 2 widths to choose from

    Price:
    $233.93
    product

    47" long Mini Dream Mat Sluice - 3 widths to choose from

    Price:
    $239.93
    product

    47" long Vortex Dream Mat Sluice - 3 widths to choose from

    48 inch sluice
    Price:
    $174.92
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    48" x 10" wide x 3" high sluice with flare

    32 inch Sluice with Screen
    Price:
    $130.93
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    24" x 6" wide x 3" high sluice with 2 Dream Mats

    Price:
    $85.93
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    Thermoform 6x22 Vortex Sluice

    36 inch sluice
    Price:
    $144.92
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    36" x 10" wide x 3" high sluice

    32 inch Sluice with Screen
    Price:
    $90.92
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    24" x 6" wide x 3" high sluice

    32 inch Sluice with Screen
    Price:
    $28.92
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    12" x 3" wide x 1" high micro sluice

    Price:
    $73.92
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    Sluice Stand 6 inch

    Price:
    $96.92
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    Sluice Stand 10 inch

    10 inch Power Header Box
    Price:
    $133.92
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    6" Power Header Box & Pump & Hose

    10" sluice Header box
    Price:
    $84.92
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    6" Header Box

    10 inch Power Header Box
    Price:
    $157.92
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    10" Power Header Box & Pump & Hose

    10" sluice Header box
    Price:
    $94.92
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    10" Header Box

    Price:
    $456.92
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    Large Hopper Box for 10 inch sluice - FREE SHIPPING!

    Price:
    $149.91
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    Aluminium Folding Sluice Box

    Le Trap River Robber Sluice
    Price:
    $111.92
    product

    Le Trap Gold Sluice Box - 3 models to choose from

    Price:
    $75.93
    product

    Le Trap Mini Sluice Box - 2 models to choose from

    Price:
    $44.99
    product

    Ity Bity California Sluice - LeTrap Drop Riffle Backpacking Sluice

    Price:
    $82.93
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    California Drop Riffle Sluice - 2 sizes

    Price:
    $111.92
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    Rip Saw Sluice - choose metal rock bars or spray bar

    Price:
    $42.92
    product

    Bucket Sluice Concentrator

    Miners Moss for Sluices
    Price:
    $18.95
    product

    Miners Moss - Multiple Sizes

    Tuff-Stuff Deep V Grooved Mat
    Price:
    $10.91
    product

    Tuff-Stuff Deep V Grooved Mat

    24 inch Panning Gloves
    Price:
    $14.95
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    Rubber Panning Gloves  6514

    Price:
    $39.95
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    Trimmable Sluice Box Matting

    Price:
    $15.93
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    Mini Dream Mat Pocket Sluice Kit with Tool Bag, Tweezers, Vials

    Backpack Prospecting Kit
    Price:
    $149.92
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    Backpack Prospecting Kit

    Price:
    $12.00
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    Pocket Sluice Micro Dream Mat

     
    How to Set Up a Stream Sluice


    Place the sluice in the flow of a stream or river so that the water enters the flared end and flows through the sluice. If the current is strong you may need to lay some stones against the edge of the sluice to keep it from washing away. The sluice should be set at a downhill angle that allows the material to briskly flow through the sluice. The higher the volume of water available, the shallower the angle will be.

    Shovel material into the sluice at the flared end as close to the end as possible so that the material is washed over the entire length of the sluice. Do not overload the sluice with material. Pace your shoveling so that the sluice has time to clear before you add more material.

    When you are ready to clean out the concentrates, remove the sluice from the water and tip it down into a bucket or tub. Wash as much material as possible out of the sluice into the tub and then remove the riffle tray and carpet and wash both of them out into the tub. Replace the carpet or miners moss and riffle tray into the sluice and you are ready to go again. The concentrates of heavier material and gold are now in the tub so that you can remove the gold from the concentrates with a gold pan or a Gold Cube or a spiral panning machine, or another clean up tool.

    You may find that it helps to screen the material before you put it into the sluice by first  passing the material through a gold classifier. Pre-classified material will run through the sluice at a more uniform rate. With just a little practice, you'll be a pro at using a sluice in no time!

     

    How to Clean Gold

    Sometimes placer gold comes out of a stream with a thin coating of mercury or other impurity attached to it, so it is necessary to clean your gold to bring out its natural luster and shine. The best way to clean gold is to place it in a small water-tight container about half full of water and add a bit of dishwashing liquid. Shake the container vigorously. How quickly you'll see a glittery shine often depends on how much gold is in the container. The more gold you clean at one time, the faster if shines up because of the friction caused by shaking. After you see your gold gleam, be sure to rinse with clean water. Do this several times to remove all traces of soap. Next, air dry your gold or heat it slowly outdoors in a metal pan. Enjoy that beautiful golden glow!