Bunnings sluice

[Reeks]

This is my cheapo bunnings $25 sluice.
Tried it out today and it worked a treat.

It is a 1m plastic grate and drain. It has two gold trapping sections
The first is a floor rubber which sits flat on the bottom and the second is a floor mat (same as what Wal uses in his highbanker)
It is important to cut them both the correct width so the grate can slightly squash them down firmly in the shape of the sluice.
I also have a funnel head to direct water into it but found it worked better without it.
I had it in a very small creek today and it could clear out a hand spade full in a few seconds.
I took my time classifying and panning 3/4 a 20L bucket and got one or two specs.
I put two buckets full through the sluice and then panned the cons and got about 10 nice little specs.
Pretty happy considering i found the creek on google maps and had no idea if it was gold bearing.

 

[Reeks]

It was about 3 times quicker than panning and alot easier on the back.
I ran it on only a slight angle, about 8cm over the metre (1 in 12) and it caught a heap of black sand and around 10 little specs from about 1 and 3/4 buckets of gravel from what looked like the old course the creek used to flow. ( rounded stones sitting on what looked like decomposing bedrock)

The grate is only necessary to hold down the two matts.
I filed down the tabs and drilled holes and use rivets to hold the grate in position ( this makes it easy to take the grate off and on as the standard tabs are very tight)
Reeko

 

[joe]

You got to love Bunnings neat little unit

 

[Guest]

Great job Reeks, and even greater ingenuity!

 

[garnethawkins]

Can't complain about that mate, done well!

 

[mozzie1957]

Love it. Reckon it'd make a good little backpacker as well.
Bunnings here I come.

 

[Reeks]

Thanks guys, i was impressed by how quick it cleans out, probably because its narrow and long.
Also i didnt think the curved sides would be any good but as you can see they were catching the heavies too.

The floor rubber is expensive ($35 a metre) but you can buy it in 0.1m increments! So 200mm was enough to do the sluice $7

 

[Sparra]

Might have to give it a try...You can also buy the grated drain in a square shape and different widths...200mm wide would be wide enough to make a High Banker with yeah???

Cheers and thanks for posting...

 

[Ben78]

That's some good chunky little pieces! Which goldfield did you go to to try it out? What worked better the grate or woven matt?

 

[Beagleboy]

I was eyeing the same thing at Bunnings few months ago wondering if it would work. Obviously it does. Good job mate.

 

[TenOunce Tone]

Very nice innovation grats on the gold!

 

[The yabby]

Mmmmm I love bunnings,well done reeks.

 

[HeadsUp]

well done mate thats got to be the funniest and smartest el cheapo sluice i have seen

hats off to ya

and you got lucky and found a good creek on your first trip ?

somebody is there looking over you i think mate .

champion work buddy

 

[Reeks]

Might have to give it a try...You can also buy the grated drain in a square shape and different widths...200mm wide would be wide enough to make a High Banker with yeah???

Cheers and thanks for posting...

I would of preferred something like that but the store i was at didn't have any flat stuff.
I cant see why you couldn't make a plastic highbanker.
Cheers

 

[Reeks]

That's some good chunky little pieces! Which goldfield did you go to to try it out? What worked better the grate or woven matt?

I could see a lot of black sand in the floor rubber so i think it was doing a good job.
I used Wal's idea of using the loop pile matting to catch finer stuff, i had a few tiny specs but most was chunky.

 

[Reeks]

BeagleBoy, Tenouncetone, The yabby, Headsup;
Thanks!

Headsup Yes, when i was panning out the cons from the first bucket full through the sluice, i saw some colour, looked up laughing/eyes starting to water and said "thanks bro!"

 

[jimmydolittle]

California Sluice Box company makes one from ABS plastic.

Might have to give it a try...You can also buy the grated drain in a square shape and different widths...200mm wide would be wide enough to make a High Banker with yeah???

Cheers and thanks for posting...

I would of preferred something like that but the store i was at didn't have any flat stuff.
I cant see why you couldn't make a plastic highbanker.
Cheers

 

[Heatho]

Well done mate, so simple and looks like it's very effective.

 

[slowflow]

That's hard to beat.
Hope you keep catching the yellow.

 

[Goldie]

Great idea thanks for sharing